By Michael Alberty, For The Oregonian/OregonLive – read the original article here.
February is wrapped in romance, wine and chocolate. Which seems appropriate given the month draws its name from Februa, the ancient Roman celebration that welcomed spring with a heavy emphasis on wine drinking and fertility promotion.
Done with Cupid’s antics? February offers up many other reasons to celebrate with wine, including Thomas Alva Edison’s birthday (Feb. 11), National Break Up With Your Carrier Day (Feb. 13) and the passing of The National Bank Act (Feb. 25).
Regardless of which path you take, this February offers an extra day for revelry, so be sure to pace yourself.
Bubbles Fest 2020 at Anne Amie Vineyards
If you love sparkling wine, Anne Amie’s sixth annual Bubbles Fest is where you will find your people. 25 local sparkling wine producers will be on hand at various times throughout the weekend as local food vendors prepare small bites to pair with their bubbles. A ticket for both days is $95 and earns pours from all 25 wineries. Single-day tickets are available for $65.
11 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 8-9, Anne Amie Vineyards, 6580 N.E. Mineral Springs Road, Carlton, anneamie.com, or 503-864-2991.
Valentine’s Day Party with Woven Wineworks
Woven Wineworks is hosting a most provocative Valentine’s Day party at their urban gathering space in the Pearl District. Chef Jessica MacLaren will explore aphrodisiac lore with her appetizers. At the same time, host Elaina J. Spring offers an art-aided blind tasting experience. DJ Sacrilicious will provide the tunes while Marisa Borrevik of Sweet Anthem Handmade Perfumes teases your sense of smell. Tickets are $25 each.
6-10 p.m., Feb. 14, Woven Wineworks, 959 N.W. Couch St., Portland, wovenwineworks.com or elaina@wovenwineworks.com.
Shaved and Infused at Abbey Road Farm
Shaved and Infused is one of the Oregon Truffle Festival’s marquee events. It is a walk-around dinner with live music and a bevy of truffle-infused small plates prepared by top Willamette Valley chefs. Guests will sip a selection of wines from the Abbey Road Farm label. Tickets are $125 each and may be purchased here or by phone at 541-319-8920.
7-9 p.m., Feb. 15, Abbey Road Farm, 10280 N.E. Oak Springs Farm Road, Carlton, abbeyroadfarm.com or abbeyroadfarm@gmail.com.
Valentine’s Weekend at Natalie’s Estate Vineyard
This Valentine’s Day weekend the Teegarden family invites you to taste estate wines and chocolates at their cozy tasting room. Winemaker Boyd Teegarden will also be debuting his 2019 vintage rosé. The tasting fee for this event is $20.
11 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, Natalie’s Estate Vineyard, 16825 N.E. Chehalem Drive, Newberg, nataliesestatewinery.com or 503-807-5008.
Oregon Chardonnay Celebration
Oregon’s Chardonnay is causing quite a stir on the global wine scene. The Oregon Chardonnay Celebration is your opportunity to find out why as over 50 wineries convene at The Allison Inn & Spa for a seminar and grand tasting. The seminar on ancient geological geologic events and how they impact the wine in your glass takes place from 1-2:30 p.m. The grand tasting is 3-5:30 p.m. Tickets for the seminar and grand tasting are $170. Tickets for the grand tasting alone are $85.
1-5:30 p.m., Feb. 22, Oregon Chardonnay Celebration, 2525 Allison Lane, Newberg, oregonchardonnaycelebration.org or info@oregonchardonnaycelebration.org.
Walla Walla Wine Tasting in Portland
The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance brings its superb traveling wine show to Portland this month. 50 wineries from the Walla Walla Valley and surrounding areas will be showcasing their wines, including such notables as Northstar, Seven Hills and Woodward Canyon. The $55 (plus taxes and fees) ticket price includes entry into the grand tasting and appetizers.
5:30-8 p.m., Feb. 24, Leftbank Annex, 101 N. Weidler St., Portland, wallawine.com or 509-526-3117.
Magna and Jackalope Wine Cellars Classic Wines Auction Dinner
Winemaker Corey Schuster and Magna chef Carlo Lamagna will collaborate on a multi-course dinner featuring Filipino cuisine and wines from Jackalope Cellars. Tickets are $100 per person.
6:30 p.m., Feb. 25, Magna, 2525 S.E. Clinton St., Portland, magnapdx.com or info@magnapdx.com.
Leap 2020 in the Dundee Hills
A group of Dundee Hills wineries will celebrate our extra day with special releases and a contest. The following wineries will release a new wine: Archery Summit, De Ponte Cellars, Domaine de Broglie, Domaine Serene, Durant Vineyards, Remy Wines, Sokol Blosser, Stoller Family Estate, White Rose Estate and Winter’s Hill Estate. Guests tasting at three or more locations can enter a drawing for prizes, including a collection of the day’s featured wines.
Check with the individual wineries for hours and tasting fees.
NW Wine Shuttle is offering hop-on, hop-off transportation to all 10 participating wineries from pick-up locations in Portland, Dundee and McMinnville. Transportation tickets for Leap 2020 are $40 per person.
Feb. 29, various hours at various locations in the Dundee Hills American Viticultural Area.
— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine.