#oregon-pinot-noir

#oregon-pinot-noir

The glamorous night was hosted by the charismatic Tiffany Haddish, who led a program filled with laughter, inspiration, and recognition, celebrating a decade of honoring the creative minds at the intersection of fashion and Hollywood.

The minerality is off the charts, exuberantly defining the wine after a barrel fermentation of nine months on the lees in 85% American and 15% French oak. This unicorn wine demonstrates exceptional quality and craftsmanship in its production and flavor profile.

The signature bar snack (or as the menu playfully puts it, "snak") here is Sinclair's riff on Chex Mix, which incorporates crunchy ramen noodles, almonds, and spicy-oily Sichuan chile crisp ($12). You'd be remiss not to order some of Sinclair's fluffy focaccia. I had it as part of the Rosemary's Other Baby plate, which came with a rosemary-laced tomato jam that the owner thriftily imparts added flavor from the bar's wine.

Researchers analyzed the DNA of nearly 50 wild and domestic grape seeds collected at archaeological sites mostly across France. The pips dated from the Bronze Age, or around 2300 BCE, through to 1500 CE, nearly 4,000 years.

Former consort braved the newly reincarnated Absolute Bagels & bailed when he found 45 people in line, in the cold. One of our oldest friends, who retreated to the Bay Area long ago, always used to say: "The more New Yorkers get fucked, the more they like it." Now with more Instagram...

the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rules, set by the USDA, declared that importers-that's right, the firms that typically handle sales and logistics, not just the winemakers- also need to be certified organic in order for the wines to retain the label. According to a spokesperson from the USDA, the regulations are an effort to "better protect organic businesses and consumers" and "keep fraud out of the market."

A wall near the entryway is plastered with pages from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and thrifted gold candle sconces line the walls. Diners are greeted with thimble-sized welcome cocktails and eat off tea party-like floral-painted plates atop doilies. But the whimsy doesn't stop there: At the end of your meal, the check comes tucked inside an old romance novel, a nod to chef Althea Grey Potter's grandmother, who loved to read romance novels in the bathtub.

If Portland's Thai food scene wasn't exemplary enough, January saw an impressive expansion with the opening of two restaurants: one returning and one brand-new. The first, in early January, was the welcome reopening of Yui, a beloved mom-and-daughter spot with a tight, focused menu of Thai staples and rarely seen dishes. After a few itinerant years as a pop-up, Yui has settled into a spacious dining hall on SE Belmont Street, formerly home to sushi and ramen restaurant Musashi's.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, you might be starting to plan out a date night for the occasion. While some people love the idea of celebrating at a romantic restaurant, others prefer the intimacy of being at home. That said, if you've decided to stay home on the 14th, you don't have to resort to the same old food and drink you consume all week. Instead, consider being intentional with your food and wine pairing to highlight the date.

Romance and renewal are on the menu now and through February. It's a time to recharge and get moving on shaping a successful 2026. But that doesn't mean you can't slow down and enjoy an evening sip after a long day, or crack open a bottle with a loved one and celebrate the moment. These unique California reds offer an opportunity to relax and toast to finding joy in the new year.

Instead of being dropped to a sober corner, a few nonalcoholic sparkling wines are listed right next to the German Rieslings and proper Champagnes, simply marked with an icon indicating their NA status. It's a way to give due respect, says co-owner and beverage director Jeff Vejr, and to note that these wines are delicious. They aren't necessarily cheaper than their boozy counterparts, either. "To dealcoholize wine is way more expensive than to just produce it naturally," Vejr says.

In 2025, legacy Oregon craft brewery Rogue Ales & Spirits filed for bankruptcy and shuttered operations, California uprooted 38,134 acres of wine grapes (in order to cope with overproduction and stymie future excess crops), and Jim Beam announced it would cease production of bourbon at its main distillery for the duration of 2026. An increasing push toward sobriety has flooded the market with nonalcoholic alternatives to traditional tipples.

Jesse Hall can't remember a time he wasn't inseparable from the sea. Born and raised in Sonoma County, Hall spent his youth surfing the Marin coast and sailing San Francisco Bay. By his early 20s, he was shaping surfboards in San Diego, where he rode the mellow waves of Pacific Beach. Winemaking is similar to surfing in that you're living moment by moment, said Hall, founder of Seawolf Wines in Mendocino County's Yorkville Highlands.

Jesse Hall can't remember a time he wasn't inseparable from the sea. Born and raised in Sonoma County, Hall spent his youth surfing the Marin coast and sailing San Francisco Bay. By his early 20s, he was shaping surfboards in San Diego, where he rode the mellow waves of Pacific Beach. "Winemaking is similar to surfing in that you're living moment by moment," said Hall, founder of Seawolf Wines in Mendocino County's Yorkville Highlands.

Last August, on a hurried stretch of East 18th Street in Antioch, 20 acres of ancient grapevines seemed to vanish overnight. Once part of the historic Evangelho Vineyard, the parcel was sold off in the 1950s, changing hands several times before Rockefeller Construction acquired it last year. Morgan Twain-Peterson of Sonoma's Bedrock Wine Co. was crushed, but not surprised. In Contra Costa County, where rows of centuries-old grapevines are often sandwiched between gas stations and convenience stores, the sense of impending loss is palpable.

Only eight miles long by three miles wide, the small wine region established its AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1982, just one year after Napa Valley. It's only one-tenth the size of its famous neighbor, yet the diversity in tasting rooms is impressive. You can travel from a blue Victorian house to gorgeous gardens, a vintage gas station-turned-tasting room, and even an award-winning modern architectural masterpiece all within minutes.