NEWS / FEATURES
French Fungus Among Us
Old World France will meet New World Oregon for a fête du truffes (celebration of truffles) at the fifth annual Oregon Truffle Festival, to be held Jan. 29–Jan. 31 in Eugene. For the past four years, truffle enthusiasts, chefs, foodies, truffle hunters and truffle growers have gathered at the festival for three days of tastings, tours and workshops to celebrate Oregon’s most prized native ingredient.A Life-Giving Light
Julio Hernandez has worked for the Letts since 1991. He was 18 when he was first hired as a vineyard worker. He rose up the ladder, learning on the job. Two years ago, he was promoted to cellarmaster. About that time, Hernandez’s wife, Guadalupe, was diagnosed with kidney disease.Genoa Is Back
Genoa, Portland’s original “farm-to-table” restaurant, recently reopened under the new culinary direction of David Anderson, executive chef and general manager, and Trish Eiting, owner.Person of the Year: Climatologist Greg Jones
From his modest office on the Southern Oregon University campus in Ashland, Dr. Gregory V. Jones is quietly plotting how to change the world. While the media spotlight still lingers on the climate change discussions that came out of the Copenhagen summit, Jones is thinking beyond talk and politics, and about specifics:How is climate change impacting the global wine industry? How can we make the best of it? What can we do before it’s too late?
It’s a field of research that barely existed when Jones began two decades ago. Since then, he’s dedicated his career to focusing on the entire climate puzzle.