Join owner/winemaker BRAD FORD as he features the Illahe Project 1899 made without the use of modern winemaking equipment or electricity to create a new-world wine with a true sense of place unaltered by technology.
Quality wine starts with quality fruit. Discover the unique, hand-crafted style of world class pinot noir along with the innovative white wines of Illahe Vineyards. At Illahe Vineyards, their goal is to make wine as naturally as possible from soil to bottle. They work by hand on small lots with age-old techniques and materials. As one of Oregons few horse-powered vineyards, Illahe Vineyards utilizes a team of Percheron drafts and Norwegian Fjords to mow and deliver grapes to the winery at harvest. Doc and Bea, also enjoy giving wagon rides through the vineyard on event days!
date: Thursday, March 23rd
cost: $125.00++ per person
times: 6:30pm Reception | 7:00pm Dinner
attire: Jacket Required
Reservations Are Required | Clubwide Event | Open To All Members & Guest(s)
~ Illahe Vineyards WINE DINNER MENU ~
FIRST COURSE
Kampachi and Faroe Islands Salmon Crudo
cucumber, melon, dragon fruit, evoo, lime
Illahe Tempranillo Rose, 2022
SECOND COURSE
Taleggio Stuffed Bison Meatball
fried kale, potato celery root purée, truffle
Illahe Bon Sauvage Pinot Noir, 2021
THIRD COURSE
Lamb Porterhouse Chop
oyster mushrooms, horseradish mint vinaigrette
Illahe Project 1899 Pinot Noir, 2020
DESSERT COURSE
Gingerbread
whipped cheesecake, raspberry and espelette pepper coulis
Illahe Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2021
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BRAD FORD
PRESIDENT, OWNER, WINEMAKER, VINEYARD MANAGER
Brad's job at Illahe is to make delicious wines that have a unique character. He hopes that by working with his grapes year after year, he will discover the little things that ensure each one is a special, hand-crafted product. He reaches back into the history of wine for hints and ideas on how to improve. So far, this has included working with horses, trying ferments in oak, acacia, and clay, and spending hours on the pedal-powered pump moving the 1899 wine from the fermenter to barrels. Recently he built a kiln so he can make his own amphorae, earthenware pots used for fermenting and aging.
After receiving a degree in classics, Brad was a carpenter, grant writer and English instructor. In 2004, he followed his dad into the vineyard and worked his first harvest. He went on to work with Russ Raney (Evesham Wood), Michael Lundeen (Lundeen Wines) and Gabriel Jagle (Scenic Valley Farms).
Illahe is a Chinook Jargon word meaning “earth,” “land,” or “soil.” The team at Illahe feels this reflects both their location in Oregon, as well as their desire to craft wines which express the variety of soils on their beautiful 80 acre estate. Established in 2000 by Lowell Ford, grower of Oregon grapes since 1983, Illahe is a LIVE-certified, Salmon Safe vineyard. They use cover crops on the entire vineyard and are part of Oregon's Deep Roots Coalition, and as such do not irrigate mature plants. Extensive green pruning and conduct plant topping is done along with pruning by hand and harvesting by hand. Sulfur spray is used to control for powdery mildew and botrytis.
Their focus is to grow and make quality Pinot Noir and white wines that express the vintage and their varietal characteristics. They don’t use enzymes or additives.
Some of the wines are made entirely by hand, with no electricity or modern mechanization. They use a gentle wooden basket press and age the Pinot Noir in French and Oregon oak.
They aim for balanced production and optimal ripeness. This includes a program of no irrigation, leaf pulling to decrease shade, and dropping green clusters after veraison. One of the goals at Illahe is to reduce the use of fossil fuels throughout the year. They have solar panels and use their horses, Doc and Bea, to mow and to bring grapes to the winery at harvest.
Learn more about Illahe Vineyards>>>
Valet Parking Available ($5 fee per vehicle)
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City Club Member Reservation Options:
Mobile App (iPhone or Android) | Email: cityclub@brcityclub.com | Phone: 225.387.5767
Please note: To make dining room or club event reservations, you must be a Member of the City Club or be accompanied by a Member.
The Club’s Dress Code for members and their guests is Business Attire. During the evenings, gentlemen are required to wear a jacket in the Club’s dining areas (excluding bar area of Grill) and encouraged to wear a jacket in all other areas. The only permitted exceptions are when a different dress code is specified by Club management in connection with a scheduled Club event.
Thank You For Allowing Us To Serve You!
The City Club Staff