Posted on by Roselyn

Exploring Oregon: Food, Wine, Beaches & Hotels

Recently, I went on a road trip with some friends to Portland and briefly explored the Willamette Valley wine region and the coastal Cannon Beach area. We took our 2013 Ford Explorer Sport on the road for the urban pursuits, the beach escape, and through the winding, hilly roads of wine country. We booked a room at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco for 2 nights and enjoyed the central location, service, and amenities provided. Stepping inside the luxe lobby, I was immediately taken with its colours and unique vintage décor. Our Monaco King Suite was stylish appointed with unique prints and artwork, an unforgettable vanity counter, and even a goldfish pet to soothe you after a long day visiting Portland. Staying on the hypo-allergenic floor, I was appreciative of the lengths the hotel took to ensure we had a comfortable stay like the complimentary organic morning coffee service, and a yoga mat to continue your healthy regimen. We were pleasantly surprised to receive an elegant bottle of Lange Estate Winery 2010 Pinot Noir and chocolates to enjoy upon arrival as I had signed up previously for the Kimpton InTouch loyalty program, which also allows me up to $10 worth of (gluten-free) honor bar selections. Other perks that we unfortunately didn’t get to enjoy were the cruiser bicycles and the hosted wine reception hour. We had fun lounging by the gorgeous fireplace sipping whisky and playing the piano late into the night. We also received cocktail vouchers for the lively Red Star Tavern next door as part of the “We Love Our Northwest Locals” promotion.

In Portland, we visited the food carts, Blue Star Donuts, Pok Pok Restaurant, Clyde Common for pre-dinner drinks and Mother’s Bistro & Bar for brunch. I enjoyed visiting the vintage Decades boutique shop. Portland boasts a strong bike culture and a pretty waterfront promenade in addition to beautiful, old but well-kept buildings amidst modern high rises. I spotted a sleek residential condo with three wind power turbines and it added to the eco-chic and DIY aesthetic that is so charming about Portland.

We visited the Beaux Frères, Argyle and Archery Summit wineries and enjoyed the renowned Oregon Pinot Noir offerings at each vineyard. At Beaux Frères, we tasted a flight of elegant Pinot Noir wine grown in the tradition of Burgundy. The 2011 Willamette Pinot Noir was my favourite: it displayed dark ruby colours with a nose of cherries, raspberries, and a subtle wood spice. At Argyle, we treated ourselves to a flight of the sparkling wines and lounged outside by the courtyards of the beautiful white heritage house. Archery Summit proved to be a destination worth visiting at the top of a winding hill with vistas that blew us away. We really enjoyed sitting outside on a hot day and tasting their lineup of vintages. I especially enjoyed the off-dry 2012 Vireton Rosé, with a Bing cherry aroma, and their award-winning signature 2011 Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir, velvety and complex with an herbaceous, mineral and floral structure. We toured their barrel caves and bid farewell to wine country for now.

We then headed to Cannon Beach in our Ford Explorer Sport for surfing and beach contemplation. We had a wonderful time dining in town at the Driftwood Restaurant & Lounge by the fire pit outside and met some entertaining Vancouverites. I enjoyed wandering the boutique shops and gazing at the façade of the historic inns all around while the boys enjoyed surfing near Haystack Rock. As we left Cannon Beach, we drove along Highway 101 down the beautiful Oregon coastline and stopped at a breathtaking scenic viewpoint near Manzanita village, showcasing its long beaches.

The 2013 Ford Explorer Sport transported surfboards easily while looking stylish inside and out. Read more on my experience driving the car around Oregon.

My visit to Portland was fun and filled with discovery of the charming neighbourhoods and fun memories at every corner. I’m looking forward to visiting Oregon again to experience more food, wine and the serenity of the Pacific Northwest sights very soon!

Posted on by Roselyn

Driving Oregon with my 2013 Ford Explorer Sport

The 2013 Ford Explorer Sport transported surfboards easily while looking stylish inside and out. It was useful to have a voice-activated GPS navigation system, rear-view camera assistance and Blind Spot Information System sensor for its size. The twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine with 350 hp and four-wheel drive with a Terrain Management System was responsive and proved to be solid for the terrain we encountered in Dundee, Oregon.

We enjoyed the car’s handling and conveniences for our long drive with its cruise control, dual climate control temperature for the front and back, the moonroof, as well as multi-command power recline and lumbar controls and the Sony entertainment system. It was exceptionally safe because it detected when I got too close to a car in front of me with its front collision sensor alert that lights up on the driver side.

I struggled with the voice-activated GPS navigation system with its somewhat limited commands but I was able to use it without fail in the conventional manner with its touchpad screen. I also couldn’t hook up my iPhone 4 without an Aux jack but we found we could play our podcasts with the built-in Bluetooth technology. Overall, the car felt very safe and comfortable.

 

Posted on by Roselyn

My belated wrap-up of Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

I attended VPIWF recently and enjoyed the festivities as well as learned more about old-world Italian wine.

Join me on my continuing journey in wine education. Vancouver has an abundance of savvy restaurants and wine bars catering to domestic and international wine and it just keeps on getting better!

Read my Vancouver Observer article here and let me know what’s your favourite wine at the moment!

 

 

Posted on by Roselyn

The Psychology of Online Influence

It’s Social Media Week this week. Many recorded sessions are available with expert panel advice on emerging trends in social media and its impact on social, political, economic and cultural factors across the spectrum of industries. Check out this interesting video I came across exploring the psychology of online influence. Let me know your thoughts on the of the increasingly subversive narrative of the role of psychology in understanding consumer behaviour or online community and marketing .

Posted on by Roselyn

Internet website blackouts in protest of Stop Online Piracy Act

Do you use Wikipedia, Gizmodo, Reddit, Google, Twitter? These sites are protesting the SOPA anti-piracy legislation brought before the US Congress and Wikipedia has taken the extra step of instituting a “blackout” today to express their opposition to SOPA.

If this piece of legislation is passed, it would likely grant content creators extraordinary power over the Internet, open up the potential for abuse of such resources and even a sort of “Internet blacklist”.

SOPA possesses the ability of intellectual property owners in media, like movie studios and large record labels, to effectively stop foreign sites against whom they have a copyright claim registered. According to Gizmodo: “If Warner Bros., for example, says that a site in Italy is torrenting a copy of The Dark Knight, the studio could demand that Google remove that site from its search results, that PayPal no longer accept payments to or from that site, that ad services pull all ads and finances from it, and—most dangerously—that the site’s ISP prevent people from even going there.”

Gizmodo further outlines the situation: “All it required was a single letter claiming a “good faith belief” that the target site has infringed on its content. Once Google or PayPal or whoever received the quarantine notice, they would have five days to either abide or to challenge the claim in court. Rights holders still have the power to request that kind of blockade, but in the most recent version of the bill the five day window has softened, and companies now would need the court’s permission.”

Many of us take for granted the right and leisure to access these prominent websites and don’t realize the impact of political haranguing behind the scenes in the intellectual property owner debate.

What are your thoughts on this SOPA protest undertaken by prominent Internet websites today? Join the conversation and post your thoughts.

 

Posted on by Roselyn

Winter 2011 update

This year has been one of tremendous trials and tribulations, professionally and personally. Thank you for reading and I hope you will continue to read and follow my food, wine, travel and creative adventures.

I’m currently at SAP working to build community collaboration, acting as blog moderator for this professional online community to hone my web content strategy skills. Look for me in the new year when I share my Inside Track community event blog posts.

Did you know I’m active on Twitter and Google Plus? I’ll be curating and sharing with you my daily inspirations!

Happy Holidays!

 

Posted on by Roselyn

BC Cancer Foundation’s Inspiration Gala

BC Cancer Foundation Inspiration Gala

BC Cancer Foundation’s annual Inspiration Gala is quickly approaching (October 27, 2011) and though I have not been involved with this organization previously, cancer is a cause close to my heart. I hope to support this organization and spread the word about the devastation of cancer and illuminate the medical research that the foundation champions. If you have a loved one affected by the scourge of cancer, show your support and be an agent for change!

Posted on by Roselyn

Welcome back to Yew! New raw bar feature at the Four Seasons Hotel restaurant + bar

I recently had the opportunity to review the new raw bar at the Four Season’s Yew restaurant + bar. My dining partners were the lovely PR executive, Kate Colley of Kate Colley Communications, Cassandra Anderton of GoodLife Vancouver, Juanita Ng of The Vancouver Sun, Deana Lancaster of North Shore News, along with food, wine and spirits writer Judith Lane. Director of Food and Beverage, Stephane Castera, delighted us with his personal anecdotes and stories. I also met the talented and passionate Executive Chef, Ned Bell, and the Restaurant Operations Manager, Jeff Hanson, with his memorable and quirky Don Cherry outfit changes!

The concept of the new raw bar is “Ocean to Table”. With a few restaurants in town executing the raw bar concept, it was interesting to see Yew’s offerings with the renowned Four Seasons luxe quality and ambience. With a focus on fresh seafood and sustainable best practices, the results show up in the care and attention to the menu.

We were served snacks like Crispy Lobster Sticks with Black Sesame and Red Miso dressing, Dungeness Crab Tacos with Ponzu dressing along with Lemon Nori rolls and Cheddar Jalapeno bread.

An award winning cocktail dubbed the Elizabeth Taylor that I tasted was impressive. Whisky, Cynar, Violette, Aperol & sparkling wine were expertly mixed and I am told this cocktail won the 2011 Giffard Iron Bar award. Another delicious frothy drink was the Copenhagen Sour: Akavit, St-Germain and Galliano.

We shared a gorgeous seafood tower with chilled oysters with “black and white pearls” and mignonette, Dungeness Crab Salad, Albacore Tuna, Scallop Crudo, Lobster Salad, Ahi Tuna and King Crab Legs. An exquisitely fragrant Lobster & Saffron Chowder was my favourite of the evening. It paired wonderfully with the Truchard Roussanne.

The comforting entrée of Crispy Steelhead Salmon, Maple Glaze, Squash Purée was paired with the Emiliana Pinot Noir 2008 from Chile.

Dessert was prepared by pastry chef Bruno Feldeisen: Apple & Plum Cobbler with Vanilla Anglais and Crème Fraiche, Pineapple Consommé & Cherry Ravioli Shooters, along with Espresso & Banana Lollipops.

Chef Ned Bell sent us home with his house made cranberry sauce and I’m looking forward to going back for more seafood and wine soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on by Roselyn

VIFF Opening Gala Reception

Recently I was invited to the VIFF opening gala party at the Rocky Mountaineer Station Thursday, September 29. It was a lavish affair in a gorgeous venue filled with sensory delights for tastebuds, eyes and ears. The theme was 30’s Art Deco costumes. I spied many VIFF revellers decked out in their best to celebrate the evening. As a film lover, I was particularly excited to check out the local social scene surrounding the VIFF spirit as it was my first time. As I made my way into the entrance, I noticed a wall of sponsor logos with a red carpet and many were posing on it with glee, reminiscent of the celebrity arrivals at film premieres.

There were some lovely white sculptural ornaments at the bar along with giant screens of classic movies and many happy faces surrounding the jive dancing troupe with live band. I met the adorably paired Aaron Malkin and Kat Single – Dain of the Dusty Flowerpot Academy.

Culinary delights were served for the enthusiastic crowd at various tables: fresh oysters from Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House, seafood appetizers from Goldfish Pacific Kitchen, smoked salmon tarama at Nu Restaurant and wild salmon lollipop from C Restaurant. The crowd pleaser was the tuna and salsa tortilla, hand made gnocchi, pull pork sliders and made-to-order Mai Tais from the dapper bartender at the Earl’s Restaurant table. Wolf Blass wine was served and paired wonderfully with the food. Dessert from Daniel Le Chocolat Belge and the oh-so-good donuts and coffee from Ethical Bean Coffee were served.

Guests were encouraged to take a fun photo opportunity at the Hello! magazine booth and have your own “magazine cover”  as a souvenir to take home when you pose for the camera. The night was not complete without a stunning Cirque Du Soleil style acrobatic performance with artists twirling down perilously and entwined on long pieces of fabric attached to the ceiling. I enjoyed myself at this party and hope to meet more cinephiles and industry folks next year!