February 26th – Turner, Ore. – Willamette Valley Vineyards, a leading producer of Oregon Pinot Noir, hosted a pair of Gala Truffle Dinners with the Oregon Truffle Festival at our Estate Tasting Room in the Salem Hills on February 24 and 25 at 6:30 pm.
In addition to the gala dinners, Willamette Valley Vineyards hosted the annual Joriad Award Ceremony on Saturday, February 10, where the top five championship truffle dogs joined everyone for the ceremony at the winery. The top five dogs walked through the wine cellar and Harvi, a 7-year-old golden retriever, was crowned the champion in the Founders’ Room.
Media members were given a VIP tour before the reception on Saturday and the chance to meet key members of the Willamette Valley Vineyards and Oregon Truffle Festival teams.
A little more about the Oregon Truffle Festival:
- Oregon Truffle Festival is a nonprofit organization that hosts various educational events centered around Oregon native truffles, including the Gala Truffle Dinner. These events aim to showcase the uniqueness and desirability of Oregon truffles.
- The dinners featured multiple guest speakers who told the story of Oregon truffles.
- Executive Winery Chef DJ MacIntyre and Oregon Truffle Festival Culinary Director Charles Ruff prepared the four-course gala dinners showcasing the diversity of Oregon truffles. Each course was paired with a Willamette wine to highlight the influence of Oregon terroir in wine and truffles.
- Willamette Valley Vineyards provided exclusive tours and tastings for VIP guests in the Barrel Room and Wine Library before the dinner. Each dinner hosted up to 80 guests.
“One reason I came to Oregon was for truffles,” said Executive Winery Chef, DJ MacIntyre “I love mushrooms in general, and truffles take on a whole new realm of what they can do.”
With the excitement around this dinner and to celebrate Oregon’s status as a leading region for truffles, Governor Tina Kotek officially proclaimed February 2024 to be Oregon Truffle Month and encouraged Oregonians to join in the celebration.
Willamette Valley Vineyards
Founded in 1983 by CEO Jim Bernau with the dream of creating world-class Pinot Noir while serving as stewards of the land, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from a bold idea into one of the region’s leading wineries, earning the title “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. In addition, all the vineyards have been certified sustainable through LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe programs.
