Oregon Product

Whiffies, Mmmm, Pie

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If you are on Twitter in the Portland area there is a very good chance you have heard of Whiffies. And if you follow someone from the Portland area you have likely heard of Whiffies.  Whiffies credits social media with a lot of their success. I consider Dale Chumbley to be an ambassador for Whiffies. … Read more

Volcanic Mineral Water

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Volcanic Mineral Refresher is a natural resource high in Magnesium, Zinc, and Bicarbonate with a smooth, clean, mouth-filling taste,  sough after my health conscious consumers beginning in the 1870’s.  The minerals are pure, naturally occurring state for maximum absorption without being bound to undesirable Iron, Chloride, or Sulfate. The National Institutes of Health states that … Read more

Honest Chocolates

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They are good, honestly.  I dropped by Honest Chocolates‘ Newberg location after a recently sunny day visiting Willamette Valley Vineyards and had some very delicious chocolates, especially the peanut butter cups.

They make the candy themselves, with their own recipes, and in a kitchen, not a factory. Their chocolates are hand-dipped with high quality “eating” chocolate, not the inferior “dipping” chocolate that can taste waxy or slick.  They choose natural ingredients whenever possible to avoid impurities that might affect the candy-cooking process.

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Cheese Bar On Belmont

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6 Beers on tap, 50+ bottles of beer, and  200+ types cheese.

I had a chance to talk to Steve of the Cheese Bar on Belmont near 61st. It’s great to talk to someone who has a passion for what they do.  Steve has been selling cheese for 15 years.  Steve and his wife started experimenting with pairing cheese and beer and loved the results.

“Beer pairs better with cheese than wine.” It seemed like a bold statement but he had some good points.  Beer is made of grain and the animals eat grain. It isn’t a gigantic leap why they should work.

Steve has three ways to pair cheese with beer.

1) Comparative – Acid to acid, pairing bright wheat beer with Chevre,goat cheese.

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Wallowa Lake Fudge

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I asked Wallowa Lake Fudge Company to give me some ideas of pairing fudge with wine because aren’t most of us looking for another reason to have a sweet dessert?  They came up with a great list of pairings.  Here is a list of their fine  products. Milk Chocolate Fudge Pinot Noir or a lighter-bodied Merlot … Read more

Hot Lips Soda

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HOTLIPS Soda is made to worship the magnificent fruits and berries grown in the Pacific Northwest. With taste blasts and shifts in flavor, and surprising notes and harmonies, each sip tells the story of prime growing conditions and the hard work of growers. HOTLIPS Soda is real fruit soda, traditionally brewed. Picked-ripe fruit is cooked in open kettles, … Read more