Unexpected Awesomeness: Wine Noir & Dali Art in a Tiny Town
It was one of many modest looking galleries by the road in Willamette Valley and only chance that we happened to stop at the Lawrence Gallery. Â There was a sign for a Dali exhibit and we decided to pop in on the way home from the coast.
We had no idea what we’d just stumbled on to. It reminded me of the gallery in the Kenai Peninsula, but even more impressive.
The Dali exhibit wasn’t just prints or one tiny painting. It was an extensive array of Dali works in a variety of media.
And not just Dali, a beautifully curated collection or glass, bronze, etc from many noted artists including Kandinsky. Signe Lawrence, one of the owners was incredibly friendly and offered us tips for visiting the area in addition to stories behind the works themselves.
And set in the back of the gallery was another find — Wine Noir. A tiny wine bar with a carefully curated selection of wines. David, the owner and former skateboarder, seeks out the best from small production, boutique wineries, mostly with female winemakers, that aren’t widely distributed. His approach is to offer tasters a chance to sample the wine versions of “indie films that don’t get mass recognition but win all the awards.”
And then there’s the free chocolate tastings. I’m not a chocolate person, but his Substantial Chocolate changed my life.
They’re vegan. They’re also Ayuverdic. And they’re amazingly tasty with nuanced flavors including mushrooms, cinnamon, and pepper. And several of them paired beautifully with the wines we were tasting.
Exceptional art, exceptional chocolate, and exceptional wine choices. Definitely worth a stop if you’re near McMinnville. And ask David about his Medici skate board. 🙂
