Oregon Wine Pairs with Winning Dish on Top Chef

Last week on the just Emmy-fied Top Chef, the winning dish in the pair-your-food-with-wine Quickfire Challenge — sautéed foie gras with black salt and fennel salad — was paired with a wine from the rolling hills of Dundee, Oregon: Sokol Blosser Winery's Evolution.

According to Sokol Blosser's own Jeff Knapp, the winery didn't know about Evolution's starring role prior to the show. "We only knew when our [Twitter] started blowing up," says Knapp. "(We) did submit our wines for consideration, but there are no guarantees that they would be selected." The winning chef, Angelo Sosa, went on to win the main challenge as well.

Knapp says this wasn't Sokol Blosser's first stop at the Top Chef winner's table. "We were also featured on last season's Top Chef, where our 2006 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir was paired with the winning "Pigs and Pinot" dish created by finalist Kevin Gillespie. His dish was a pork leg pâté with mushroom salad and pickled cherries."

Word around the winery is that Sokol Blosser will celebrate the victories with a cruise around Italy in the early summer of 2012. Where can Eater sign up for that trip?
· Sokol Blosser Winery [Official site]

· Image of Dana Cowin and Padma Lakshmi courtesy Bravo-TV.