Oregon Truffle Festival: No truffle-free bites

Saturday: Apparently, festival-goer can’t survive an hour without a truffle.

After visiting newbie truffle orchards near Salem on the touted Truffiere Tour, they needed to stop for a lunch prepared by mushroom-and-truffle expert Jack Czarnecki at the Willamette Valley Vineyards’ tasting room in Turner.

Before they dug into the first course -- a medley of truffle-infused Brie, Gouda and triple cream cheese, quince, salami, prociutto and Belgium endive with a light dressing of truffle oil -- Willamette Valley Vineyards’ founder Jim Bernau welcomed everyone with glasses of his 2008 Dry Riesling (only 300 cases were produced, confessed winemaker Forrest Klaffke).

Czarnecki’s son Chris, a fourth-generation chef, introduced the second course: Beef Stroganoff, a specialty of The Joel Palmer House, which is owned by the Czarneckis. Alongside pasta noodles was a generous chunk of white truffle-infused beef. It was served with Willamette Valley Vineyards’  2007 Tualatin Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir.

Dessert was a black-truffle Napoleon with a chocolate syrup made with black truffle oil and cocoa. “Hershey’s Syrup for rich people,” joked Chris. It was served with a 2007 Quinta Reserva Port made from Pinot Noir.

Truffliere Tour-goers tossed off their truffle calories by following a Lagotto Romagnolo named Tom as he sniffed his way to a goldmine of ripe Oregon whites truffles in a patch of Willamette Valley Vineyards land too moist for grapes but perfect for truffle-bearing Douglas firs.

And a mere two hours later…

Free of their soil-caked hunting jeans and boots, festival-goers sported cocktail attire and blended in with the 250-person-strong crowd that collected in the Valley River Inn ballroom in Eugene for a glass of Sweet Cheeks Winery's 2007 sparkling red cuvee and finally, after a year's wait for the sold-out event, the Grand Dinner.

Truffles perfumed the ballroom as Masters of Ceremonies, restaurateur and raconteur Ron Paul (not the presidential hopeful but the one who spearheaded the James Beard Public Market in Portland) asked that the pickers and dog trainers who contributed to the feast stand and be acknowledged: “We don’t take truffles for granted,” he said, “but we also hold dear sustainability issues. Please stand up, with your dirty hands, those who provided truffles for tonight’s dinner.”

Here’s the quick rundown [see what the winemakers had to say before the big event here]:

First course: Chef Naomi Pomeroy of Portland’s Beast offered crème fraiche tarts with triple cream, shaved white truffles and mache salad with black truffles vinaigrette paired with Trisaetum Vineyard’s 2007 Riesling

Second course: Chef Pascal Sauton of Carafe in Portland presented Pacific Lingcod effeuilee with foie gras and black truffle broth paired with Westrey’s 2007 Reserve Chardonnay

Third course: Chef Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland conjured an exquisite blanquette of Oregon rabbit with white truffles paired with J Scott Cellars’ 2008 Roussanne

Fourth course: Chef Philippe Boulot of the Heathman Hotel & Bar received the loudest applause for his duck leg confit and black truffle pommes sarladaises paired with Solena Cellars’ 2006 Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir

Cheese course: Valley River Inn’s executive chef Michael Thieme selected Ancient Heritage Dairy Adelle, Estrella Family Creamery Old Apple Tree Tomme and Tumalo Farms Classico Reserve cheeses to pair with Artisanal Cellars’ 2008 Gamay Noir

Mignardises: Chef Rocky Maselli of Marche Restaurant and Marche Provisions, who collaborated with French chef Jacques Ratier on Friday night's feast, brought the evening to a close with a to-go bag of petite truffles and sweets.

For more info: Oregon Truffle Festival, January 29–31, centered in and around the Valley River Inn, 1000 Valley River Way, Eugene, Oregon, (503) 296-5929, www.oregontrufflefestival.com