Oregon Wine Country is coming to Orlando. For the very reasonable $25, you can take a wine tasting tour of five delicious wines, courtesy of The Good Pour in Winter Park. There, a portion of your purchase will help support a local charity of your choice.
Join Orlando food influencer (and native Oregonian) Christina Thomas of Go Epicurista for a celebration of Oregon Wine Month on May 28 at 6 p.m.
Produced in partnership with Travel Medford, Rogue Valley Vintners, and several acclaimed Willamette Valley wineries, the wines will delight the senses with artisan cheeses, award-winning olive oils, chocolates, and more, including Beaver State-themed treats created by Orlando’s local confectioners.
Thomas says the unpretentiousness is one of the things she likes best about her home state’s wines, and the same goes for the people who make them.
“Enjoy Oregon’s award-winning sparkling wine, made using traditional Champagne methods, with Durant olive oil-glazed popcorn, or enjoy Oregon Pinot Noir with Harry & David Moose Munch or Tillamook grilled cheese. Pairing is as easy as an elaborate dinner,” says Thomas. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Nor can you divine everything you can do from the pours they offer.
Smell the complex aromas and see the jewel-like hues of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rosé straight from the Willamette Valley. Enjoy the mellow taste of cheese and chocolate. And, of course, hear from the award-winning Oregon winemaker, who says Thomas always puts farmers first.
“That commitment really shows in the bottle. You can’t mistake an Oregon Pinot Noir for a California Pinot Noir,” she says proudly. “There’s a great sense of place.”
OK, The Good Poor’s rooftop isn’t quite the same as Dundee Hills. You can’t see Mount Hood in the distance. But how does it feel? Thomas says a glass of wine is enough to win them over (and if you’re planning your own vacation, she’ll be happy to give you travel advice).
Founders combine wine, spirits and philanthropy to expand Central Florida city
“I spend every summer visiting family in Oregon and exploring wine country every chance I get,” she says. “From Portland and the Willamette Valley in the north to Medford and the Rogue Valley in the south, there’s so much great food and wine. I always return to my favorite family-run wineries, many of whose winemakers have become friends, but I love discovering new favorites.”
I hope she can help you find something too.
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram @amydroo or the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, and for more foodie fun, join our Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
If you go
A Taste of Oregon…in Orlando: May 28th at 6pm at The Good Pour, 631 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park. Tickets: $25, available at goodpour.com/products/wines-of-oregon-a-guided-tasting-may-28. Includes a $10 shopping credit toward the purchase of five tasting drinks, meals, snacks, and evening selections.
