“If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul” ~ Clifton Fadiman
Twenty-two miles from
Mount Hood’s snowy peak,
in an alpine river valley teeming
with birds and oscillating light,
lives a wild farm. Cows, chickens,
and pigs graze among vines and fungi and flowers proliferate as gardens merge with forest.” ~ Hiyu Website
Birthdays are special, and they should be honored accordingly. I can’t think of a better place for a wine and garden enthusiast to commemorate the anniversary of her great beginnings than at a vineyard whose focus is on highlighting a plethora remarkable wines alongside food that is grown on their land. Hiyu Wine Farm is that place in Hood River, Oregon. Hiyu practices organic growing and regenerative agriculture. Their animals are raised ethically and sustainably and the wines they produce are impressive. The pairings that were presented to us at lunch were innovative, seasonally inspired, and exquisitely flavorful. Winemaker and Master Sommelier Nate Ready and Chef Jason Barwikowski are working together to curate unique farm to fork and vineyard to glass immersive experiences at Hiyu. This was a day that will always be remembered by our family. Thank you James for organizing this harmonious meal. Cheers to Aletta on the start of another trip around the sun. We wish you many more years of health, happiness and beautiful moments that ignite your soul.
This is the gallery of our pairing journey. Most of the wines that were served with our dishes are not shown (I wanted to listen to the explanations and not focus on taking pictures while they were being introduced) but I have listed them in this section. We ended up enjoying them so much that we purchased several bottles to ship home.
Hiyu excels at their mission of presenting “Deeply seasonal dishes featuring ingredients grown or foraged at Hiyu dialogue with our current releases, inspiring conversation, conviviality, and connection” ~ Hiyu website
The Wine Farmers lunch at Hiyu was unforgettable. If you are in the Hood River area I would highly recommend booking a tasting experience. Make sure to check on the availability of reservations before visiting. Follow more of what’s happening on their instagram page.
“Farm to Table…Ocean to Fork…and Vineyard to Glass. We cast our votes in favor of the planet one bite, one sip at a time” ~ Lisa Patrin
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