Perfect Pair: Boss Shepherd’s & Teutonic Wine Company

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

On Thursday, April 30, Boss Shepherd’s hosted Teutonic Wine Company and winemaker Barnaby Tuttle for an unforgettable evening. Paired with 4 delicious courses from Chef Jeremy Waybright, the wines showcased Tuttle’s talents, with guests having the opportunity to try wines that ranged from a Rose of Pinot Noir to a Pinot Gris. Tuttle produces German-styles wines with Oregon grapes – using old vines and a “roots deep” approach, his wines are balanced, refreshing, and are drinkable alone or elevated when paired with food.

The evening began with a 2010 Immich-Anker Enkircher Riesling Sekt Brut from Mosel, Germany; the wine was refreshing and slightly sweet and is made in the Méthode Traditionnelle (traditional method for producing Champagne wines).

The first course, paired with the 2014 Crow Valley Vineyard Riesling (Willamette Valley, OR) was a salmon tartar with sweet dry corn and chervil. The salmon was fresh and the crostini had a nice crunch, and the Riesling provided a sweet contrast to the spicy, tangy mustard.

The next course was a foie gras with Seville oranges, cauliflower and lardon paired with a 2013 Pinot Meunier from Borgo Vineyard (Willamette Valley, OR). The foie gras was incredibly tender with bacon serving as a hearty complement along with mushrooms that were braised in the wine. This course went beautifully with the wine; one of the more earthy wines I consumed that evening.

You can’t hear “Boss Shepherd’s” without immediately thinking of their fried chicken and I was thrilled to see that as the third coursre. The Petite Poulet was served with an apricot marmalade, mint, and pecans and beautifully complemented the 2013 Pinot Noir Bergspitze from the Laurel Vineyard (Chehalem Mountains, OR). The fried chicken was crispy, beautifully seasoned, and was tender and juicy. An unexpected, but delicious, pairing with the Pinot Noir.

The evening concluded with a 1999 Riesling Icewine from Immich-Anker Enkircher in Mosel, Germany. This wine was paired with an almond ricotta cake, which was crispy with a nice, warm, gooey center.

It was an unforgettable evening and sparked my interest in learning more about wines from Oregon, as well as return to Boss Shepherd's to explore more of the menu!