Statesman Journal: Document Display

Statesman Journal

Estimated printed pages: 3

August 1, 2007
Section: Life
Page: 6D

Of wine, cheese and farmers markets
Robert Mayfield

By Robert Mayfield

"Eee-awwwn!"

The woman selling sausages was trying to explain to me one of her products, 'ane.'

This was in the French village of Lezignan-Corbieres, where on Wednesdays, the whole center of town is closed off, and vendors descend from the hills to the open market.

At the sausage stand I could decipher wild boar, rabbit and sheep. But 'ane?'

"Eeee-awwnnn" the sausage lady repeated, "Comprenez-vous?"

No, I didn't understand. But I bought one, along with some wild boar and rabbit sausage. It was only when I got back to our rental and looked up 'ane' that I discovered it was donkey meat.

The European village market is probably as old and as vital as the hills. And now, happily, our area has embraced the same notion, the farmers market.

This summer I've made a point to visit more than my own Vancouver Farmers Market, and have found some nifty items to share. Notably wine and cheese.

At the Portland Farmers Market (held on the Portland State University campus), I came across a new winery, Shy Chenin, and since I was in a rosy mood, I purchased the Shy Chenin, 2006 Pinot Noir Rose, $14. This a nice refreshing rose, with wild berry and spice aromas. It's bone dry and lean, with flavors of melon and berry. A pretty and substantial wine.

Also there, and hailing from Salem, was the Wandering Aengus Ciderworks. The company offers three sparkling ciders, and my favorite was the Wandering Aengus, Oregon Dry Cider, $16. This is a deeply concentrated, powerhouse sparkling apple wine. The kind of concentration that makes it a great food match, especially with the goat cheeses of Juniper Grove, one of Oregon's oldest and best producers, also available at the Portland market.

My two favorite cheeses: a tomme, which is much like gruyère, is fantastic on sandwiches and in salads. The pyramid, which has a rumpled rind, is a great nibbling cheese. Both are very gamy, which I love.

At the Beaverton Farmers Market was my favorite goat cheese producer, River's Edge. I always have some River's Edge on hand, but a new find was its Up in Smoke. This is a creamy chèvre, wrapped in grape leaf, with an intensely smoky flavor. A perfect match with the aforementioned rose.

Believe it or not, I get the occasional complaint that I recommend obscure, arcane wines. Well check this out: Arcane Cellars, 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $28, at the Beaverton market. With classic aromas of bing cherry, plum and earth, this is a medium-bodied wine, with deep, rich concentrated flavors. They're local, with a tasting room at 22350 Magness Road NW, Salem (503) 868-7076.

Why isn't Arcane (or Wandering Aengus, for that matter) at the Salem Saturday market? Beats me. It's a great market, with all kinds of local produce, crafts, food stuffs, music, flowers, beef, buffalo and very weird-looking cauliflower.

The wonderful cheeses of Willamette Valley Cheese Co. are sold here ( I love the Farmstead Cheddar). There also are flavored goat cheeses from Silver Falls Creamery. I fixed chile rellenos with their tasty chipotle cheese melted on top, and it was awesome.

My only problem with the Salem Saturday Market?

Of all the ones I've been to, it's the least attended. Most markets are packed from open to close. Here, you can roll a bowling ball down one of the aisles and not hit anyone. Maybe they need a couple of wineries. Or donkey sausage.

Robert Mayfield's column appears every Wednesday. Mayfield has reviewed wines for Northwest publications for 16 years and is the publisher and editor of an occasional newsletter at www.TheWineIconoclast.com. You can contact him at wineicon@aol.com or Robert Mayfield, P.O. Box 741, Ridgefield, WA 98642.