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Anne Amie Wines Enjoyed on Rooftop

07.13.10

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I can only imagine that this is what the roof was designed for.

I can only imagine that this is what the roof was designed for.

In our continuing series of monthly wine tastings, Anne Amie Vineyards  spent Wednesday evening pouring wine for residents on our rooftop, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

Featured wines included: 2009 Cuvee A Amrita, 2008 Pinot Blanc, 2008 Cuvee A Pinot Noir, 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, and a decadent 2007 Prisme Pinot Noir Blanc.

Yes, you heard correct, a WHITE Pinot Noir! No doubt about it, the Prisme was the talk of the party. Sipping it produced a unique synesthetic experience. And if you somehow weren’t impressed by the tasting qualities, at the very least, you had to marvel at the thought of how time consuming and labor intensive it must be to produce a Pinot Noir that is completely and painstakingly devoid of skins.

Lucky for us, Chef Mark Henry stepped in once again to put together a terrific menu that perfectly complimented the wines. We are so grateful to have his support. Without a doubt, we could not throw such a successful classy event without his incredible contributions. Thanks Chef.

As if Indigo residents weren’t spoiled enough, Anne Amie has offered discounted pricing on any orders turned into the concierge before July 21st so don’t miss this opportunity to get some quality wine at a great price.

Lance Draws First Blood at Tour de France

07.04.10

Photo: © Roberto Bettini

Photo: © Roberto Bettini

The 2010 Tour de France began today in Rotterdam, The Netherlands with an 8.9km time trial. It came as no surprise that the fastest time was turned in by Fabian Cancellara. This was the fourth time that the World and Olympic time trial champion has won the prologue time trial at the Tour de France.

But the prologue only serves as a jumping off point for future stages where favorites like seven time winner, Lance Armstrong, and 2007 and 2009 winner, Alberto Contador, and  will duke it out for the yellow leader’s jersey. Lance finished fourth on the stage, but he took early control by beating rival Contador by an advantage of 5 seconds.

This year the organizers have added a cobblestone stage, which is anticipated to make or break the hopes for many of the general classification contenders. So everyone is looking to stage #3, scheduled for July 6th, to see how this year’s tour shapes up.

Urban Land Institute Oregon Tours South Waterfront

06.15.10

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Development Tour: OHSU Center for
Health & Healing and Schnitzer Campus
Thursday, June 17
  
Join ULI Oregon on June 17 as we visit the OHSU’s South Waterfront campus for a tour of the Center for Health and Healing (CHH) followed by a discussion with Mark Williams and Brian Newman of OHSU’s Campus Planning, Development and Real Estate department. The afternoon begins with a guided tour of the world’s first LEED Platinum medical facility. See first-hand 412,000 square feet of medical practice, surgery and imaging spaces, a gymnasium, pools, spa, and education and research areas. Then hear about the future of OHSU’s role in the South Waterfront and its plans for the 26 acres known as the Schnitzer Campus.Speakers:
Brian Newman, OHSU Director of Campus Planning, Development and Real Estate
Mark Williams, OHSU Associate Vice President for Campus Planning and Administration

Thursday, June 17
4:30 – 5:00 PM (optional guided tour)
5:00 – 6:00 (discussion)
OHSU Center for Health & Healingbr> 3303 SW Bond Ave.
Portland, Oregon

Cost: $15 ULI members | $20 non-members

Registration deadline: Monday, June 14

Register online at http://oregon.uli.org or by phone at
1-800-321-5011.
For more information, please contact us at Oregon@uli.org or
206-224-4500.

Click here to register online

Ponzi/Hamacher Wines Enjoyed in The Sapphire Room

06.13.10

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The spread was irresitable

The spread was irresitable

Wednesday our Sapphire Room was treated to a tasting of some of the best wines in the Pacific Northwest. Ponzi Vineyards and Hamacher Wines teamed up to delight our residents with their famous wines.

Ponzi offered up their 2009 Pinot Gris, 2009 Pinot Rosato, and 2008 Tavola Pinot Noir. The warmest reviews came for the Pinot Noir which winemaker, Luisa Ponzi described as showing “vanilla, spice and red fruit leading to a mouth of warm spice notes and blueberry.”

Hamacher impressed us with his 2007 Chardonnay and his 2008 ‘H’ Pinot Noir. My personal favorite was the chardonnay which exhibits flavors of “mineral-laden creme brulee and apples on the palate,” while “Pear, citrus and anise dominate the aromatics.

These incredible wines are now available at incredible discounts. Orders placed before June 18th will be discounted 10%. There is no minimum order and the wine is delivered right to Indigo @ TwelveWest. Don’t miss this opportunity to get some of the regions best wine at a convenient discount.

I’d like to thank our participating wineries for generously hosting our event and once again, we owe a huge thank you to our volunteer chef, Mark Henry, for selecting and preparing a spectacular menu of hors d’oeuvres that paired so well with our wines. Lucky for us, his skills in the kitchen can match those of our esteemed vintners.

Electric Cars on the Docket at City Club

06.08.10

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Zebra
Photo Courtesy of Xebra Electric Cars.
Date: June 11, 2010 – 12:15pm
Speaker(s): Robbie Diamond, President and CEO, Electrification Coalition
Location: The Governor Hotel, 614 SW 11th Ave.

“As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues, President Obama is calling upon Americans to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. With the nation’s transportation system heavily reliant on petroleum, this change is unlikely to occur unless Americans transform the way we move ourselves and our goods around the nation”. -Brought to you by the City Club of Portland.

Mt. Hood Cycling Classic starts in Portland

06.01.10

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mhcc_bannerOne of the toughest bicycle races in the country is set to roll out tonight. The Mount Hood Cycling Classic will begin its first of six days of racing with prologue time trial event at Portland International Raceway and stage 1 will consist of grueling circuits of Mt. Tabor’s local climb.

This year the early stages will focus on being spectator friendly. PIR, Mt. Tabor, and Hood River will feature “Spectator Expos,” designed to improve the experience.

So be sure to check out the first stages of this epic bicycle race for a chance to see some of the fastest bike racers in the nation compete right in our backyard.

Urban Assualt Ride

05.20.10

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big-wheelsThis Sunday is New Begium Brewing’s Urban Assault Ride™.  I will certainly be participating in this great event that combines many of my favorite activities. I recommend you sign up with me or at least come to the after party. It should be fun.

“What is the Urban Assault Ride?” you ask. Well here is an explanation from their website:

The Urban Assault Ride™ is a truly unique cycling event…and quickly becoming one of the biggest in country! Here’s how it works: You and your teammate will set out on a city-wide quest for ‘checkpoints’ on your favorite two-wheeled steeds.  At each checkpoint, you’ll drop your bikes and complete a funky/adventurous obstacle course, then remount your bikes and hit the streets for more.The goal is to complete all the checkpoints in the shortest amount of time. You choose your own route and checkpoint order. This means that the most clever are often the victors. Of course, it may also help if you can pull a mean big-wheel powerslide and fly across an inflatable slip-n-slide ;)

After your pedal-powered adventure, your team will cross the finish line and enter a massive celebration of bikes and beer. The after party is just as much fun as the ride itself, thanks to the craziest raffle prize contest you’ll ever experience. 

Pick a partner and we’ll see you there!

Enjoy Car Free Streets at Sunday Parkways

05.15.10

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Celebrate the great weather and get to know some of Portland’s great neighborhoods in a way we almost never get to experience, WITHOUT ANY CARS!

Yeah, you heard right. Portland Sunday Parkways is back this year and the first event is this Sunday (May 16th) in NE Portland.

For those that haven’t heard yet, Sunday Parkways is an annual event that allows our streets to become parks, if only for a day. It works like this; large routes of streets get blocked off to cars and opened up to pedestrians, bikers, runners, etc.

I volunteered as an “Intersection Superhero” last year and I got so jealous of all the people cruising by enjoying the safe, quiet carfree streets that I am selfishly not volunteering this year. Getting cars off the streets is such a unique opportunity in our society that I wouldn’t want to miss this.

Sokol Blosser Success

05.02.10

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This last Wednesday Indigo welcomed Sokol Blosser to our Sapphire Room for a festive evening full of great wine, excellent food, and good company. I worked closely with Chef Mark Henry, the executive chef at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, to ensure that our food selection would live up to the high quality wines. Chef Mark left everyone speechless with his gourmet display.

Chef Mark Henry's Display

Not to be outdone by the food, Sokol Blosser’s Jeff Knapp brought out 5 different wines for us to taste. Now I am no wine critic but I quickly fell in love with their 2007 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. This Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was impressed by Sokol Blosser’s wines that night. All night, I kept hearing people rave about their 2009 Rose. I have to admit, this was the first time that I’ve ever heard people use such strong words to describe a rose. Indeed, it is quite good. Also, on the menu was an easy to drink red blend called Meditrina followed by their white blend, Evolution, which is famous for making an excellent pairing with spicy or Thai food.

Residents enjoying their Sapphire Room to its full potential

Residents enjoying their Sapphire Room to its full potential

 Sokol Blosser has been an incredibly generous partner and we are so pleased to have worked with them. Not only did they make this whole event possible, but they also offered Indigo residents the option of ordering wine at Sokol Blosser’s club price (that’s 20% off regular prices). A free wine tasting, wine club prices, and wine delivered right to your apartment. We owe Sokol Blosser a huge thank you. We look forward to working with them in the future.
If you would like to take advantage of this limited time offer to order Sokol Blosser’s wine at club price, please come visit your concierge.

Update: Sokol Blosser Wine Tasting

04.28.10

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This evening’s wine tasting event just got even tastier. Executive chef, Mark Henry, just finalized his hors d’oeuvre menu that he has carefully paired to our wine selection and it sounds spectacular.

While sipping their wonderful wines, we will also enjoy:

1) Vine ripened tomato gazpacho with fresh dungeness crab

2) Local organic cremini mushroom crostini

3) Poached asparagus Meyer’s lemon vinaigrette

4) Rogue Oregon Zola cheese with dark bread, dried cranberries and apricots.

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