People who know us, know that we are unabashed fans of Oregon wine country. We have been making annual trips there for almost two decades and have built more than our share of itineraries for friends on where to sip, stay, and eat when visiting.
Sadly, the region was no more immune than anywhere else to the industry-crippling global pandemic that was particularly challenging for the tourism and hospitality sector. As a result, the foodie scene has changed significantly from when we visited the region pre-COVID19.
The good news is that as the world re-opened, so have several new spots that, along with some mainstays, are once again providing exciting options for visitors.
Last year we had the pleasure of sitting down with Moe Momtazi, founder of the highly respected Momtazi Vineyards and critically acclaimed Maysara Winery in Oregon’s northern Willamette Valley.
Tahmiene Momtazi.
We learned the story of the their humble beginnings and how Moe and his wife Flora’s journey truly defied the odds beyond any winery story we’ve heard to date.
They fled their native Iran on motorcycles during the revolutionary period of the early 1980s seeking political asylum in the United States. As they outran Iranian authorities they initially reached Madrid, Spain; Flora 8 months pregnant with their eldest daughter Tahmiene. That daughter is now the winemaker at Maysara since 2007. A mother herself to two young children, Tahmiene Momtazi’s journey in both wine and parenthood has now come full circle.
Our recent visit to Iris Vineyards, just outside of Eugene, OR, was quite a revelation. Iris claims as its foundation the ancient Grecian concept of “areté”. Don’t feel sheepish if you don’t know the meaning of the term; it is hardly used in modern English. The ancient Greeks used the term to mean excellence or virtue in your purpose. I was surprised when I heard the people at Iris use the term since I had not heard it used since taking a course on Aristotle when I was at university.
Areté to Aristotle, we were taught, was not a theoretical concept, but a practical implementation of maximum effectiveness at a chosen goal. Areté in winemaking, to use a concrete example, is different than areté in cooking. Both have a similar philosophical underpinning, but each is a distinct form of areté. The concept of areté is abundantly present in all of the endeavours at Iris that we encountered: from how they grow the grapes to how they vinify the wine to how they offer it to their customers.
Our latest article for the Daily Hive features our favourite wine region road trips from Vancouver along with our top winery recommendations at each. If you’re a wine lover and are itching to travel, these six wine destinations are easily accessible by car while offering terrific winetasting experiences. Click here for the full story. Cheers!
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be on an AdVINEture, click on the link below for a taste. We are unabashed fans of wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and our most recent trip featured visits to some old favourites along with new discoveries: Résonance Wines, Nicolas-Jay, Maysara Winery, Abbot Claim, Atticus Wine, Potter’s Vineyard, & Bells Up Winery (click on each for the full write up).
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