Eugenia Keegan

OK, I guess I have to acknowledge it. I am more sun sensitive than I like to admit. I have always believed that I could will my Vitamin D levels up…..of course I was living in sunny NorCal at the time.

But now I live in Willamette Valley, Oregon and it is very gray here…OK, so that is not news. We just broke some crazy record for number of days of rain, wettest March, all those kinds of things. But now that we have a bright sunny day (OK, diffused, but there are serious shadows), I am out of here.

Good thing that my lair has such engaging winter materials to absorb, enjoy. I’m still working through the goodies from Xmas (no, not the candies, those were gone ages ago); tons of new music, books, electronic keyboard……

Damned if by the time I hit the road there was nary a shadow in sight, but after a few minutes of doing my spoiled child routine I jumped in the car and headed out rain or no rain…ok, rain.

The destination was Left Coast Cellars in Rickreall. I am familiar with their wines and certainly their incredible estate (although I had only heard about it and seen photos) but just learned that they had a “truffle orchard” on the property planted in the early aughts. (Thanks Kimberley!).

I headed south on the Lafayette Highway through Amity:

Yeah, had to stop for one of those pies on the way home!

There is a small café at the Left Coast Cellars tasting room and I planned to end up there for lunch. In the same neighborhood are Cherry Hill Winery and Van Duzer. I did a drive by on both and then back to LCC for tasting, lunch, and conversation.

I had a chance to say hello to friend Mark Pape who started at LCC last August. Prior to that he was working at Witness Tree. AND had a great chat with Luke McCollom, winemaker and viticulturist. He clearly loves growing things. He currently has a black lab puppy in training to be a truffle dog.

As they had a white wine production meeting on the afternoon agenda I took my leave with an agreement to come back for an in depth discussion on growing truffles (both European and domestic) in Oregon.

No trip to rural Oregon is not without its moments.

Something For Everybody!

Winter in the Nursery

Beekeeping

Hand Carved

For the past three years I have wanted to attend some part of the Oregon Truffle Festival.  It happens that Oregon is a super place to grow truffles and indeed there is an Oregon truffle (actually more than one).  Jack Czarnecki, who owns the Joel Palmer House (wonderful restaurant in Dayton, OR)  is a full blown nut when it comes to Oregon truffles.  Jack has been cooking with them and serving them in his restaurant for years.  He also makes a white truffle oil that is fabulous.  Now Dr. Charles Lefevre, who has his Ph.D is Forest Mycology, has started to inoculate trees (specifically hazelnut and oak) with spores from Tuber melanosporum which is the famed black Périgord truffle from France.  I’m sure that you can see where this is going.  I think that having a small (1/2 acre?) plot of French truffles would be absolutely awesome.  Not sure about training the dog or the pig, but one thing at a time.  Depending on the tree host it takes anywhere from three to nine years for a harvest (yes, this demands even more patience than grapes….although the time from harvest to tummy is muuuuuuuuch shorter!).

This year we made it to the festival.  My appetite is more whetted than before!

New World Truffieres Booth sans Dr. Charles Lefevre

Oregon Whites Used by Jack Czarnecki for his Truffle Oil

Jack's Booth

The Man Himself, Jack Czarnecki

Oregon Black Truffle

Oregon White Truffle

Truffles Are Becoming Big Business

Hmmm, More than Truffles

Maria Ponzi Pouring for Her Family Winery

Barbara Gross, Copper Mountain with her Biodynamic Balsamic Vinegar

Carole Stevens, Folin Cellars, with her KILLER Grenache from SoOregon

And Home to the Stock Pot for Sunday Supper