Culture Features

A sea of smiling faces, clinking pint glasses and excited beer chatter fills the room on a recent night at Deschutes' brewpub.
The buzz on this night in late September, however, is more anticipatory and frenzied than the usual clamor that dominates the local hangout. The seven-week period surrounding the month of September marks a special time for both Pacific Northwest brewers and beer lovers alike – it's the hop harvest season.
With the hop harvest comes fresh hop beers, the likes of which are impossible to replicate during any other time of the year, given that the hops used in the brewing process are harvested only hours beforehand. Generally, to be considered a “fresh hop beer” brewers must add the harvested hops to the wort (beer that has not yet been fermented) within 24 hours of the harvest. As summer fades into autumn, this highly anticipated window is celebrated annually by the throngs of beer fans who relish in the earthy, fruity, floral flavors imparted by the fresh hops.

“It's so much more than just watching a movie and I think people understand that,” says BendFilm Artistic Director Orit Schwartz.
Now in its eighth year, the film festival has become well rooted within Bend's cultural landscape while also weathering the financial woes thrust upon nonprofits in this economy. Still, BendFilm has maintained a reputation as one of the best small festivals in the country. This year, the festival seems to have shed the “not for everyone” tag some had applied to it by making the event as accessible as it's ever been. The ticket prices are low ($11/film), the parties aren’t hoity-toity and there are even a number of free panels featuring some experts in their field.

Sky Pinnick wasn't a wine drinker. The founder of Rage Productions, the Bend-based company known for its epic action sports films, and more recently, television commercials, didn't mind an occasional glass, but the fruit of the vine was far from the top of his mind.
“I wasn't a wine guy by any stretch. Sure, I liked wine, but I'm a PBR guy. If I had to choose something to drink, it would've probably been a PBR,” says Pinnick.
Pinnick also owns Velvet, a popular downtown bar, but was still always simple with his drink order. Then he started hearing people talking about Malbec wine. He'd heard the name, even had a glass, but was still largely in the dark when it came to the Argentinean red wine. Soon, a friend, local wine distributor Kirk Ermisch, brought the subject up to Pinnick, and soon his curiosity took hold.