When it rains it pours
Newport Seafood & Wine Festival adapts to COVID climate
Chef Michael Durham of Chinook Winds Casino Resort with Andreas Wetzel, winemaker at Chateau Bianca Winery
By Breeana Laughlin
For the TODAY
Newport's longstanding Seafood and Wine Festival might look and feel different this year, but event organizers are determined to keep the tradition alive. In true fashion, festival goers will be offered a wide array of flavorful Oregon wines alongside decadent seafood fare.
The three-part wine tasting celebration will be held Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 24 through 27, and includes a self-directed tasting trail; to-go wine and seafood items; and an online wine and seafood pairing class.
“There are so many people who have been coming to the festival for 20, 30, even 40 years,” said Newport Chamber of Commerce festival organizer Bobbi Price. “It's become a tradition for friends, families and couples and it is really important for us to keep that tradition happening on the same weekend.”
A tasting trail
Pick up or print out a tasting trail map, highlighting almost 30 locations throughout Newport. These restaurants and retailers have signed on to offer special seafood dishes, wine tastings and “sip and shop” experiences.
“The map is free, but each tasting location will be charging nominal prices for the tastings and food samples as well as special discounts on items,” Price said.
Anyone who follows the wine trail will get a stamp at each of the locations they visit. Those who get 10 or more will be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize — a vacation at Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City.
Free non-alcoholic drinks will be offered to designated drivers, who will also get extra entries for the prize drawing.
A perfect pairing
A brand-new seafood and wine pairing class will debut as a virtual event at 6 pm on Friday, Feb. 25. The celebration will bring two seasoned festival participants together for the first time.
Chef Michael Durham of Chinook Winds Casino Resort has been mastering the culinary arts throughout his four-decade-long career.
He attended a top-rated New York culinary arts school and served as chef for a five-star five-diamond resort in Lake Tahoe. But Durham isn't afraid to get his hands dirty — he cleaned fish commercially at one point early in his career.
Chef Durham will prepare signature seafood dishes that will pair perfectly with wines chosen in collaboration with Andreas Wetzel, winemaker at Chateau Bianca Winery.
You could say wine runs in Wetzel's blood.
“My family has been in the wine business for four generations, so wine has been part of my upbringing and part of my culture,” he said.
The winemaker has been learning how to pair wines since he began cooking.
“One of the great pleasures I enjoy sharing is to expose the consumer to the quintessential marriage of food and wine.”
Chef Durham says he is looking forward to demystifying the process of finding the perfect wine to serve with seafood dishes.
“So many people get nervous about it, but it really isn't that complex,” he said. “It’s about taking what you like and learning how the flavors go together.”
While both Durham and Wetzel are well-known in their industries, the duo had never met before preparing for the class. They said they are looking forward to coming together to have some fun and share some of their tips and tricks.
“At the end of the day,” Wetzel said, “in a food and wine pairing, we are looking for a harmonious pairing between the flavors and the seasoning used in the food that will not overpower or underpower the flavor of the wine.”
Everyone who signs up for the class will be sent a recipe, list of ingredients and a wine list so that they have the option to cook and taste along with the class.
Take it to go
After a successful reception last year, event organizers decided to offer another wine to-go festival. In this leg of the celebration, wine enthusiasts can choose between six packages of wine that can be purchased online and picked up at the Newport chamber. Each of the packages has a theme and contains three different wines.
“Each box is handpicked and tailored to a specific tasting experience,” Price said. “The unique Oregon wines package highlights different kinds of wines you might not drink very often but would like to get exposure to.”
Other wine packages include Oregon sparkling wines, a pinot experience, “Que Syrah Syrah” and a dessert wines offering. Each box comes with a Zoom link to meet the winemakers.
Those who want to create the full experience can purchase a few mouth-watering seafood items available for pick-up. Local Ocean and Mo's have put together seafood and chowder packages and Chubby Lil’ Mermaid is offering a sweets box. All food and wine packages will be available for pickup Feb. 24 through 26.
The Newport Chamber of Commerce is located at 555 SW Hwy. 101. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.newportchamber.org or call 800-262-7844.