Our jazzy five some was all about the family style. We are family, started with Venison Carpaccio, Escargot a la Bordelaise, roast marrowbones & garlic and Dungeness Crab Bignets. For my main I couldn’t hold back from the American Kobe Beef Top Sirloin, Beef Bourguignonne. It was hard to share. So, I didn’t.

Hand in hand with the celebrated plates are the perfect pours. You can’t pull in to Portland or Oregon without hitting Oregon’s acclaimed wine country; Willamette Valley is a mere 30 minutes from downtown Portland with all the aesthetics of any great wine country with cobalt blue skies, rolling fields and picturesque, stunning vineyards.

Pinot, clearly the state’s star is quickly becoming a globally recognized wine star. Portland’s Pinot is very different than the California Pinot with a bit more of a kick. She’s a full-bodied babe due to the cool climate and has a bit more spice, as the Oregon oak is smokier than the French oak.

Jerry Marshall the winemaker at the family run and operated Oswego Hills says that Willamette Valley Wineries are lifestyle wineries, meaning they are not in it for the money. It’s a practice of passion. Pre or post recession, no one is losing his or her shirt; these mavericks have a closet full of options. Typically, it’s a second or perhaps third career.