Welcome Back to the New House

Last Saturday the 15th, I had people over! People whom I’m not immediately related to! For the first time in just over 14 months!

I decided to start small and invite two women from my supper club. We did do a brief tour of the new homestead, and they wore masks (not my ask). We spent the rest of the evening outside, at a table under the oak tree (eeee, I can’t believe I get to say that). They brought cheese and crackers, fruit, olives and hummus. Yours truly provided the wine!

Since May is also Oregon Wine Month, I went down to the cellar for the only Oregon bottle I had in stock, 2015 Dois Irmãos Winery Pinot Noir). The Willamette Valley winery was founded by two brothers of Portuguese descent — two brothers, or dois irmãos.

Oregon pinot noir is regarded as among some of the best in the world. Its climate and soil are very close to Burgundy, the ancestral home of this literally thin-skinned grape. This wine is a terrific introduction to Oregon pinot. It’s got bright cherry and strawberry on the palate, and almost no oak. It’s a great aperitif on its own, and it went great with our wine, cheese, and olives.

It was neat to get together with people again not in a Zoom window. I’m thinking about doing another one soon with more folks from the group. Plus if you sit outside, no one is looking at the mess in your living room!