The Latest From the Oregon Truffle Festival
FULL CHEF AND SPEAKER LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL OREGON TRUFFLE FESTIVAL
Categorized: Press, What's New
North America’s premier truffle celebration welcomes chefs, speakers and foragers from near and far for two truffle-filled weekends: January 25 – 28, 2018 and February 16 – 18, 2018
Portland, Ore. (November 7, 2017) — The Oregon Truffle Festival, North America’s premier truffle celebration and a nonprofit organization promoting the state’s native truffle industry, announces the full lineup of chefs, speakers and foragers for its upcoming festival. The events span two weekends in early 2018: January 25 – 28 in Eugene and February 16 – 18 in the Yamhill Valley.
The Oregon Truffle Festival’s Eugene and Surrounds Weekend centers around the scientific and agricultural aspects of the truffle industry. The January weekend opens with a truffle dog competition, the Joriad™ North American Truffle Dog Championship on January 25, wherein spectators cheer for teams of truffle dogs and their trainers as they race to search for hidden truffle-scented targets. On January 26, attendees of the Truffle Dog Training Seminar bring their dogs to truffle hunting school with a two-day event culminating in an authentic hunt for truffles in the wild. Most student dogs find their first truffles at this event.
A marquee event in Eugene is the two-day Truffle Growers’ Forum, gathering industry experts and growers from around the world to review the latest truffle cultivation research and catch up with developments in the global industry. In 2018, the focus returns to France, which remains the world’s leader in truffle production. The 2018 speakers include Dr. Christophe Robin, Senior Scientist at INRA and Director of the “Agronomie et Environnement” research lab at the Université de Lorraine; Peter Oviatt, PhD researcher at MIT; Dr. Shannon Berch, a researcher for the Government of British Columbia; Brian Malone, vineyard and truffle orchard manager from Jackson Family Wines; and Dr. Charles Lefevre of New World Truffieres.
In addition to mycological revelations, the January weekend promises decadent dinners and luncheons, cooking classes, a fresh truffle marketplace, and more. The iconic Grand Truffle Dinner welcomes chefs Eduardo Jordan (Salare and Junebaby, Seattle, WA), Paul Virant (Vie and Vistro, Western Spring, IL), Carlo Lamagna (Magna, Portland, OR), and Kim Boyce (Bake Shop Portland, OR), among others, for a six-course dinner paired with Oregon wines. The full lineup of chefs for both weekends can be found below.
The second annual Oregon Truffle MacDown competition elevated this comfort food to new heights, with renditions from Anh Luu (Tapalaya, Portland, OR), Robin Jackson (Two Birds, British Columbia, Canada), Kevin Linde (Pronghorn Resort, Bend, OR), and others. Tickets to the Oregon Truffle MacDown are included in the full weekend packages (available here), or can be purchased à la carte ($120). The January weekend closes with the Fresh Truffle Marketplace, offering native Oregon truffles for sale, wine tastings, artisan food sampling, truffle cooking demonstrations, and more.
The Yamhill Valley Weekend, taking place over Presidents’ Day Weekend from February 16 to 18, pays homage to Oregon truffle champion and native Oregonian James Beard, through film, food, conversation, and a truffle hunt in wine country. Locally-based James Beard Award-winning and nominated chefs, such as Vitaly Paley (Paley’s Place, Headwaters), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast), Cathy Whims (Nostrana, Oven & Shaker), and Ken Forkish (Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Trifecta), bring James Beards’ legacy to life over three days in the Willamette Valley.
A showing of “James Beard: America’s First Foodie,” and a subsequent Q & A with Director Beth Federici and Producer Kathleen Squires sets the tone for the weekend, followed by two concurrent truffle dinners at The Joel Palmer House (available à la carte) and Ruddick/Wood (for weekend ticket holders). On Saturday, February 17, weekend ticket-holders will join a morning truffle hunt led by professional truffle hunters and their dogs, followed by a winery luncheon at Gran Moraine or Brooks Wines. The day closes with a rosé release, followed by a four-course dinner at Domaine Serene.
Celebrating the Willamette Valley’s most well-known variety, the Yamhill Valley Weekend closes on Sunday with Pinot Noir + Chocolate, a walk-around tasting with some of the region’s top producers. Mirroring Eugene’s Sunday event, the Newberg Fresh Truffle Marketplace brings together regional wines, artisan foods, and fresh truffles—all related to the vibrant Oregon truffle industry.
Now operating as a nonprofit (new for 2018), the Oregon Truffle Festival intends to expand its programming to year-round culinary, educational and training opportunities to further promote and support Oregon’s native truffle industry.
The Oregon Truffle Festival is made possible with generous support from 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, 1889 Washington’s Magazine, Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, Chehalem Cultural Center, Domaine Serene, Hilton Eugene, and Willamette Valley Vineyards. Additional support comes from Alesong Brewing, Angela Estate, Bolted Services, Brooks Wines, Capitello Wines, DRY Sparkling, Eugene Cascades & Coast, The Falls Event Center, Food for Lane County, Marché, Gran Moraine Winery, Heritage Spirits, Illahe Vineyards, King Estate, Oregon Wine Lab, Oregon Wine Press, New World Truffieres, Ninkasi Brewing, Pfeiffer Winery, Red Hills Market, Ruddick/Wood, Travel Oregon, Visit McMinnville, and Wildcraft Cider Works.
Full Chef Lineup
January Weekend: January 25 – 28, 2018 (Eugene, Oregon)
Paul Virant, Vie and Vistro (Western Spring, IL)
Edouardo Jordan, Salare and Junebaby (Seattle, WA)
Carlo Lamagna, Magna (Portland, OR)
Shota Nakajima, Adana (Seattle, WA)
Sarah Schafer, Irving Street Kitchen (Portland, OR)
Kim Boyce, Bake Shop (Portland, OR)
Jonathan Hoffman, Chefs Table (Cannon Beach, OR)
Anh Luu, Tapalaya (Portland, OR)
Tiffany Norton & Mark Kosmicki, Party Downtown (Eugene, OR)
Chris Crosthwaite, The Ominvore’s Kitchen & Lane Community College (Eugene, OR)
Jeffery Hardinger, The Davis (Eugene, OR)
Tobi Sovak and Michael Landsberg, Noisette Pastry Kitchen (Eugene, OR)
Kevin Linde, Pronghorn Resort (Bend, OR)
Robin Jackson, Two Birds (British Columbia, Canada)
Rocky Maselli, Marché (Eugene, OR)
David Sapp, Park Kitchen (Portland, OR)
Shane Tracy & Andrew Francisco, King Estate (Eugene, OR)
Bob Pfaff, Left Coast Cellars (Rickreall, OR)
February Weekend: February 16 – 18, 2018 (Yamhil Valley, Oregon)
Vitaly Paley, Paley’s Place, Headwaters (Portland, OR)
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast (Portland, OR)
Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Oven & Shaker (Portland, OR)
Ken Forkish, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Trifecta Tavern (Portland, OR)
Christopher Czarnecki, Joel Palmer House (Dayton, OR)
Paul Losch, Ruddick/Wood (Newberg, OR)
Mike Delaney, Gran Moraine Winery (Carlton, OR)
Abby McManigle, Brooks Wines (Amity, OR)
Dana Packard Dooley, Honest Chocolates (Newberg, OR)
Jason Kupper, Domaine Serene (Dundee, OR)
John Newman, Newman’s at 988 (Cannon Beach, OR)
ABOUT THE OREGON TRUFFLE FESTIVAL
The Oregon Truffle Festival is North America’s premier event for truffle appreciation and education. Held every winter in the Willamette Valley, it attracts thousands of culinary travelers, chefs, growers, dog trainers, scientists and journalists from all over the globe for a series of dynamic and participatory events. The festival was founded in 2006 by renowned mycologist Dr. Charles K. Lefevre and his wife, Leslie Scott, and is run in partnership with Culinary Director Charles Ruff. Dr. Lefevre is also the founder of New World Truffieres, a company specializing in truffle cultivation. Now in its 13th year, the Oregon Truffle Festival is operating as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The 2018 Oregon Truffle Festival will be held in Eugene from January 25 – 28, and Yamhill Valley from February 16 – 18, 2018. Follow the Oregon Truffle Festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.
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Media Contact:
Kayt Mathers
(503) 351-6572