Quick Bites: Obama, wine, and you

tSW’s wine column remained neutral through the primary season, but with Senator Barack Obama now the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, and the rhetoric between the Obama and McCain camps heating up, the time has come to weigh in.

Naturally, we vote in our own self interest, and so it is fair to ask “What will an Obama presidency mean to me, as a wine drinker?” At first blush, this seems like a fairly straightforward question. The Republicans unveiled their disdain for the French position against the Iraq war by renaming freedom fries, and effectively defeated Democratic candidate John Kerry by suggesting he “looked French.” Quel horror! One would presume, then, that French wines, and by association, the act of wine drinking, would be given short shrift in a Republican administration.
Recall then candidate Bush’s reply to Barbara Walters probing questions on 20/20 during the 2000 election: “There’s nothing better than a cold beer…” And then there was the 2007 G8 summit when he was caught “sipping” beer. And of course we can’t ignore the fact that Senator McCain has married into a well-heeled Arizona beer distribution family. Pretty scary stuff. Obama, for his part, seems every bit the wine connoisseur. He maintains a 1000-bottle cellar at his home in Chicago, and some of his campaign events have reportedly sold bottles of zinfandel with the candidate’s face on the label. Obama Zin. It has a ring to it.

tSW's wine column remained neutral through the primary season, but with Senator Barack Obama now the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, and the rhetoric between the Obama and McCain camps heating up, the time has come to weigh in.
 
Naturally, we vote in our own self interest, and so it is fair to ask "What will an Obama presidency mean to me, as a wine drinker?" At first blush, this seems like a fairly straightforward question. The Republicans unveiled their disdain for the French position against the Iraq war by renaming freedom fries, and effectively defeated Democratic candidate John Kerry by suggesting he "looked French." Quel horror! One would presume, then, that French wines, and by association, the act of wine drinking, would be given short shrift in a Republican administration.
Recall then candidate Bush's reply to Barbara Walters probing questions on 20/20 during the 2000 election: "There's nothing better than a cold beer…" And then there was the 2007 G8 summit when he was caught "sipping" beer. And of course we can't ignore the fact that Senator McCain has married into a well-heeled Arizona beer distribution family. Pretty scary stuff. Obama, for his part, seems every bit the wine connoisseur. He maintains a 1000-bottle cellar at his home in Chicago, and some of his campaign events have reportedly sold bottles of zinfandel with the candidate's face on the label. Obama Zin. It has a ring to it.

It’s all about atmosphere at Blue olive. In a place like Brasada Ranch every thing is rustic luxury: The views, the big timbered lodge, the perfectly manicured golf course. The dining room is no exception. Deliberately distressed wood floors and high ceilings complement huge picture windows that overlook rolling hills of native fescue and a faux train bridge. The atmosphere conjures images of the Old West, only here it’s the Old West without the dust and smelly work animals.

The menu at the ranch’s signature restaurant, The Blue Olive, is an ode to the “cattlemen of Oregon who helped shape and tame the wild ranges of Central Oregon” and offers beef from local rancher Matt Borlen. Chef John Nelson has filled the menu with beef dishes as well as a fair amount of seafood, pork and pasta.
Rather than making multiple trips to Brasada, I brought lots of dining companions in order to truly sample the menu. The six of us sat down at a large table flanked with windows showcasing a colorful twilight sky.

It’s all about atmosphere at Blue olive. In a place like Brasada Ranch every thing is rustic luxury: The views, the big timbered lodge, the perfectly manicured golf course. The dining room is no exception. Deliberately distressed wood floors and high ceilings complement huge picture windows that overlook rolling hills of native fescue and a faux train bridge. The atmosphere conjures images of the Old West, only here it's the Old West without the dust and smelly work animals.
 
The menu at the ranch's signature restaurant, The Blue Olive, is an ode to the "cattlemen of Oregon who helped shape and tame the wild ranges of Central Oregon" and offers beef from local rancher Matt Borlen. Chef John Nelson has filled the menu with beef dishes as well as a fair amount of seafood, pork and pasta.
Rather than making multiple trips to Brasada, I brought lots of dining companions in order to truly sample the menu. The six of us sat down at a large table flanked with windows showcasing a colorful twilight sky.