sixty seconds with david reamer: Its Strawberry Season!

This year I was tasked with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…

This is one of those posts. Check them all out in the above link.

Its Strawberry Season!

Pick 'em, Eat 'em, Drink 'em

Of all the seasons here in Oregon, the absolute best one has to be Strawberry season! Oregon Strawberries are nothing like the ones you see around the country, (or on the rest of the West Coast for that matter.) A good bit smaller in size, Oregon strawberries pack a bright red center and a flavor that will put a giant smile on your face.

The strawberry season here lasts only a few weeks, so we recommend not letting it pass you by. Of course you can go to plenty of local markets and co-ops around town and get beautiful pints of berries, but for the true fans, nothing compares to packing up the family, making the drive out to Sauvie Island and spending an hour or so in the fields picking your own. Besides from saving tons of money, its a family activity that everyone can enjoy.

For this adventure, we inlisted the help of the Alexander Family. Walter is a North Carolina native and one of the original owners of Pine State Biscuits and Darcie is one of the best local real estate agents (and the one my wife and I hired) with PDX Green Team.

There are plenty of local farms that allow you to pick your own. We chose one of our favorites, Columbia Farms, on the far side of Sauvie Island, but they are all pretty great.

If it's your first time out in the fields, you can bring your own reusable containers to fill up or the farms will proviude you with everything you need to get your berries home safely.

Once you get out into the fields, the different varieties are marked with color coded flags for easy identification. Some types are better for baking, some are better for straight munching. We love Hoods the best, but we encourage you to do a little taste test once you get into the fields, illustrated quite subtly here by the Alexander children, Hazel and Lewis.

(so much for hiding the evidence…)

And while the kids are busy picking and munching a few berries, we encourage the adults in the group to quench their thirsts with our Strawberry Cooler. Made with Pinot Noir and just a hint of lime juice, this punch is not super sweet or overly intense but a perfect balance of sweet and tart. And it’s low alcohol content makes it perfect for an afternoon out with the family.

As we liked to say, Pinot Noir + Oregon Strawberries + Cranberry Juice + Lime = for all summer long.