VIDEO: Support the Restaurant at King Estate & Local Farmers
Sign our petition and join our efforts to protect the restaurant at King Estate and the local farmers that we support, or click here to learn more about the issue.
Sustainable Food & Drink Part 2: The Restaurant at King Estate
At King Estate, the winery came before the restaurant, but we have always sought to enhance the experience of our wines with good, wholesome food. Since our inception, our culinary department has produced recipes, special dinners, and cookbooks with some of America’s greatest chefs. When we opened the restaurant in late 2005, we incorporated the organic ethic that drives our viticulture and farming. This ethic of organic production considers the impact our decisions will have on future ecological and economical harmony. It requires looking ahead and resisting the monetary benefits or “conveniences” offered by alternative approaches.
Environmentally friendly farming contributes to the quality of our food, wine, water, soil, and community. Sourcing local product supports local farms and ranches that are vital to food security. Communities everywhere are noticing these benefits and pursuing local, organic food.
American Kestrels Released by Cascades Raptor Center
Kit and Laurin from Cascades Raptor Center were out last week to release some American Kestrels. The Kestrels are placed in a nesting box, and a mesh screen is taped over the door. In order to calm down and become acclimated to their new surroundings, the Kestrels stay in the box with the screen on for 2-3 hours.
Predator perches installed on the estate
The King Estate raptor program continues to develop, with more nest boxes and releases, as well as the addition of ten new predator perches around the estate.
What is Sustainable Food and Drink?
Food For Thought, a new radio show on Eugene station KLCC 89.7 FM airs on Sundays at noon. The hosts are Boris Wiedenfeld and Ryan Dawe-Stotz. Boris is the manager of Sundance Wine Cellars and Ryan is the “wine and food guy” at Marché Provisions (Marché founder Stephanie Pearl Kimmel was King Estate’s first culinary director). Both are active in the local food and wine community and are dedicated to shedding light on what “sustainability” means and why we should care about it. The guest host of the July 18 episode was Adam Bernstein, executive chef at Adam’s Sustainable Table who is well-known for using local and organic produce. Adam says sustainability is “about being able to create a dynamic where we are able to use renewable resources to have the smallest possible impact on our environment and the world at large, preserving as much for future generations as humanly possible.”
Cutting estate grown organic daffodils in support of the American Cancer Society
At the end of February we harvested some beautiful organic daffodils grown alongside our pinot gris and pinot noir vines. Employees joined in cutting flowers and bundling bouquets for the American Cancer Society, and of course they took a few home for themselves too. The flowers, along with everything other than grapes, are grown under the watchful eye of Jessie Russell our Garden Manager and resident horticulturist.
Sheep return to our organic vineyard for more weeding and mowing
Yesterday afternoon marked the return of some of our favorite little farm workers. Sheep are naturally gifted when it comes to weeding, mowing, watering, and fertilizing.
Sheep in our organic vineyard for mowing and weeding
We currently have 552 sheep grazing on the property, weeding, mowing, and of course they do a bit of fertilizing and watering as well. There is a wide range of breeds but they are mainly Suffolk Sheep and there are about 133 lambs in the flock.