Maialata – A Traditional Italian “Festival of the Pig” Comes to Willamette Valley on March 3, 2019
Tickets now available for the 7th Annual hands-on event and feast
PORTLAND, OR (2/14/19) – Honoring an age-old Italian tradition, Chef Cathy Whims of Portland’s Nostrana and Enoteca Nostrana, and Rudy Marchesi, President of Montinore Estate, are bringing together chefs, butchers, purveyors, makers and food lovers for their 7th Annual Maialata: Festival of the Pig, to take place Sunday, March 3rd at Montinore Estate in Forest Grove.
In the Italian countryside, the cold months provide a natural refrigeration process that’s necessary to produce sausages, salami, steaks, ribs and ragus to feed families for the coming year. Rural communities gather for a full day to prepare their pigs and enjoy the bounty of their labor that evening – resulting in the “Maialata” feast (“maiale” is Italian for pork). Montinore Estate and Nostrana are delighted to continue this time-honored tradition in Oregon with a day full of hands-on workshops and feasting.
Legendary, charismatic Italian butcher, Dario Cecchini, will once again be coming from his home in Tuscany to join the festival; he’ll conduct an in-depth and emotive demonstration of the whole pig butchery process.
Attendees will be given the opportunity to participate in various workshops, including gnocchi and pasta making, sausage stuffing, butchery, and salting and preserving. Handcrafted cheese and charcuterie will be served alongside an abundant supply of Montinore Estate wine while attendees get the opportunity to meet and mingle with the chefs and makers, as well as purchase their specialty products.
The final feast is a multi-course subterranean dinner in the Montinore Estate wine cellar, masterfully prepared from the day’s production and presented by Cathy Whims’ team of chefs, including Rick Gencarelli of Grassa/Lardo, Rob Roy of Nostrana, Sarah Schneider of the The Nightwood Society and many more.
Maialata ticket details are as follows:
Half Day: Butchery Demo, One Workshop & Lunch (12:00-5:00 p.m.)
Attendees will enjoy a welcome reception with food and wine, experience a 90-minute butchery demonstration by Dario Cecchini, a hands-on workshop of choice, and a catered farm lunch by The Nightwood Society. ($195)
Full Day: Butchery Demo, One Workshop, Lunch & Cellar Dinner (12:00-8:00 p.m.)
This package includes the butchery demonstration by Dario Cecchini, a hands-on workshop of choice, a catered farm lunch by The Nightwood Society, and the grand “Maiale” feast in Montinore Estate’s cellar, paired with Montinore Estate wines. The feast includes the culinary results of the day’s labors, specifically the butchered pig and the pasta and sausages made in the workshops, in addition to many other gustatory delights. ($325)
For more information on the Maialata Festival or to buy tickets, please visit www.maialatapdx.com.
About Nostrana
Nostrana — literally ‘ours’ in Italian — serves classic Italian cuisine built on simple preparations, fresh, local ingredients, and the traditional method of cooking with fire. Nostrana features a local and Italian value-driven wine list that explores renowned wine regions such as Chianti Classico, Barolo and Barbaresco as well as new emerging wine productions from the Mediterranean islands and the Alpine regions. Flights of both wines and Italian amari rotate throughout the year to showcase small releases and house-made liquors. Nostrana’s owner and chef, Cathy Whims, is a six-time James Beard “Best Chef: Pacific Northwest” finalist and winner of the coveted 2011 “Leccio d’Oro Osteria Prize” instituted by the Brunello Consortium of Montalcino. Additionally, she is one of two Oregon chefs who are part of the White House Diplomatic Corps of Chefs and an activist in the GMO labeling campaign. Nostrana is located at 1401 SE Morrison, Portland, OR 97214. For more information, please call 503.234.2427 or visit www.nostrana.com.
About Montinore Estate
Montinore Estate was established in 1982 and is now the largest estate producer of wines made from Biodynamic® grapes in the country. With a 200-acre Demeter Certified Biodynamic® and organic vineyard located in north Willamette Valley in Oregon, the winery focuses on producing superior Pinot Noirs, unique cool climate whites and exquisite Italian varietals. Montinore Estate’s close attention to each step of the grape-growing and winemaking processes is rooted in the belief that exceptional wine is born of a sustained marriage of soil, climate and artful stewardship. To learn more, visit www.montinore.com.