Professional soccer in Portland

We are planning to buy season tickets to the Portland Timbers as a hedge against getting tickets when the MLS team comes to Portland in 2011. Just read tonight that there still may be some shaky moments before this is a done deal. Turns out there are still a number of financial hurdles that need to be dealt with by Sept. 1. Hopefully, Merritt Paulson not only has the deep pockets, but the deep connections on Wall Street to pull off the deal.

Was in PGE Park last weekend for the OSU-UO baseball game Saturday night. Was fortunate to be in a suite. Once they get the stadium remodeled for soccer, it actually should be a very nice venue. I've not seen detailed plans of the remodel, only a pretty fuzzy sketch that's been published in the local newspaper. It will make a much better soccer stadium than a baseball park. For those who don't know, it was originally built primarily for dog racing way back when.

It has a certain amount of charm and the trains running back and forth on SW 18th Avenue give it a certain European charm. Done right, this could be one of the best venues in the MLS -- assuming they can get their act together financially.

A corner of wine heaven

We went to the Taste Walla Walla last night at the Portland Art Museum. We were overwhelmed and blown away by all the great offerings from this little corner of wine heaven. There is something I can't quite describe about Walla Walla wines. As soon as you put the glass to your nose, you know it's Walla Walla. We visited there four years ago and the area has exploded with new wineries since. As one of the winemakers told me, you really can't go wrong whether it's a $8 botton or a $80 bottle. The quality of the wine making is so good.

This was one of the most enjoyable tastings we've ever attended. While we would have liked to have tasted every offering, it was just impossible. I was impressed with the overall quality of all the wines as well as the reasonable pricing. And, the bonus is that all these wines will age extraordinarily well.

Some of the wineries that stood out to us were:

• Dowsett Family Winery. Loved their dry gewurztraminer.
• Syzygy. 2006 cabernet sauvignon was out of this world with a blood orange finish.
• Three Rivers Winery. Consistent interesting finish on all their reds.
• Trust Cellars. Nice story (former CNN producer who moved to WW) and good wine.

If you've never taken a trip to Walla Walla, I highly recommend it. The wines are beautiful as is the country. The people are welcoming and the price is usually right.