At Union Wine Co. we try to play just as hard as we work. Maybe a little harder. With the winery located just south of Portland, OR, we have the advantage of being able to leave work, point in any direction and set a course for adventure. We’re incredibly grateful to be able to call this beautiful part of the state our home. Today’s journey will take us just 75 miles away from the winery. However, the setting is entirely otherworldly, the Oregon Coast.

Meet Marcus Mejia. Marcus is one of our Marketing Associates here at UWCo. When not in the office with the rest of the team, you can find Marcus on the road, trailering our beloved 1972 Citroën van (Celeste) to and from events. Outside of work, Marcus enjoys escaping to surf the crisp waters of the Oregon coast. We followed Marcus and a few friends to Cape Kiwanda for a day of off-roading, some small wave surf and a lesson in “tailgate gourmet” etiquette.

All great surf sessions usually involve a bit of a hunt. If you’re lucky enough for the weather to cooperate and the swell to be in your favor, you still have to find the right spot. Here in the Pacific Northwest that can be a little tricky. There are soft sands to get stuck in, river and creek crossings that “don’t look that deep?” to drive through. However, the chase is half the fun. We did a bit of off-roading and beach cruising to get to just the right location. Heavy emphasis on the fun.

After hunting a few spots up and down the coast we settled into a nice spot to suit up and get in the water. With small waves and water temperatures lingering around 54 degrees Fahrenheit, an enjoyable surf session in Oregon may be better described as self-inflicted punishment. But when the fun happens it is well earned. And for those that wish to search it out, it is absolutely out there.

With wetsuits full of sandy cold saltwater and smiles on our faces, we decided it was time to find a place to set up the kitchen for the evening. We packed the truck back up with a board, dogs, and gear and headed to spot we had scouted earlier to enjoy a well-deserved post-surf meal.

Once we regained the feeling in our hands, we set up our “tailgate kitchenette.” One thing to keep in mind, when your kitchen is also the back panel of your vehicle, be sure and find level ground. No one likes working hard at slicing that avocado in half only to watch it roll off the bed to become the dog’s next snack. Also, a level tailgate provides the best home for a delicious can of Underwood Pinot Noir. With the rig nice and balanced we decided that the first, main, and only course of the evening was going to be “Surfers Paradise Tacos”. Now, there are many iterations of this decadent menu item. However, normally the dish involves some ingenuity in regard to whatever is in the cooler at the time. If you’d like to try our post-surf meal first hand here’s a quick recipe.

After consuming a healthy portion of tacos, wine, and tortilla chips we decided to hike up the hill to catch the sun setting over the water. By the end of the day, we had played in the sand, rode some small (very cold) waves and enjoyed each other’s company over wine and food. As far as adventures go, there’s not much more you can really ask for. Oregon is an incredibly special place, and we are very lucky to call it home. Until next time, keep those pinkies down.

Cheers.

Photography by Brandon Haley. @bhaleyimage  www.bhaleyimage.com

Text and recipe by Marcus Mejia.