oregon

Fairfax Hotel Hosts Second Annual Capital Wine Festival

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

With the swearing in of the 112th Congress this week, there's either plenty to celebrate or a crucial need to dull the pain. Whichever mood your political leanings have put you in, the good news is that the Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row (part of the Starwood luxury group) will be hosting the second annual Capital Wine Festival, starting on the 20th of January. Located in Dupont Circle, the festival is the creation of Chef Daniel Bruce, who helms the kitchen at the Boston Harbor Hotel and founded its sister event, the Boston Wine Festival. Since organizing Boston over twenty years ago, he's expanded the event to include New Orleans (2007), Berkeley (2010) and DC (2010). Two disparate, yet equally popular and significant, wine regions are covered by this year's festival: the US West Coast (California and Oregon) and Italy. Over the course of eight dinners, festival participants will experience the wines of vineyards such as Poggio al Tesoro, Continuum Estate and Ponzi Vineyards, all presented by representatives from the wineries. A food and 45-label wine gala reception kicks it all off, but unlike most festivals, there's no need to run between events to cram everything in. The Capital Wine Festival is spread out over a leisurely two months, meaning that the party/pity-party will continue long into the 2011 session.

Tags: california, dupont circle, fairfax hotel, italy, oregon, StarwoodHotels, washington dc, wine, wine festival

Luxury Wine Storage Opens In Portland

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Wine storage in Portland, Oregon just got a little more luxurious. Rick McClish, a developer from California, has invested $3.8 million in a luxury wine storage facility. Rose City Self Storage & Wine Vaults has 849 storage units with a full basement of climate-controlled wine lockers. The area includes a community tasting room. Lockers range in size from eight cases to over 500 cases and they have vaults available for larger collections. The individually alarmed French oak lockers are backed by steel. Wines can be shipped directly to the facility.

The Oregonian reports that things are also luxurious upstairs to protect the rest of your valuables. The upper floors are carpeted and feature replicas of Southeast Portland street signs and there is a state-of-the art security system. The business opened in October. The building was originally built in 1921 as the Jones Cash Stores, an outfitter for gold miners. McClish restored the building and it is now listed as a historic building by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Tags: oregon, portland, rose city self storage and wine vaults, wine, wine storage

Developmental Visions: Tom Hix, The Pronghorn Golf Resort, And The Future Of Community

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

This image is of the 13th hole of the Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Pronghorn, near Bend Oregon. It is near the end of the 18th hole course, and near it, is the Tom Fazio Signature course, twins of sorts, but different in texture and play. These side by side courses are just one of the unusual attractions that attracted many golfers and others to this area after it launched in 2004-5.

Pronghorn is in a unique location, on 640 acres of land, surrounded by 20,000 acres of protected federal land, a few miles outside of the town of Bend, Oregon, population about 80,000. Those of us who know Oregon, know what it's near and what it offers, realize the distinct nature of Pronghorn and it's locale. On a clear day, you can see The Three Sisters mountain range, Mt Bachelor, and Mt. Jefferson, and probably a few others in the Cascade Range. For those who are not golfers and still find themselves at this resort, there is much else to do: river rafting and fly fishing on the nearby Deschutes River; skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor, there is also horseback riding, caving, mountain biking, and hiking. And, if you have never been caving before, an unusual taste of it can be acquired while playing golf!. Pronghorn's Fazio course is home to one of the most unique holes in the world--a par three, eighth hole that includes a 45-foot canyon and exposed lava tube. The story is, no one knew about the subterranean lava tube until the golf course was being built -- as construction went along, suddenly the land entropized -- fell into itself, and revealed a large lava tube. (see image below)

In June of 2010, Troon took over the golf management component of Pronghorn, and for the first time, Pronghorn is now offering golf memberships to non-property owners providing access to the Nicklaus and Fazio courses. Two memberships are currently being offered – the Invitational Premier Golf Membership ($990/month) allows golf members to access both Fazio and Nicklaus courses while the Invitational Signature Golf Membership ($495/month) allows members to utilize the Nicklaus course. Pronghorn is offering early sign-up incentives to the first 25 members that join by December 31st, 2010.
• One week access to the Registry Collection in 2011
• Complimentary access to 5 Social Events before May 2011
• Seven nights in the Residence Club before May 2011
• First right to purchase available Memberships if/when your Invitational Golf Membership is recalled

The strength of Pronghorn's variety of golf and sports experiences moves not only from outdoor activities, but also to the variety of available residence types, with a wide range of pricing options. The Tesana homes and homesites are located between the Nicklaus and Fazio courses and near the heart of the development, ranging from $300k to $600k. Membership included in the price of real estate. Also, the The Residence Club at Pronghorn is situated along the 18th hole of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Members own an undivided interest of the Residence Club with purchase options of 1/4th, 1/6th and 1/12th fractions. Units range in size from 2000 to 2600 square feet. The 1/12 fractions ( 4 weeks) range from $95,000 to $130,000. The Pronghorn Villas range from $825K to $1.7M. Many of the home sites, range from $900,000 to $4M.

Tags: Bend oregon, BendOregon, Fazio Golf Course Lava Tube, FazioGolfCourseLavaTube, golf courses, Hix Rubenstein Developers, HixRubensteinDevelopers, Lava Tubes, LavaTubes, oregon, pronghorn, Pronghorn Golf Club, Pronghorn residence Club, PronghornResidenceClub, Tesana homes, TesanaHomes, Tom Hix, TomHix, Troon Golf Course management, TroonGolfCourseManagement

Continue reading “Developmental Visions: Tom Hix, The Pronghorn Golf Resort, And The Future Of Community”

Jantzen Island, Estate of the Day

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Here we are in Lake Oswego, and on Oswego Lake near Portland, Oregon, at a private Island estate, originally built and owned by Carl Jantzen, founder of Jantzen sportswear, most recently owned by Jerry Stubblefield, founder of the Avia shoe company

The Tudor style home was built in 1930 by Charles Ertz, and sits on a knoll on the north shore, connected to Lake Oswego by its own turreted stone and log bridge. Ertz, a renowned architect in the mid 20th century, designed the residence, with five bedrooms, six baths, three fireplaces. It was originally 9500 square feet, but with recent renovations it is now 13,500 square feet., on 5.5 acres of manicured grounds. The island also has an unusual boathouse, designed by Richard Sundeleaf in 1933, constructed of stones, sculptured turrets, wrought iron gates and exposed beam interiors. Inside, on an old stone bench, the owner can sit, look at the lake, and beyond see an unimpeded view of Mount Hood.

It is the only private island on Lake Oswego; and the only home on the island. The home is constructed of old growth timber and Columbia River Basalt stone, staying true to the area building materials.. Also, as an homage to the original owner, the home has original Jantzen warehouse windows. The gate has a secured private bridge, is close to one mile of walking trails, a helicopter pad, a lakeside pool, multiple terraces and view points, waterfalls, a rose garden, a formal English garden & separate living quarters with full kitchen and living area. The estate has exceptional privacy, and is considered a one-of-a-kind residence within one of the highest end areas of the Pacific Northwest. Offered at $15,000,000, Harnish Properties, Lake Oswego, Oregon.

This Estate was referred to Luxist by Luxury Home Magazine

Gallery: Jantzen Island

Tags: Columbia River, estate of the day, Jantzen Sportswear, Janzten Island, Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego history, Oregon, oregon real estate, Oswego Lake

Continue reading “Jantzen Island, Estate of the Day”

More Condos Up For Auction In Portland

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

More condos are hitting the auction block in Portland, Oregon. The largest condo project in Portland, the John Ross will be selling off units at a discount. KGW reports that the owners of the project are looking to sell all 303 units by the end of 2010 and to get a jump on that number 50 condos will be sold at auction on April 11th. Minimum selling prices start at $110,000. A penthouse which was once listed at $1.1 million now has a starting bid of $600,000.

Buyers must be prequalifed and show up at the auction with a cashiers check for $5,000. Units are being sold absolute. Building amenities include a private garden on the fifth floor, a beautiful lobby and an amenity room. The building is part of a sustainable ecosystem called South Waterfront, Oregon's first green neighborhood. The building uses energy saving and water conservation techniques. Overall the use of water and energy at John Ross is about 30% less than the conventionally designed buildings of similar size and use.

Tags: condo auction, condominums for auction, oregon, portland, the john ross

Deschutes Brewery Bond Street Series

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Deschutes Brewery, located in Bend, Oregon along the banks of the wild and scenic Deschutes River, has brewed a family of handcrafted ales since 1988. Their Bond Street Series of seasonal specialty brews (above) is not only some of the world's best beer but is also among the best designed bottles available anywhere. The series is Inspired by the original Deschutes Brewery & Public House on Bond Street in downtown Bend. Their newest offering is the Hop Henge Experimental IPA, available now through April. The epitome of the brewery's experimental style, it boasts a "truly monstrous" hop profile. Deschutes uses a 50-barrel traditional gravity brew house and a one-of-a-kind 131-barrel Huppmann brew system from Germany to craft its exceptional beers. Bottoms up!

Tags: beer, brewery, Deschutes Brewery, Deschutes River, DeschutesBrewery, DeschutesRiver, Oregon

Ltd. Edition Pendleton x Property Of... Wool Bags

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Pendleton, the iconic American maker of woolen goods for over 140 years, has launched a new collaboration with Property Of..., designers of men's bags and accessories also based in Oregon. The limited edition collection of rugged messenger-style "Portland Guy" bags are made from 100% Pendleton wool with suede and leather detailing and are available in five colors, retailing at $250. Property Of... was founded in 2006 by Portland café owners and designers Peter Teo and Richard Chamberlain. The collaboration, the designers' first, is meant to show the dedication of both Oregon-based companies to "quality, practicality and reliability." The bags are available at select Bloomingdale's nationwide as well as online at the hip new ACL Shop.

Tags: bags, luggage, mens bags, MensBags, Oregon, Pendleton, Portland, Property Of..., PropertyOf..., wool

Small Splurge: Fall Wines Under $25 from Dreyfus Ashby & Co.

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

New York-based Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., a national independent importer and marketer of fine wine and spirits, has put together a list of great fall wines from around the globe, ideal for various cuisines and all priced under $25. France's Château de Campuget "1753" stems from an 18th century document mentioning the historic property. The 100% Syrah is aged in stainless steel, seeing no oak. Deep purple in color, it is elegant and herbal with nice tannin and a crisp finish, paring nicely with spicy foods as well as hearty cold weather dishes like beef and pastas in red sauce. SRP: $14.99. Under the discerning eye of consulting winemaker Véronique Drouhin-Boss, the light, fruity quality of Cloudline Pinot Noir (2007) from Oregon never waivers and pairs perfectly with everything from a fatty fish, such as salmon, to lamb. SRP: $19.99. Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon (2007) from South Africa is a full-bodied, mouth-filling and rich wine with ripe fruit, delicate spice, firm tannins and a lasting aftertaste, pairing perfectly with robust winter stews, roasts and mature cheeses. SRP: $11.99.

Italy's Renato Ratti Barbera D'Alba Torriglione (2007) is structured and rich with a pleasing and harmonious bouquet. The result is a full- bodied wine with an excellent balance between acidity and tannin that lends itself particularly well to pastas with lean protein, such as pork or chicken. SRP: $18.99. Tedeschi Valpolicella Capitel Dei Nicalò (2006) is made from local Veronese grape varieties including Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara in the traditional style of the region. It is complex and elegant with lively acidity and an alcohol content that is balanced nicely by its tannins. SRP: $17.99. Argentina's Enrique Foster Reserva Malbec (2006) is made of selected grapes from old vines and production is limited to 5,000 lbs per acre. The wine is then aged in French and American oak for 12 months and in bottles for an additional six months. It's a huge wine with fruity aroma and berry
flavors perfectly suited to richly spiced dishes and roasted or grilled meats. SRP: $24.99.

Tags: Argentina, dreyfus ashby co., DreyfusAshbyCo., France, Italy, Oregon, South Africa, SouthAfrica

The Point, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

You can't get much closer to the water than this home, nicknamed The Point, on a private peninsula on Bell Island in Rowayton, Connecticut. The five-bedroom home sits on an enviably picturesque piece of land with views of Long Island Sound, a sandy beach, dock and mooring. The interior is beautifully classic with antique finishes and treatments from all over the world. The most amazing room is on the top floor, a triple peaked room that offers beautiful ocean views. It is listed at $6.25 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: The Point

Source

Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, oregon, the point, ThePoint

Continue reading “The Point, Estate of the Day ”

The Allison Gives Oregon Wine Lovers A New Place To Stay

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

These days I get excited when a project I wrote about a few years back actually comes to fruition. We first talked about the Allison Inn & Spa back in 2007. It's part of a large development in Oregon's Willamette Valley, an area which is quickly becoming one of the go-to spots for wine tourism. The hotel in Newberg, Oregon has a signature restaurant, 12-treatment-room spa and fitness studio, covered indoor pool and 12,000 square feet of meeting and social gathering space.

The Allison's 85 rooms range in size from nearly 500 to more than 1,500 square feet. Rooms include wet bars, mini refrigerators, Bose sound systems and linen bath robes. There are 20 suites with features like bay window seats, fireplaces and terraces or balconies. Rooms offers pastoral views of oaks and conifers, neighboring vineyards and more than 70,000 recently planted trees, grasses, shrubs and perennials. There is also a one acre chef's garden.

The hotel celebrates the region's famous pinot noir wine with 'pinotherapy' spa treatments. The restaurant, Jory, is named for a soil type that produces Oregon's pinots and boasts 700 wines on its list with 50 available by the glass. Room rates range from $295 to $1,100 and pets may join their owners for a $50 fee per stay.

Source

Tags: oregon, pinot noir, PinotNoir, the allison, TheAllison, wine tourism, WineTourism

Portland Condo Project Handed Back To The Bank

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

A major condo project in Portland, the Waterfront Pearl, is going back to its lender. Oregon Live reports that a subsidiary of Macquarie Group, an Australian financial firm has taken over the project because the developer could not raise enough money to deal with project cost overruns. The condo building is featured in this year's Street of Dreams show which is currently underway. This year the show is highlighting condos showing nine condos in four buildings.

The bank is still trying to sell the units, offering around 150 of the remaining units as rent-to-owns or for-sale condos. Units were originally priced at $350,000 to $1.3 million. A rush of building projects has led to many unsold condos in the market in Portland and many are selling at deep discounts from their original list prices.

Source

Tags: condo units, condos, CondoUnits, oregon, portland

Small Splurge: A Selection of Summer Wines

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

In times of prosperity many people like to splurge on fine wine. Discerning drinkers will find however that a tighter budget need not mean sacrificing the pleasures of enjoying the fruit of the vine. New York-based Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., a national independent importer and marketer of fine wines and spirits, has put together a list of six great summer wines from around the globe, ideal for various cuisines and all priced under $20. Here's the rundown:

From Nederburg, the most award-winning name in South African wine, comes Lyric (above left), a new blend of Sauvignon blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Freshly cut grass and green peppers meet aromas of peach and apricot to create a wine that is crisp, fresh and beautifully acidic, perfect for pairing with anything from fresh fruit to seafood. SRP: $10.99

Château de Campuget's Tradition Rosé (center left) is a crisp and fruity rosé wine from the up-and-coming Costières de Nîmes region of France, made using roughly 30% Grenache Noir and 70% Syrah. The color is obtained through a short maceration of two hours which gives it its distinctive shiny hue. Perfect with spicy and ethnic foods. SRP: $10.99

Enrique Foster is a top-flight operation with the objective of producing the best Malbec in Argentina, which is to say the best in the world. Ique (center right) is fresh and young with fruity characteristics and a ruby-red color. Its firm structure and soft tannins make it the perfect counterpart for ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. SRP: $11.99

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is one of our all-time favorite wines. Geisen's bottling (above right) has all the ripe fruit and the crisp, green and lively components associated with the wine, aromatic, flavorful and genuinely refreshing. Perfect with a light fish with a citrusy sauce. SRP: $14.99

Tags: Argentina, Dreyfus Ashby Co., DreyfusAshbyCo., France, New Zealand, NewZealand, Oregon, rose, smallsplurge, South Africa, SouthAfrica

Continue reading “Small Splurge: A Selection of Summer Wines”

Luxury Hotel In Oregon Seeks Loan Help

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The beautiful Nines luxury hotel in Portland, Oregon had the unfortunate timing to open just as the economic crisis began to take hold last fall. The resulting fallout means that this $141 million hotel is struggling to pay its bills (much like a couple of hotels in Scottsdale, Arizona).

The Oregonian reports that the Portland Development Commission agreed this week to accept delayed payments on taxpayer-funded loans to keep the developer from defaulting. The developer, Sage Hospitality Resources of Denver requested the delay with Ken Geist, Sage's executive vice president for development, telling the Portland Development Commission's board that the hotel could not have picked a worse opening date. The sudden and rapid drop in corporate travel spending deeply cut into the hotel's expected revenue. It is expected to generate less than half of what it was originally supposed to deliver in net operating income in its first year.

The 331-room hotel sits above a Macy's store (formerly the historic Meier & Frank department store) and is one of the most ambitious projects planned for the city's urban renewal. The developer is still planning to repay its $16.9 million in city loans at the original interest rates once The Nines' business improves. The current expectation is that loan payments should start up again in 2011 if the economy improves along the current predicted trajectory.

The hotel is offering a variety of special offers with rates starting at $129.

Source

Tags: hotel, luxury, oregon, portland, the nines, TheNines

Big Donation Means Free Museum Sundays

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

There's been a lot of sad tales of budget woes from museums lately (in fact another, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, just announced a 10 percent staff cut) so it's nice to read some good news. The Portland Art Museumt in Portland, Oregon will be open for free on four Sundays thanks to the generosity of one family. The family of Robert Miller, Fred Meyer's former chief executive officer and professional investor, and his wife Sharon have made a $1 million gift in Sharon's name which will fund four free Sundays a year. The donations will give families a chance to see the museum for free (admission for regular exhibits is $10 for adults and $9 for seniors and students).

The first free Sunday is on March 22. This latest gift is part of a series of donations that, as Oregon Live reports, have allowed the museum to keep a free admission policy, keeping it aligned with other major American museums. Other gifts have allowed free admission for anyone under 17 and for free museum tours for school groups. The museum is, like others, keeping an eye on the bottom line and plans cost-saving measures such as creating projects based on work from the museum's collection and having exhibitions run for longer periods.

Source

Tags: museum, oregon, portland art museum, PortlandArtMuseum

Portland Condo Offers Overnight Stays To Lure Buyers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Condo gloom is everywhere, some projects are stopping half-completed, some are shrinking, some are turning into rentals, and then there are the incentives. Developers have been using all sorts of lures to get people into condos including price cuts, appliance and decor upgrades and even free bikes and cars. A new technique comes out of Portland, Oregon. The developer of the Atwater Place condominiums thinks you'll be more eager to buy if you can just sleep in it over night. The ninth floor display unit is accepting potential buyers as overnight guests, hoping they'll rise in the morning, look at the Willamette river views and make coffee in the new kitchen and decide to sign the contract. The Atwater tower is 30 percent sold and sells condos from just under $300,000 to over $1 million, pretty steep for Portland.

Source

Tags: atwater, condominiums, oregon, portland

oregon

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL