Column What is mead? How an ancient tradition became the modern drink of choice.

The elixir of the Vikings and then the Middle Ages, mead is as old as it gets when it comes to beverages. But these days it has regained a name for itself, as craft drinking culture has grown and old recipes have become new again.

So, just exactly what is mead? Simple: fermented honey. Mead is also known as honey wine, and just like honey has had almost magical powers throughout the ages, it’s no surprise that people started turning it into a drink long ago.

But what’s intriguing about mead, is that it’s a libation that can truly embody the spirit of “drink local.” In London recently, I came across a bottle of Gosnells. “From bee to bottle” it said on the label, a nod to the fact that the honey is produced in Southeast London, on the exact same site where the mead is produced and bottled. It doesn’t really get much more local than that, and meaderies around the world are doing the same thing.

The Viking connection to mead is strong, and in Norse mythology the drink had special powers, referred to as the Mead of Poetry. Norse gods created a man called Kvasir, and he was the wisest man that ever lived. No one was able to ask him a question to which he couldn’t find an answer. But when people always have the right answer, it’s easy to have enemies. He was invited into the home of two dwarves, and they killed him, brewing mead with his blood. Anyone who drank this drink would become as intelligent as Kvasir; the mead an instant way to become a poet or a scholar. The drink of the Nordic Diet so to say.

No wonder we’re seduced by the idea of mead. But mead isn’t the only popular drink on the craft booze market. There are also beer/honey concoctions, known as braggot, an old beer style that’s making a comeback. There’s Brooklyn Brewery’s Buzz Bomb and the Viking Braggot Company in Eugene, Oregon. Considering the plight of honey bees, anything that promotes their survival – like eating and drinking their honey – is a good thing.

The base of mead – honey, water and yeast to get the fermentation going – can be the starting point for many different flavors, as mead makers can add spices and other ingredients to flavor the mead, like fruits, and even vegetables. Beet mead, anyone? Whether they’re purists or brewers that like to play around, more and more mead enthusiasts are popping up everywhere from San Francisco, where you can buy a Buzzerkeley, to B Nektar in Michigan, which makes Zombie Killer, a blend of Michigan honey, cherries and apples, to Honeygirl Meadery in North Carolina, known for fruity mead blends, like fig mead. In fact, the production of mead is growing so popular that the number of meaderies in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last three years.

But you don’t need a brewery to get your mead fix. As a staple ancient drink, the mead production process is simple, and you can make mead yourself at home, without much more than honey, water and yeast. If you are a true mead enthusiast, there’s the mead-devoted website GotMead.com, which has lots of resources for getting started on your own mead production.

From bee to bottle in the spirit of the Vikings? That deserves a heartfelt skål.

Related on EcoSalon:

Could Captive Honey Bees be Hurting Wild Bees?

Maryland Law Seeks to Protect Honeybees from Pesticides

Got Local Liquor? Our Growing Thirst for Craft Distillers

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Images: Anna Brones, Steve Guzzardi

The post From Bee to Bottle: What is Mead? Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tea recipes so you can make your own unique blends.

If winter is good for one thing, it’s for curling up with a good book and a mug of tea. This is the season to embrace coziness. In Denmark, they have a word to describe this exact feeling: hygge. Creating a warm atmosphere to celebrate the good things in life. That’s exactly how you get through a long winter. And what better way to do it than by making your own tea recipes?

With a handful of dried herbs and spices and an assortment of tea leaves, you can make your own unique tea blends at home. And given all the benefits of tea, you should definitely be drinking more of it. Here are 10 recipes to get you started.

1. Chai

A dark and spicy tea always goes well with a cold evening, and chai seems to often be the tea recipe of choice. While many buy it pre-made, chai is simple to make at home. Stock up on cinnamon, peppercorns, fennel, coriander, cloves and cardamom and away you go.

2. Lavender Earl Grey

I discovered this in a cafe in Canada and have been in love ever since. It is as simple as adding lavender buds to Earl Grey tea and then brewing. The ratio will depend on your personal taste, and if you want to make an even cozier drink, you can add in milk for a tea latte.

3. Ginger Turmeric Tea

In the winter, it’s nice to have a tea recipe that will give you an extra boost, and this one is it. Ginger turmeric tea is especially good if you’re trying to beat off a winter cold or the flu. All you need is powdered ginger and turmeric.

4. Lemon Tisane

This tea recipe gives you a calming citrus drink, make with dried lemon grass and lemon peel.

5. Peppermint Tea

Maybe you were smart enough to dry some peppermint from your kitchen pots last summer. If not, get your hands on some dried peppermint and make this tea recipe that is sure to perk you up.

6. Ginger Honey Lemon Tonic

Here’s another recipe for anyone trying to beat off the winter cold. Using fresh ginger root and lemon, you’re even welcome to pour in some whiskey.

7. Tranquil Tea

With chamomile and rose petals, this tea is perfect if you need to wind down from a long day.

8. Vanilla Rooibos 

With a fresh vanilla bean and some loose rooibos tea, you can make this aromatic red blend, that also happens to be perfect for baking cookies with. Because the only thing cozier than a book and a mug of tea is a book, a mug of tea, and a cookie.

9. Rosemary Tea

Dried rosemary isn’t just good for roasted potatoes, it also makes a lovely tea. Pair with peppermint and sage in this tea recipe.

10. Detoxifying Mint Tea

With spices like coriander and cumin, this tea recipe is a combination of dry ingredients which you can make in advance and keep on hand, combined with fresh ginger, mint and lemon.

Related on EcoSalon

10 Healthy Tea Elixirs You Can Make Yourself

20 Unusual Uses for Green Tea

Matcha Green Tea Pudding Recipe

Images: René Schäfer, mfcorwin

The post 10 DIY Tea Recipes for Cozy Winter Evenings appeared first on EcoSalon.

So many microbrews…so little time.

Two of Portland’s favorite pastimes? Beers and bikes, which is why it makes sense that the two would come together in a guidebook, intended not just for tourists but locals with an affinity for exploring the wide world of microbrews on two wheels. Hop in the Saddle is just that guidebook.

Whereas most guidebooks focus simply on destinations, Hop in the Saddle is just as much about how to get there as what to do when you arrive.

“Cycling is the best way to explore any city. You’re out in the open instead of being hidden inside a vehicle where you can’t interact as directly with the world around you. On a bike you notice things like which plants are blooming at certain times of the year and the rainbow knee-high socks of the rider in front of you. In Portland, you’re smelling coffee roasting and beer brewing as you ride. You’re hearing urban chickens. On a bike you get a real sense of the way a city’s designed and what matters to the people who live there,” says author Lucy Burningham.

With a focus on local drink culture, the guidebook is also an exploration of a thriving beer scene.

“Portland has 51 breweries within city limits, more than any other city in the world, which means there’s plenty of beer being made in every corner of town. Beer drinkers have plenty of choices when it comes to finding fresh, locally brewed beer. And this is a town that celebrates quality and innovation. Brewers are constantly using new ingredients and methods to make surprising, thought-provoking beers. As a beer writer, there’s never a dull moment,” says Burningham.

Combining insider knowledge of the city’s best tasting rooms, where to find rare bottles and which top chefs have a secret beer stash with detailed bike routes and maps, this is the kind of guidebook that will certainly make other velo and hop aficionados jealous.

Images: Hop in the Saddle

The post Hop in the Saddle: A Guide to Portland’s Craft Beer Scene, by Bike appeared first on EcoSalon.

Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post 10 Healthy Tea Elixirs You Can Make Yourself appeared first on EcoSalon.

The easiest summer addiction.

For coffee lovers, cold brew is summer’s nectar. You can of course buy cold brew systems, or end up with an expensive coffee shop addiction, but really all you need for delicious cold brew is a good coffee roast and a French press.

The key is letting the coffee steep over night, that way you don’t really have to think about it. Grind some beans when you get home from work, and by morning you’ll have fuel for a hot day.

Ingredients

• Coffee + water
• Ratios of coffee to water vary, and you can tweak according to how strong you want it. For a 32 ounce French press  (4 cups) I use about 3/4 cup coffee beans, so a little less than a 1 to 4 ratio.

Directions

Grind beans coarsely.

Place grinds in empty French press and fill with cold water. Gently stir with a spoon to mix.

Cover the French press with tinfoil and let steep for about 12 hours at room temperature. It’s even better when you let it sit for 24 hours, but that takes some planning.

Remove the tinfoil and press the grinds down. Serve over ice. If it’s a little strong, dilute with water.

Store in refrigerator in glass bottles or a covered pitcher.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series. 

The post Sunday Recipe: Make Your Own Cold Brew Coffee appeared first on EcoSalon.

The frappuccino gets a major health revamp.

While it is high in calories, sodium, and cholesterol, it’s really the sugar content that blows one of Starbucks’s beloved beverages out of the water. Starbucks’s Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino Blended Smoothie contains 310 calories per 16-ounce serving, in addition to 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, and 67 grams of sugar.

Sugar will go straight to your head, give you a short-term high, and then leave you lethargic and glum. It spikes your blood sugar levels, leads to weight gain, is nutritionally empty, contributes to candida, and, to put simply, is actively bad for you. If you are going to consume sugar, get it from something a bit more decadent and lasting than a down-in-a-hot-second drink, regardless of how delicious it may be!

My version of a vanilla Frappuccino smoothie is sugar-free, save for the optional chocolate syrup glaze and whipped cream, using a few drops of zero-calorie, low-glycemic stevia instead. The recipe also goes a step further by replacing cow’s milk with almond milk. Almond milk is a mere 40 calories per 8-ounce serving and avoids the common issues that arise when ingesting dairy, such as hard-to-digest proteins, hormones, depletion of enzymes and vitamins through pasteurization, saturated fat, synthetic chemicals, and a boo-ing cow.

Cutting corners in so many other ways, it’s up to you whether you want to indulge with a topping of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. You can find vegan variations of both in your local health food store.

Enjoy!

Sugar-Free Vegan Vanilla Frappuccino

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coffee cooled
• 1 cup almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, or skim milk.
• 1 banana
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 handfuls of ice
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 drops of liquid stevia, or 2 packets of powdered stevia
• Whipped Cream (optional)
• Chocolate Syrup (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix and blend until smooth.

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Image: Starbucks

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Vanilla Frappuccino appeared first on EcoSalon.

Red, red wine.

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures. -Michael Broadbent

Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle. -Paulo Coelho

Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. -John Keats

I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food. -W. C. Fields

Wine is a living liquid containing no preservatives. Its life cycle comprises youth, maturity, old age, and death. When not treated with reasonable respect it will sicken and die. -Julia Child

Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance. -Benjamin Franklin

A gourmet meal without a glass of wine just seems tragic to me somehow. -Kathy Mattea

Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. -Pope John XXIII

The wine-cup is the little silver well, Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell. -William Shakespeare

Artists and poets still find life’s meaning in a glass of wine. -Joy Sterling

Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages. -Louis Pasteur

I think it is a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens. -Thomas Jefferson

One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters… But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk. -Charles Baudelaire

Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine. -Joan Collins

I like on the table, / when we’re speaking, / the light of a bottle / of intelligent wine. -Pablo Neruda

Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living. -Robert Mondavi

Like human beings, a wine’s taste is going to depend a great deal on its origins and its upbringing. -Linda Johnson-Bell

Compromises are for relationships, not wine. -Sir Robert Scott Caywood

Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, makes weariness forget his toil. -Lord Byron

Either give me more wine or leave me alone. -Rumi

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing. -Ernest Hemingway

A bottle of good wine, like a good act, shines ever in the retrospect. -Robert Louis Stevenson

[Making wine] is like having children; you love them all, but boy, are they different. -Bunny Finkelstein

Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it. -Anonymous

I love how wine continues to evolve, how every time I open a bottle it’s going to taste different than if I had opened it on any other day. Because a bottle of wine is actually alive – it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks – like your ’61 – and begins its steady, inevitable decline. And it tastes so fucking good. -Virginia Madsen as Maya in Sideways

Beer is made by men, wine by God! -Martin Luther

Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin. -Napoleon Bonaparte

Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to our hopes, bids the coward flight, drives dull care away, and teaches new means for the accomplishment of our wishes. -Horace

Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink, I feel shame! Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this wine, they might be out of work, and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, “It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver?” -Jack Handey

Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy. -Alexander Fleming

ALSO CHECK OUT:

30 Best Quotes About Food

40 Best Quotes About Friends

30 Best Quotes About Staying Well Physically and Spiritually

Want to see more quotes? Go here.

Image: Michael Johnson, Derek Gavey, jenny downing

The post 30 Quotes About Wine appeared first on EcoSalon.

10 liquid ways to beat the winter chill.

Baby, it’s starting to get cold outside – the perfect excuse to warm up with a little holiday cheer. And by “holiday cheer,” we mean a stiff drink.

Whether your poison is cider, champagne, coffee, or cranberry, this week’s Foodspotting Friday offers plenty of inspiration for imbibing this holiday season.

Champagne Cocktail @ Per Se

Egg Nog @ Saul’s Restaurant & Deli

Mulled Wine @ Christopher Columbus Restaurant & Pub

Absinthe @ Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

Irish Coffee @ Buena Vista Café

Spiced Apple Cider @ Michigan Brewing Co

A Winter’s Holiday @ Frankies Spuntino Restaurant

Spiced Cider Martini @ Douzo Japanese Restaurant

Egg Nog @ Saul’s Restaurant & Deli

Bourbon and Bacon @ The Girl and the Fig

In Foodspotting Friday we highlight one of Foodspotting’s – or our own – top picks from our Foodspotting guides. Be sure to check them out and tip us off to your own favorites in our Readers’ Picks guide. Want to start spotting food on your own? Join Foodspotting and take part in the food spotting revolution. It’s visual, it’s positive, it’s global and we are in love with it.

The post Foodspotting Friday: Holiday Cheer on the Rocks appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnForget countryside wine tours, the latest in vino is what’s being made right down the block.

Living in Portland, Oregon, local food is a must and not necessarily because it’s greener or healthier, but simply because being smack dab in the middle of the Willamette Valley, not eating local is practically a sin. And even though I spend a significant amount of time perusing artisan goat cheeses at farmers market – pretentious foodie level totally acknowledged – I had no idea that what I was missing in my foodie repertoire was an urban winery.

In fact, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t even aware that urban wineries existed. Foodie fail. Fortunately I have friends that, when it comes to wine, are much more well versed than I, so when I got invited to Enso Urban Winery for the first time, I quickly accepted.

If you can fall in love with a warehouse space turned into neighborhood bar this was love at first sight. Maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for any place that invites taco trikes (yeah, trikes, not trucks) to serve food to the clientele on Friday afternoons, but anyplace that’s making and bottling wine in their back room gets five stars in my book.

And that’s exactly what Enso is: a chill urban space that’s less about pretentious wine sales and more about being a gathering spot for the neighborhood. The mood is low key and yet the wine is exceptional, making you immediately want to take a few bottles home simply so you can open one up the next time your friends are over and say, “you know, this was made down the street.”

I could also be a sucker for anything that’s produced locally, but after a glass of the Resonate Red #2 – Enso wines are seasonal, so don’t expect to be able to get the same one if you visit – I was walking home with two bottles wrapped in brown paper bags.

A collaboration between Ryan Sharp and Chris Wishart, who originally met when they were working at Arcane Cellars, Enso began in Wishart’s garage, but as of earlier this spring, they’ve been operating both the winery and tasting lounge out of a larger space in Southeast Portland. On the same block as local favorite Meat Cheese Bread, you can pair your glass of urban wine with a sandwich stacked tall with local ingredients and made on housemade bread. A locavore’s dream.

Beyond being a comfortable space that draws a diverse neighborly crowd, Enso embodies the spirit of local, artisan goods. I caught up with Sharp to learn more about the winery, the ethos behind it and what it means for craft wines on a larger scale.

What inspired the launch of Enso?

Chris and I had been working at a winery in the Valley and decided it was time to cut the commute and try a different approach to winemaking. I had seen some smaller wineries on a trip through the Loire Valley and remembered them being sort of “village-supported.” Thought we would give that a go here in Portland. We made our first vintage in his bonded garage and then moved to our current location on Stark.

When most of us think of a winery, we think of expansive vineyards and sipping wine in a large garden. The words “urban winery” conjure up different images. What are the similarities between you and a regular winery? What are the differences?

You’re right. Most folks put vineyards and wineries together in their mind. And we love walking the vines and seeing the seasons change in the vineyard. But you can’t really grow grapes commercially in Portland and that’s where we want to be: In Town. It’s actually not terribly unusual to produce wines from grapes grown elsewhere. Lots of wineries do it, even ones with vineyards of their own.

Anyway, other than not growing our own grapes and being out in the country, we’re just a winery, same as anywhere. But our major difference is probably our Tasting Lounge. Instead of an awkward tasting room, we opted for something cozy and informal. More like a casual wine bar where you can meet friends and have a glass or three. Some folks come in and never even realize that we make our wine on-site, simply taking us for another bar.

Who is buying urban wine?

We’ve been truly amazed by how much the Buckman neighborhood has supported us. More than half our wine club members are from the surrounding 10 blocks! All ages, but generally the 25- to 40-something crowd. Still, people come from all around town and the surrounding area. And we get lots of out-of-state visitors, too.

Where do you get your grapes from? Is buying local important for you?

But of course. We get most of grapes from two vineyards within three hours of here: One in Horse Heaven Hills, where we get our big red grapes, and one in the Willamette Valley, where we get our white grapes.

Do you think there is a general movement that puts a value on smaller operations like yours? Why or why not?

I’d like to think that’s true. A good many of us are cynical about larger operations, I guess you could assume. But that doesn’t mean that we can make crap wine and get away with it by throwing “small-lot” or “boutique” on the label. We have to prove that we can make even higher-quality wines and help folks understand why Two Buck Chuck isn’t really wine.

What’s your favorite thing about making wine?

I love the whole process of watching it come to life, especially the first month or so where we get the grapes and begin to ferment them. We’re just about to start that for 2011. So excited! But truly, I love holding the finished bottle in my hand and pouring it for people. That’s where it all really connects.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

Images: Anna Brones

The post Foodie Underground: Urban Wine at Enso Winery in Portland, Oregon appeared first on EcoSalon.

Kombucha, organics, whole grains, kale – there’s a lot happening in the underground food movement that relates directly to living a healthier lifestyle – except for maybe cupcakes. Foodies have long understood the value of living a balanced lifestyle, and having an appreciation for good food is often teamed with being more conscious about everyday lifestyle choices. Which might be why there’s been an influx of bike influence when it comes to food. Think about it: opting for food that’s delivered by two wheels instead of four certainly makes a statement, and it’s one that plenty urbanite foodies are happy to make.

But every foodie has a weak spot, and a lot of us are well versed in the realm of caffeine addiction. Which means that no matter how many kale chips and sweet potato fries we may commit to, we’re always going to make room for that morning double americano. So what’s a conscious coffee-lover to do? Take advantage of the sustainable lifestyle trend that’s taken a hold of the food movement and get your beans delivered by bike.

Who’s doling out coffee beans a la velo? Lots of people.

If you’re already familiar with coffee bike-delivery, chances are you’ve heard mention of Peace Coffee. They’ve been delivering their beans by bike (wherever appropriate) in the Minneapolis area since 1999, well ahead of the trend. But this isn’t the only Midwest region that gets to enjoy the benefits of bike-delivered caffeine; Madison is home to Just Coffee Cooperative, who employs bikes for most of their local deliveries.

In San Francisco you can take advantage of Bicycle Coffee Company who provides organic, fair trade beans roasted in the San Francisco area to a variety of vendors including one of my favorite foodie destinations, Bi-Rite.

Coffee capital Portland is home to Courier Coffee Roasters, who deliver their home-roasted beans to plenty of cafes around and even offer home bean delivery, all by super cool looking cargo bikes. And the home delivered beans are served up in mason jars. This operation is so popular that they’re soon going to open a coffee bar in downtown Portland, where I am sure we can expect ample bike parking. Not to be outdone, fellow Pacific Northwest java central, Seattle, has Small Cog Coffee.

And don’t think that bike-delivered coffee is something that’s solely taking place in bike-centric metropolises. In Flagstaff be sure to check out The Coffee Pedaler, who not only delivers coffee by bike, but also has an espresso bar and full service bicycle shop all under one roof. What more could you ask for?

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground. Each week, Anna will be taking a look at something new and different that’s taking place in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to culinary avant garde.

Image: Anna Brones

The post Foodie Underground: Cycled Coffee appeared first on EcoSalon.