Tendril Winemaker Dinner
Join us November 29th at 6 PM
Bethany’s Table is proud to host Tony Rynders, co-founder and winemaker at Tendril Wine Cellars. If you love Pinot Noir and would like to learn how one of the truly great talents of Oregon winemaking has carved his own path to create one of Oregon’s most innovative wineries, make your reservation now.
All About Tony
Folks kept mentioning him to us. “Have you heard of Tony Rynders?” “Have you tried Tendril?” “Who’s that guy making white Pinot Noir?” Finally, our friends, the Jolies, owners of Capers and wine movers and shakers, brought Tony in for supper. Later, we asked him to come by and taste us through his lineup. We were blown away by the creativity, quality and diversity crafted into Tendril’s wine. Janet and Kyle then visited Tony at his place in Gaston, tasting this time focused on pairings. It was a lot easier to choose what to include than it was to decide on what leave out. They narrowed it to seven wines, which was made possible by including one side x side stage and adding a fifth course.
Tony is a seeker. Early on, he laid the foundation stones for his career 
working with the best and brightest. After a stint at Mirassou Vineyards beginning in 1989, he obtained is Master’s degree in Enology and Viticulture from UC Davis in 1992. Then he embarked on the winemaker world tour, making wine in Napa, Friuli, Tuscany, and South Australia. In Oregon, after ten highly acclaimed years, Tony left his position as head winemaker at Domaine Serene and launched his quest to become chief cook as well as head bottle washer.
Building a winery from scratch is hard work. Tendril bottled its first wine in 2010, a 2008 vintage that later evolved into what is now the “Extrovert” offering. Today Tendril has several styles of Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, and even a Zinfandel offered by Tendril’s “playful younger sister” label, Child’s Play. As the seven wines we’ve selected are being poured for you to taste together with our uniquely crafted pairings, you will learn about the characteristics of the vineyards, the fruit and the influence of the seasons that combine to determine Tendril’s lineup. There will be laughs. There will be storytelling. Fine food and wine will be consumed. This is a dinner you will not want to miss. Book your seats now. The cost is $115 per person, plus gratuity.
The Dinner
6:00-6:30 Meet & Greet 6:00-6:30 We will treat you to a pour of Tendril’s 2016, juicy Willamette Valley Chardonnay to sip while you greet old friends and meet new ones.
At 6:30 we will take our seats and kick off the dinner with a side-by-side pairing of 2015 Extrovert Pinot Noir and the 2015 single-vineyard offering, Saffron Fields. These two wines will set the stage for our adventure. The Extrovert boldly carves out its own space with its vibrant aromas and berry, cherry and plum notes couched in supple tannins. These are confronted by Salame Clabrese and Cascade Creamery’s Sawtooth cheese with black pepper crackers. Demonstrating the range of Tony’s craft, the 2015 Saffron Fields is elegant, feminine and floral with dusty strawberry notes. Janet chose to nuzzle up to this wine with buckwheat crepes filled with smoked salmon and chervil.
The boldness of the 2014 Tightrope Pinot Noir is well met with a dish of Osso Bucco and Oxtail. You will enjoy the full bodied flavors of black raspberry, currant, pipe tobacco, freshly tanned leather and long finish enhanced by the dark, rich meat and rustic flavors.
The top-drawer 2014 C-Note is made with 100% whole cluster Pinot Noir grapes, which account for the wide array of aromatics with impressive, complex flavors. Janet meets this wine head-on with a simple offering of BBQ ribs and crispy fried fingerling potatoes.
Stepping back onto a path few have traveled, we next move to the 2015 Pretender. This is a serious, white Pinot Noir with complex and intense flavors and a full, long finish. Unwind at this stage with a pairing of corn cake and honeycomb.
As testimony to his place among the great Northwest winemakers, Tony is a partner in the Octave vineyard of Walla Walla with Jean Francois Pellet (Amavi & Pepper Bridge), Greg Harrington (Gramercy Cellars) and Justin Wylie (Va Piano) and other premier Walla Walla vintners. The 2015 Tendril Cabernet Sauvignon shows of the great terroir of this site with the aroma of dark fruit, allspice and vanilla and the full-bodied structure and ample tannins that contain the flavors of cassis, black cherry and cocoa powder. The team is preparing a deep, dark chocolate dessert for us to kick back with at the end of a wonderful evening.
Won’t you join us? November 29th at 6:00 PM. Click here to make your reservation!