The Evergreen Aviation Museum is a cathedral of things that fly, not only rockets, lunar landers, and passenger planes, but fighter jets, combat helicopters, and drones, the cutlery of conflict. By contrast, only finger food is served at the McMinnville Wine & Food Classic, held there since 1994.
We ate a shrimp cheese-melt that was tasty.
Then again, all things with melted cheese, including paper plates, are tasty. We ate a pizza from the Wooden Heart food trailer. The lightly blistered crust was superb – pliable but capable of holding the essential New York Fold (which lets you fold it the long way and hold it in one hand drooplessly). Glazed with molten cheese and ample soppressata -- with an arugula toupée -- it had no sauce which was perplexing. Could they have forgotten it?
A hefty carnitas hoagie from Kopitos food-truck loaded with carnitas, avocado, pickled onion, and greens, was delicious though formidably spicy.
A paper cone of sugar-salt roasted almonds was terrific.
Anyone seeking finer chow should look to fancy restaurants of which there are many close by. Dundee Bistro, where we first gazed soulfully into each other’s eyes, is one of our favorites.
Festivals are difficult to evaluate because they’re more than the sum of their parts. They should be judged by their vibe, sensation, or buzz. And the buzz here was buzzy, like you get in a restaurant filled with happy people lit by the grape. And of grape there was no shortage.
There were forty-five wineries and ten cideries and distilleries represented. Treasuring life over death, which inhibits the ability to drink, we didn’t attempt to sample them all. But to judge by their awards and prices, they were top tier. Clear Creek Distillery was represented and they produce ambrosial pear liqueur, the essential ingredient in a pear sidecar, certainly the greatest of all mixed drinks. We tasted (and bought) a 2018 Tempranillo, with chocolate and bright berry notes, from Schultz Rock Glory Oaks in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon.
Our summer travel plans now include a trip to this region to taste big reds.
The McMinnville Wine & Food Classic is a nonprofit event benefiting St. James Catholic School. The food is good, the buzz is fabulous, the museum is beautiful, the grape may or may not be consecrated, but its charitable purpose surely is. Partake of these blessings. Attend.
The Ardent Gourmet highly recommends The McMinnville Wine & Food Classic.