champagne

Corollary

July 5, 2021 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Hot spot of the week this week is the maker of our new favorite local sparkling wines – Corollary! If you know us, then you know that we LOVE champagne. We even run a Meetup group based around the stuff. So when we heard that there is a local winery that does all bubbly, we got pretty excited, and had to head to their tasting room to try it all!

First of all, their outdoor tasting room was so cozy. We were there on a bit of a chilly, drizzly Spring day, but the sheepskin seat covers and fluffy throw blankets kept us totally comfortable. There were delicious home-baked crackers by Jeanne’s mom that were the perfect nibble between bubbles. And of course, our gracious hosts who talked us through the processes they use and the farmers they work with.

We got to taste through all of the 5 different sparklings they have currently available. And while they were all quite different from one another, they all had their own wow-factor. I more or less immediately joined the wine club. The combination of the integrity with which Jeanne and Dan approach the wine-making and the total deliciousness of the wines themselves proved an irresistible combination. I cannot wait to return for my next pick-up from them!

If you’re interested in knowing more about Corollary visit them Here.

Bar Diane

November 23, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Our Hot Spot of the week is wonderful NW wine spot, Bar Diane! We have been wanting to try this place for ages, and are so happy that we were able to before the winter freeze set in.

Tucked sweetly down the alley behind Eb and Bean, Bar Diane has a lot going for it. The design of the space is welcoming and bright, with high ceilings and an abundance of hanging globe lights. The outdoors is outfitted with tall, warming propane heaters in case you are visiting on a drizzly day, as we did. And, of course, the wine selection is enormous!

One of our favorite aspects of Bar Diane on our recent visit was the knowledge base of the staff. Once seated, our server simply asked us what we were in the mood for, rather than directing us to choose from the small menu selection. When we said we wanted bubbles (when do we not?) he asked us a series of questions that led him to picking out a bottle that he thought would be perfect for us. It was delicious! Super bright and dry as a bone, with just a slight touch of the funk that I love in a good champagne.

We also ordered a selection of charcuterie, and they were very accommodating in letting us do a bit of a mix and match, as we wanted to sample a bit of everything. I’m always happy with champagne and charcuterie, but am very much looking forward to sampling some of their larger offerings when we next are able to return. I also cannot wait to try more of their beautifully curated wine selection! Take a peek at what they have here.

Have you checked out Bar Diane yet? What did you love? Let us know in the comments!

Bend

September 9, 2020 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

Our Hot Spot of the Week this week is one of our favorite places to visit in Oregon, Bend! After a fantastic summer of helping so many people find their dream homes, we decided to treat ourselves to a little getaway. A big bonus for us of visiting this lovely city is that our flagship office of Cascade Sotheby’s is located there so we also got to visit with some of our favorite colleagues.

_{Visiting one of our Bend offices and wine tasting with one of our favorite Bend agents, Dave Holland}

The Beer

One of our favorite things about Bend is that there are so many wonderful breweries. No matter what style of beer you like, you will be thrilled with all of your options in Bend. Many of the breweries also have public houses, so one of the days we decided to grab lunch at Deschutes to try their pub exclusive beers and grab a bite. I definitely recommend grabbing their beer cheese soup and some VERY garlicky truffle fries to soak up the fantastic tasting flight.

The Bubbles

Everyone knows we love bubbles, so of course we had to sip on some on our celebration weekend! We ordered some at our dinners, but our absolute favorite bubbles experience was at the wonderful spot Good Drop Wine Shoppe. They had an amazing selection of champagne and the wine steward was extremely knowledgeable and helped us pick the perfect selection. We went with a delicious bottle called ‘Eye of the Peacock’ (but in French) and it was the ideal blend of bright and crisp with a slightly toasty brioche finish. I highly recommend this spot for all of your wine needs when you are in town.

The Food

We had so many delicious meals while in Bend, but our absolute favorite was Washington. We’re always big fans of ordering a lot of dishes and sharing everything, and here was no exception. We started with the Goat Cheese Fondue (yum!) and the Pork Belly with Dungeness Crab (yummm!) plus some tasty cocktails. Mine was the Garden Party, with Aperol, champagne, gin, and basil and it was positively summer in a glass. We proceeded to order a bottle of bubbles with dinner, and adored our choices of the evening Sturgeon special with corn and Chantarelles, as well as the grilled Bavette steak with Chimichurri. I cannot wait to return to Washington and try every single thing on their menu!

The Outdoors

Despite what it sounds like, we didn’t JUST eat and drink the entire time in Bend. We also went to explore a bit of the nature nearby. While the lava tubes were sadly closed, we were still able to wander around in the lava fields at Newberry National Volcanic Monument as well as hike over to Benham Falls along the Deschutes River. There are so many amazing nature experiences all over the area, so you will have no shortage of choices when you want to see beautiful things or work off all of the indulgences 🙂

We had such a delightful time visiting Bend and we cannot wait to go back! What should we see/do/eat next time we are there? Let us know in the comments!

Pix Patisserie & Bar Vivant

September 16, 2019 by Jessica Berger and Tekela Fisher Leave a Comment

With the most extensive sparkling wine list and one of the finest dessert selections in town, Pix has been one of our favorite stop-ins for many years. Previously located in a Victorian home on SE Division, it was practically impossible to get in due to the small size and large popularity. Thankfully, a few years ago they moved to the larger space they currently inhabit on 22nd and E Burnside. We were recently reminded just how much we love this spot when we hosted our monthly Champagne meet-up on an evening that cleared up perfectly to allow us to mingle on the expansive patio.

We started out each choosing a different glass of sparkling, but quickly moved on to choosing assorted bottles to share so that we could compare and contrast the different regional flavors. The sparkling list at Pix is so long that we could easily come here for months and never repeat a bottle! Plus the costs aren’t prohibitive. While you could buy a bottle for a couple hundred dollars, there are also bottles as low as $28 that are still quite tasty.

A few of our group decided to indulge in some of the delicious tapas provisions from Bar Vivant before proceeding to dessert, including a perfect Spanish tortilla and a few quail eggs wrapped in prosciutto. Once our savory nibbles were done, it was time to sample some of the famous desserts. First off, the macaron selection here is incredible. They make somewhere around 30 different flavors and I have loved every one I have ever tried. This visit we went with the Fleur de Sel, Strawberry Balsamic, and Passionfruit, which paired surprisingly well with our Brut Champagne from the Loire region. If macarons aren’t your fave though, they have many other delectable sweets, like the fig filled with creme brulee and topped with gold leaf pictured above (hurry, it’s seasonal!).

Can’t wait until our next visit! Is there somewhere we should check out next? Let us know in the comments!

Contact Us!

Corollary

Bar Diane