The Alliance invites you to a LIVE Mini-Bastille Day Festival at Kamm House, Saturday, July 17, from 12-4 pm. We're excited to offer an opportunity for Alliance members to get together with friends and classmates on our terrace in honor of the National Holiday. We ask that guests maintain social distancing and wear a mask (except when eating or drinking.) This event is adults only, as there will be wine.

Because space is limited, register to attend by group from 12-2 pm or 2-4 pm. Each group is limited to 50 people. Please let us know if you need to cancel so we can admit someone from the waitlist. Email director@afportland.org for the waitlist.

Program of Activities

French Music! The acclaimed accordionist and diva Jet Black Pearl will perform throughout the afternoon.

Fantastic Book Sale: A used book sale –  very favorably priced – will be in three classrooms inside Kamm House. (We will monitor indoor access to maintain social distancing.) Don't miss the collection of cookbooks on sale in the Petite Salle! Look for the super sale on gorgeous coffee table books at $2 each!  

Mini-Wine Garden: Red, white, and rosé will be available by the glass and Perrier.

Baguette Sandwiches & More from St. Honoré: 
Pre-order a baguette sandwich to pick up at the festival: Choose a Jambon parisien or Poulet aux Crudités. Or pre-order the Sweet Pastry Box: 2 croissant, 2 almond croissant, 2 blueberry-lemon Danish, 2 pain au chocolat, and a chausson aux pommes.  Chouquette will be on sale during the event as well. Visit our Boutique to window shop and order.

Raffle:  Winner takes home two bottles of delicious French wines curated by sommelier, Maxine Borcherding. All tickets $10. Drawing for Group 1 at 1:30pm; drawing for Group 2 at 4pm.

Bastille Day Wine Special: Maxine Borcherding, sommelier and Portland wine educator, has put together two 3-packs of still wine (red, white, and rosé) plus a 3-pack of sparkling wine for your Bastille Day celebrations. Pre-purchase by July 10 for pick up during the event from 12-4. Visit our Boutique to see it all. Find out more about the wines from Maxine and order below:

Trio #1 of Still Wines: one red, one white, and one rosé for $43

Domaine Duffour Côtes de Gascogne Blanc: Maxine’s go-to porch wine for summer. How do I love this wine? Let me count the ways! This mouthwatering blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Gros Manseng is aromatic, bright, citrusy, and full of tart apple and pear flavors. Yet it’s bone dry and really refreshing.

Chapelle Saint Victor Rosé from Provence: Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah produce a rosé with “gobs of strawberries and dried flower notes to go with a light-bodied, racy palate that has amazing freshness. Bright and lively on the nose, with aromas of fresh blood orange and red currant, and a subtle note of candied flowers.” The Wine Buyer gave it 92 points!

Terres Blanche Gamay from the Loire Valley: With a floral nose, lots of juicy red fruit and few tannins, this is a perfect red wine for summer. Go ahead – give it a chill and serve it with just about anything off the grill.

Trio #2 of Still Wines: one red, one white, and one rosé for $57

Henri Perrusset Macon-Villages: The Chardonnays from the Mâcon are some of my favorite wines from Burgundy. A bit riper, a bit more floral than their much more expensive cousins from farther north, they are usually unoaked. These are no ‘splinter in your teeth’ butter bombs. No. They are mouth-filling and luscious with soft pear and white flowers, with a gorgeous long finish.

La Fage Miraflor Rosé: Sourced mostly from old vines of Mourvèdre with Grenache Gris and Grenache Noir in the Côtes Catalanes. Some of the vines are nearing 80 years of age. It’s crisp and juicy with tons of ripe red strawberry and raspberry fruit. This wine is a joy to sip (and the bottle is gorgeous!)

Massiac Minnervois Rouge: This Syrah and Grenache blend from the Languedoc is a big wine for that big hunk of meat. It’s savory, with notes of wild berries, thyme, and rosemary….and something the French call “sauvage” – untamed, feral. Great with a steak, but for me, I’m going for some really good wild boar sausage. Mmmmm

Three Pack of Summer Sparkles for $65 
Enjoy three scrumptious bottles of bubbles for less than the cost of a single bottle of Champagne! All made in the traditional method (the same method as Champagne, but from other regions), all featuring Chardonnay in a variety of guises.

Patrick Piuze "Val de Mer" Brut Non-Dosage:  This stunning Blanc de Blanc is 100% Chardonnay from Tonnere just outside of Chablis. This wine is bone dry and  lip-smackingly delicious. Produced by a Champagne native, and his heritage shows.

Louis de Grenelle Platine Crémant de Loire: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. What does the winemaker say about his wine? “A beautiful canary yellow, slightly straw-colored appearance. Flecked with fine, lingering bubbles. The bouquet is straightforward, dominated by lemon, pear, and linden tree aromas. On the palate, the wine’s structure is highlighted by the rounded flavor of quince, the aromatic liveliness of acacia and the softness of strawberry. An extremely tempting wine.” And it really is.

Prosper Manfaux Crémant de Bourgogne Rose NV: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay. Ken’s Wine Review says, “With notes of strawberries, raspberries, candied lemons, and a nice dollop of mint on the finish make this the rose to beat.” Slurp it ice-cold on the porch, or pair it with darned near everything. Pink bubbles are the bombO

Logistics:
For picking up wine and/or food only, pull into to the parking pad to the left of Kamm House or park temporarily in the turn-around. For visiting the Mini-Festival, parking is sometimes available in front of Kamm House on SW 20th. Attendees may also park in the Willamette Dental lot directly across Jefferson from SW 20th. There is additional parking at our Lot B to the right of the roundabout on SW 18th and Columbia. 
View parking and transport options.

This event is a fundraiser for the non-profit Alliance Française of Portland.
We deeply appreciate the support of the francophile and francophone community!