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Hi Wine Friends,
So many of you have been asking about Arden’s upcoming Sonoma collaborations that I thought I’d take a moment to share how they came about and why I’m so excited about them. This industry is all about relationships; it’s truly a collaborative sport at its heart. No single restaurant or winery can rely on the success of just one individual, and no region can thrive solely because of one establishment. I genuinely believe that a rising tide lifts all ships. By working with teams that share aligned vision and values, we not only inspire ourselves and our teams but also shine a light on new regions, wines, and producers that our community might not have experienced yet.
You all know how much I love wine dinners at Arden and how we’ve long collaborated with producers in the Willamette Valley. This year, I started to think about the incredible wine regions and producers beyond our borders. How special would it be to bring these experiences – that would otherwise require an airplane – home to our Portland community? So this year alone, we’ve showcased winemakers from both Barolo and Champagne at special Arden dinners. And then I started thinking… why not take our team to them instead?
While I dream of getting the Arden team over to Barolo and Champagne someday, I decided we’d start a little closer to home. Sonoma holds a very special place in my heart for a couple of reasons. It was the first wine region I explored as a wine buyer a decade ago while working as a sommelier and wine director in Los Angeles. And my best friend and her family now live there, making it something of a second home for me. So it was a natural choice for our first out-of-state adventure…
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Arden Takes Sonoma
So, in case you’ve missed the news: we’re doing a multi-part, multi-state collaboration with not one but two exciting Sonoma spots! I’m thrilled to share that from November 7th to 10th, our Arden team will head down to Scribe Winery's stunning Hacienda property to take over their mezze menu. Arden’s own Chef Erik is creating a special menu utilizing produce from Scribe’s garden, in complement with special Oregon items we’re bringing, to showcase the synergy between our two great regions.
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And for our Portland folks at home: on November 21st, we’ll be welcoming Scribe to Arden for a special dinner celebrating their re-launch in the Portland market and the release of their Nouveau-style Pinot Noir. The menu will be tailored to Scribe’s wines, which will be available as wine pairings, glass pours and bottles.
Scribe is renowned for terroir-driven wines produced through biodynamic practices and farmed on their gorgeous estate in Carneros. Managed by 5th generation California brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani, Scribe aims for elegance in simplicity, and products that not only reflect a sense of place, but also respect the planet. As these are core principles of Arden, this collab was a no-brainer!
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We’re also going to be partnering with one of my very favorite restaurants while we’re down in Sonoma: Valley Bar & Bottle. On November 8th, they are hosting Team Arden for a dinner we’re calling Valley to Valley, where we’ll explore the connection between Sonoma and the Willamette through both food and wine. This intimate event will feature a curated selection of wines from both regions, as well as dishes and ingredients from their chef and ours.
I hope you’ll join us in Portland or Sonoma or both! Or, at the very least, be inspired to try a wine from a new region and look up a little bit about it. I always find it exhilarating to look beyond my comfort zone and learn something new…
Cheers and see you next week,
Kelsey
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Speaking of Learning Something New
As a quick reminder, the deadline to sign up for November's wine club is this Thursday, the 31st! We're diving into a multi-month exploration of Italy, and November shifts our attention to the northeast of the country. We'll focus on Emilia- Romagna (which hosts the highest concentration of gourmet food regions on the globe), the Veneto (home to both Prosecco and Amarone!), Alto Adige (maybe my favorite Italian whites) and Friuli (home to the iconic ‘copper’ wines that have stolen the heart of the globe). If you're looking to expand your palate and explore these exceptional Italian wines with us, make sure to sign up soon!
You can find all the details and sign up here.
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