Have a little wine with your turkey
It’s Thanksgiving, and my Uncle Don has decided there’s no better time to remodel the kitchen.
A large sheet of plywood blocks all but about a foot of the doorway. On the stove, which still functions, pots and pans housing our dinner sit atop hot burners – right next to the highly flammable adhesive he’s glopping all over the countertop.
Downstairs, my Aunt Lorna scrubs potatoes in the laundry sink. Out the basement door and around the side of the house, the turkey roasts in the barbecue.
Sometimes I wonder how they stay together.
They pulled it off, all right – as they always do. But it was enough to drive a body to Wine Country Thanksgiving, the Oregon Willamette Valley’s annual opportunity to drink your way through the family holiday drama.
This year’s version runs Nov. 24 to 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Organizers say the event “brings families together to explore the pastoral beauty of the Willamette Valley and taste a wide range of Oregon wine.” But if you’re really just running screaming from your family, I bet they’ll let you come anyway.
The valley boasts two-thirds of Oregon’s wineries and vineyards. Its importance as a wine-producing region dates back to 1965, when David and Diana Lett planted 3,000 pinot noir vines in the Dundee Hills, one of the Willamette Valley’s three sub-appelations.
Since then, the area’s winery count has topped 200, and 130 of them will participate in Wine Country Thanksgiving.
Each schedules its own events during the weekend, including art displays, live music and, of course, tastings. In addition to wine, you can have a sample of local cheeses and hand-dipped truffles.
Have a look at the entire agenda at www.willamettewines.com. Or call (503) 646-2985.
Whet your Whistler
Now if you’re a woman who likes wine, but a regular old $20 bottle of Oregon pinot noir just doesn’t provide enough chance to throw your money around, I’ve got the very thing.
Grab that spare $1,739 Canadian out of your petty cash jar and head for the DiVine Decadence Retreat.
It’s part of Cornucopia, a celebration of gourmet living in Whistler, B.C., Nov. 9 through 12.
Here’s what the Web site has to say about the event’s 10th anniversary: “The festival promises to be bigger, better, and more deliciously decadent than ever before with a plethora of parties, dinners, luncheons and hands-on seminars suitable for every palate, from the experienced gourmet to novice culinary enthusiasts.”
It would take an awful lot of culinary enthusiasm to justify a $1,739 weekend around my household. But you may be that excited, so here’s the rundown of all the decadence your money can buy.
From Nov. 10-12, you’ll enjoy a “rejuvenating” all-girl getaway with chocolate, strawberries, massage, yoga and a night out for dancing and wine-tasting. Organizers call the retreat “the ultimate chance to connect with the most important people in your life while enjoying Whistler’s signature food and wine celebration.”
The most important people with disposable income, that is.
Your tickets also get you into Crush!, the Saturday evening showcase for more than 15 restaurants and 75 wineries. And you can make the scene at the DiVine Soul After Party, if you still haven’t had your fill of chocolate or dessert. Individual admission to the party runs $115.
Cornucopia’s schedule features, well, a cornucopia of other events, including the Washington Wine Commission’s House Party on Nov. 9. Tickets for the food-and-wine tribute to the Pacific Northwest run a reasonable $35.
There’s a ton more stuff to stuff yourself with – not to mention a Battle of the Sexes wine tasting, pitting a panel of experts against one another in a blind showdown.
You can review your options at www.whistlercornucopia.com. Or call (888) 999-4566.
Tea for you
Continuing on with the gluttony theme, The Heathman Restaurant in Portland invites you to afternoon tea.
Every weekend, they serve up smoked salmon Napolean, crostini of goat cheese, fruit cake, opera cake and other goodies for $24.95. Oh, you get tea, too.
During the holidays, they ramp things up with a daily party. They’ll seat you at 11 a.m. or 1 or 3 p.m. from Nov. 24 to Dec. 30.
Call (503) 790-7752 for reservations.
Regional events
•Christmas at the Mansion, Oct. 27-29, Kalispell. Get things off to an early start with this Victorian holiday bazaar at the Conrad Mansion with food, music, period costumes and decorations. The juried show features 50 artisans. ( www.visitmt.com/406-755-2166)
•Dia del Muerto: A Celebration of Latino Culture, Oct. 28, Seattle. The Mexican “Day of the Dead” tradition takes over the Seattle Center with community altars, sugar skulls, special foods, candles, music, dance and art. ( www.seattlecenter.com/206-684-7200)