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Wine, Cheese All the Rage on Central Oregon Coast

Blu Cork Wine Bar

(Newport, Oregon) – Wine, cheese and other fine foods are bursting in popularity in the central coast neighborhood of Nye Beach with both locals and tourists, and now two businesses there are expanding their reach to meet the increased need for the finer things.

Blu Cork Wine Bar, the now-legendary hotspot for wines, fine food as well as live music, is throwing open its doors to the daylight hours. The wine bar is now open from noon until midnight and has started an innovative lunch menu that includes past favorites such as a bison bleu cheese burger, duck confit salad and swordfish with dijon buerre blanc.

More big changes are on the way, too. Their tapas menu has expanded to include wood-fired oven pizzas, and they will soon have outdoor seating on the patio area next to the Blu Cork as well as another room to accommodate those under 21 years of age.

“Al fresco dining is not often possible on the Oregon coast but in this sunny little corner, we plan to make the most of the days mother nature gives us,” said co-owner Deborah Trusty.

One recent wine addition is creating a buzz as well. “We recently ordered a case of R. Stuart's Big Fire 2005 Pinot Noir and have been serving it to rave reviews,” Trusty said. “The wine is a bit young, and the hint of continuing bottle fermentation only adds to the taste. You get all the bold pinot noir flavor with a little zing. Very nice.”

Just up the street, Blu Cork’s sister business, Village Market & Deli, has been providing gourmet, even pioneering cuisine for lunch for three years now, but it has recently seen a surge in the popularity of its high-end cheeses in its deli case. There is increased interest in gourmet cheese in popular culture these days, which has inspired Village Market & Deli to bring in more such cheeses. Recent additions include Sublimity Cheese (from the small town in Oregon), Bel Gioioso from Italy; and from Britain, a hugely popular Parlick sheep's milk cheese.

“Right now, cheese is the thing in the culinary world,” Trusty said. “I can see there are interested folks who live out here on the Oregon coast as well. People are more educated about these kinds of cheeses and not just eating cheddar and Velvida anymore. They are more demanding.”

Also extremely popular is their homemade chicken pate, which has received rave reviews from regional food critics. It is packaged in two-ounce containers for $4, and Trusty says they are having trouble keeping up with the demand.

Trusty says the surge in fine cheese awareness and popularity is happening among coastal locals, but some Portland visitors and part time residents are catching on that they can find their favorite gourmet cheeses from the Pearl district while visiting the central coast. Their prices are lower than Portland on many products.

“Pick up some cheese accoutrements such as our delicious chutneys, add a bottle wine and some of our fresh baked bread, and you've got yourself a tasty lunch,” Trusty said.

Nearby, beautiful Nye Beach provides lots of recreational means to work up an appetite

Other popular cheese choices include Double Gloucester Bandaged Truckle, Black Truffle Cheese from Il Boschetto, as well as some domestic favorites such as Ewe-F-O and Fog Lights (an eight-ounce version of the unbelievable Humboldt Fog cheeses from Cypress Grove).

The exceptional cuisine also comes with a beautiful partial view of the ocean in this unusually charming section of Newport called Nye Beach.

Blu Cork Wine Bar is at 613 SW Third Street, Newport. 541-265-2257. Village Market & Deli is at 741 NW Third, Newport. 541-574-9393.

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