Summer Wine Tasting

Summer Wine Tasting 

This summer the Portland Blogger and Creatives group got together for a little wine tasting at Stoller Winery. Summer is a great time for wine tasting with friends.  Especially if you rent a limo or other car service so everyone can enjoy tasting. 

I just love the wide open spaces around wineries as you drive up to them.  This lone white farm house caught my eye and as I stopped to capture the shot I day dreamed about living on acreage. But than I thought about how many times a week I make craft store runs. 😜

One of the things I really like about Stoller is that they kept Oak trees among their vines.  White oak's to be exact.  White oak numbers have decreased dramatically and Stoller is helping to preserve the species.  Plus just look at that view! I like the variation the oaks and pine trees bring to the view of the vineyard. It's such a relaxing view. 

Not only is Stoller helping preserve white oaks, their tasting room is solar. Way to go Stoller. Those Adirondack chairs were calling my name but I had to meet up with the rest of the blogger group. Plus I would have FRIED in minutes under the hot summer sun. 

Enjoying the first tasting in our flight.  This was a chardonnay. Normally I do not like chardonnays. I'm all about the reds.  But this one was surprisingly good. Our sommelier informed us that this chardonnay was from a stainless steel barrel not an oak barrel.  That must be why I like it.  Along with the flight we were also served a charcuterie board.  

Now this is my kind of wine, red. Do you prefer white or red?  Let me know in the comments. 

As the event wined down and we all started to head out I caught Mt. Hood in the distance as I made my way to my car. 

Of course Mt. Hood was so much clearer in person.  I can never capture it in a photo the way it looks in person. 

Have you enjoyed any outings with friends this summer?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

Summer Time Charcuterie

Summer Time Charcuterie at Stoller Vineyards 

A few weekends ago I met up with some local bloggers and enjoyed a day at Stoller Family Estate.  Not all mini parties have to be held at home.  Summer time is meant for taking the party on the road and exploring parks, vineyards, boat docks, and more in your area.  So pack up that party, hit the road and tell me all about it .  

Wow, it has been WAY too long since I've been to a vineyard. I had no idea they served charcuterie.  How pretty does all that look.  I tried the big salami on the end and it was very good.  I didn't try the cheese because I'm not a cheese fan, unless of course it's on pizza, nachos, grilled cheese sandwich. 

Those hazelnuts I can tell you were delicious. I couldn't stop eating them.  Thankfully everyone else at the event wanted the meats and cheeses or I would have felt like a real pig hogging the nuts. 

   

When it comes to wine I'm all about the reds. I like the full bodied richness and  the taste the tannins impart. The very thing that people who prefer white wines don't like.  Tannins can impart a bitter element.  You'd think I would prefer white wines since I love sweets. Nope.   However, that bottle on the table there, that's a Chardonnay, the first bottle in our flight at Stoller.  And dare I say it?  I liked it.  I was very surprised.  Our sommelier at the vineyard informed us that this wine was fermented in a stainless steel drum.  This is the reason I liked it. The stainless steel imparts a different taste to it.    If you're not a fan of white wines, you should order a bottle their chardonnay made in a stainless steel drum, you just might like it. Just like I did.

Doesn't this just make you want to create your own charcuterie board, pour a glass of wine and just hang out with your friends on a summer afternoon?

I can't wait to show  you the rest of our Portland blogger meet-up at Stoller Family Estate later this week.  Until then, I want to hear about your winery tour experience.  Which ones have you been too?  What did you do there?

Fall Holiday Party

This year I had the pleasure of being part of the A Blissful Nest Holiday Team. I created this party as my contribution.  Grab a Moscow Mule, curl up on the couch and enjoy. 

The beginning of fall means leaves changing colors, crisp cool air and my friends looking forward to an invitation in the mail from me for a fall get together.  A chance for us to catch up after all the summer fun spent with family.  My fall party is always a casual get together with good treats, some good wine and minimal party decor. The emphasis is on time with friends. 

Plaid is so on trend for fall so for this party I combined plaid, natural elements and of course, a little glitter. Using a lot of elements I already had around the house. 

 Often times when friends get together conversations can turn to work. To prevent that this year I had Small Moments create gratitude cards to spur meaningful conversations and to keep the conversation flowing away from work. 

 To create the glitter pumpkins I picked up some small white ones at the store, painted mod podge on them and sprinkled glitter all over the areas covered in mod podge. For the glittered acorns, I collected the acorns from a local park, painted the tops in Elmer's white glue and sprinkled glitter over the glue covered areas. 

 Along with fall treats we enjoyed a glass of wine. To continue the plaid trend I bought some fabric and draped it over our ottomans.  I don't have a serving tray so I used a cookie sheet that I covered with wood themed paper from the craft store.

 I ordered custom sugar cookies for the party because this party was all about being casual and relaxed.  Ordering cookies instead of making my own saved me time and stress so I could focus on my friends.

Although this was a casual relaxed party I can't help myself when it comes to the details. Besides the custom sugar cookies to match the party I also had labels for the wine created. For the napkin rings I tied twine around the napkins, cut out fall leaves and acorns from paper and attached them to the twine. 

Parties don't have to be big over the top productions all the time. By using items you already have around your house and adding a few custom elements you can create a great looking party your friends will be impressed by.  No need to tell them how easy it was to put together. Just sit back and enjoy the compliments. 

Vendors: 
Concept, styling and photography by Fizzy Party 
Graphics by Small Moments
Cookies by Auntie Beas Bakery