As lovers of Portland, Oregon’s food and drink scene buzzed about the city at the annual Feast Portland festival from Thursday, September 13th to Sunday, September 16th, Beaujolais wines were woven throughout the weekend. They were sampled as some of the Northwest’s top wine professionals discussed natural wines, and they paired with dishes from the country’s top chefs. Though the food and drink festival may have celebrated Portland, the city’s revelers were fueled by none other than Beaujolais wines.
Over the entire Feast Portland festival, more than 20,000 attendees tasted local dishes and sipped new wines at over 40 events. Many of those attendees made their way to the cornerstone event of weekend, Friday and Saturday’s Grand Tasting, where Beaujolais wines were ready to taste alongside bites from local chefs, bakers, cheesemongers, and more. Guests had the opportunity to experience white and red Beaujolais AOC wines, along with cru Beaujolais from Brouilly, Morgon, Régnié, and Moulin-à-Vent. Many donned red Beaujolais sunglasses, and attendees that Instagrammed their favorite photos with the hashtag #DiscoverBojo received a Beaujolais t-shirt or tote, making Beaujolais the popular apparel of the weekend.
But Feast Portland guests at some of the festival’s individual events got an even more in-depth experience with Beaujolais wines. A 75-person master class and tasting explored the increasing trend of natural wine with one option from Beaujolais, hosted by some of the Northwest’s top wine experts. The Nouveau Bistro, a pop-up event hosted by Beaujolais Wines, connected the Old and New Worlds by hosting a number of Seattle and Portland’s best Parisian-inspired chefs. Dishes were paired with a full array of wines from Beaujolais, including white and red Beaujolais AOC wines, Beaujolais Villages and several crus.
In fact, most of the festival’s events offered attendees the experience to taste Beaujolais wines alongside delicious local food. Friday’s Night Market featured options from 20 fantastic Portland chefs, paired with DJ-spun tunes and six different Beaujolais wines, including some from the Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Morgon, and Moulin-à-Vent crus. A more intimate dinner series event highlighted three of the country’s top chefs – Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, Emma Bengtsson of Aquavit in New York, and Kristen Murray of Maurice in Portland – alongside the white, red, and rosé wines of Beaujolais.
As the September weekend came to a close, around 5,000 Portland lovers had the opportunity to taste Beaujolais’ wide-ranging wines. While the weekend may have been in celebration of Portland, the guests were toasting with their favorite new wines: Beaujolais.
