We’re at the Oregon Wine Symposium!
Stop by and visit us at the OWS this week. We’re on the second floor, room C, booth M4. We’re armed with Alma chocolates, T-Shirts and Music.
We have paper entry forms and a computer just in case any of you want to sign up, or buy tickets online.
Hope to see you!
Indie Judge #2: Katherine Cole
Katherine Cole brings a wealth of knowledge to the Festival. She is the wine columnist for the FOODday section of the Oregonian newspaper and serves as a Field Editor for Southwest Airlines’ Spirit magazine. She also writes for other publications, such as Cooking Light.
Katherine is a graduate of Harvard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has studied with the International Sommelier Guild and taught journalism courses at Portland State University. Although she has very impressive credentials, she counts the 2004 birth of her daughter as her greatest achievement.
When she’s not busy writing or exploring new wines, Katherine enjoys spending time with her family, backcountry skiing, yoga, cycling and hiking.
Katherine has always been a huge fan of the Indie Wine Festival and we’re thrilled to have her on board!
Click here to read Katherine’s column in the Oregonian!
Fifth Anniversary Top 5!
In honor of Indie’s fifth anniversary we’ve made a list of the top five reasons you should check out this year’s festival! Here they are, in reverse order:
5. The food! Who wouldn’t want to savor delicious small plates, prepared by top local chefs, that pair beautifully with the selection of wines poured at the Festival?
4. The opportunity to be part of the first ever Producers Dinner. Seriously, this event promises to be an unforgettable night- dinner with up and coming Indie producers at one of Portland’s best restaurants, Ten 01, hosted by award-winning sommelier Erica Landon. Best of all, the proceeds from this fundraising event benefit the Indie Wine Foundation! Great food, great company, and a great cause. What more could you ask for?
3. New location! As you may know, this year’s event is being held at the brand new Portland Wine Project. Where better to check out the best craft winemakers than at one of the newest and coolest urban wineries in Portland?
2. VIP Access. By purchasing VIP tickets to this year’s Festival, you will be among the first to experience the Portland Wine Project. And because you’ll be allowed into the event an hour before everyone else, you’ll be able to beat the crowds and have more time to interact with the producers.
1. The wine (of course)! Where else can you experience 40 artisan wines crafted by producers that make 2500 cases or fewer? One of the coolest things about Indie is that you actually get to meet the winemakers as they pour their wine for you to enjoy. Bonus: don’t forget about about this year’s recession-proof Indie warehouse sale, where we’ll sell Indie alumni wine by the case for a discount of up to 20 percent.
Are you as excited as we are for Indie’s fifth anniversary?? We hope so!
Don’t forget that tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. See you in May!
Red v. White. You Decide.
This year we thought it would be fun to learn more about our readers by polling them on various Indie-related subjects. The first poll is pretty simple (for most folks!): we want to know whether you prefer red or white wine. Feel free to leave a comment letting us know why you voted like you did; we’d love to hear from you!
Be on the lookout for more polls in the future…participation could lead to exciting prizes!
Indie Wine Foundation Initiatives
As many of you know, the Indie Wine Festival is the signature event of the Indie Wine Foundation-a non-profit dedicated to the sponsorship and promotion of craft winemaking in Oregon. Promotion of craft winemaking is the Foundation’s mission, and we want your creative ideas and suggestions on what initiatives you, the craft winemaking community of Oregon, think will best serve that mission.
We want the Foundation to serve as an outlet through which we can give back to the people and places that make Oregon’s wine community so unique. Below are some projects we think would be great for the Foundation- and we want your input! What do you think? What would you add/change/remove from our list? Please leave your suggestions in the comment section of this post, or e-mail us at info@indiewinefestival.com.
Indie Wine Foundation Suggested Initiatives:
-Events other than the Indies
-Mentorship Program that would pair aspiring winemakers with those who have more experience
-Vineyard Worker Scholarship (to help those vineyard laborers who aspire to become vineyard managers/owners acheive their dreams)
-A Viticulture extension program based in Portland through one of our many regional colleges/universities
-Educational programs to educate people both inside and outside of Oregon’s craft winemaking community
-An online database (similar to craigslist) through which members of Oregon’s winemaking community can interact (get advice, find tools or supply, etc.)
Please let us know what you think!
First 2009 Indie Judge Announced!
We’d like to give a warm Indie welcome to our first official 2009 Festival Judge, Toby Cecchini. Toby is a writer and bartender based in New York City, and has writtenon food, wine and spirits for GQ, Food and Wine and The New York Times. His first book, Cosmopolitan: A Bartender’s Life, was published in 2003. He is currently at work on his second book, a travelogue of spirits based on his travels for the New York Times’ Living and Travel magazines.
We’re so excited that Toby is able to make the trek to Portland this year, and can’t wait to see what he thinks about all our fabulous indie wines!
Keep an eye out in the coming days for more judge announcements…
2009 Festival Tickets On Sale Now!
Tickets to the 2009 Indie Wine Festival are now available for purchase online. This year’s Grand Tasting will take place on Saturday, May 2nd at the Portland Wine Project. General Admission Tickets cost $75 and grant you access to the Tasting from 2-6pm. We are also offering special VIP Admission Tickets, which allow you to enter the Festival at 1pm, one hour earlier than General Admission Ticket holders. VIP Admission Tickets are available for $125, and are perfect for those who prefer to browse without the crowds.
Tickets are also available for an exciting new Indie event- the first ever Producers Dinner. This brand new event will be hosted by award-winning sommelier Erica Landon at the Pearl District’s nationally acclaimed restaurant, Ten 01. The Producers Dinner will feature exclusive flights of Indie library wines (most of which are no longer available to the public!) and guests will be seated among Indie rising star winemakers. Tickets are limited and cost $150 per person. You won’t want to miss this event; it will definitely be a night to remember!
Tickets to both events can be purchased through the Indie Wine Festival website.
PS: We will begin announcing the 2009 Festival Judges in the coming days…be sure to keep an eye out!
Welcome Pihl Excavating!
