Heading North? Better head to Mazzi’s
This past weekend I had the pleasure of heading up to Eugene Oregon to enjoy a few days in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. This time of year (for the most part) the weather is gorgeous and the landscape is incredibly green and lush. When you come from a relatively dry state like California, it almost doesn’t seem real to be in a place so green with forests full of ferns and hills with more trees than some counties back home.
On this last trip I was up visiting with my girlfriend’s family for her brother’s Birthday and a cousin’s wedding, both of which worked out quite well. Ryan is indeed a year older and the bride and groom both said, “I do.” Having lived there in the past, while working for Castoro, I had gotten our wines into a handful of restaurants and shops, which is really a challenge in a state that makes great wine of its’ own. As I moved away most of the accounts moved on, mainly due to distribution challenges that are far too boring to detail in this blog! One spot, however, has continued to carry Castoro and we couldn’t be more thankful.
Mazzi’s Italian restaurant, established in 1970, is one of the oldest and longest standing restaurants in Eugene. I remember going there on one of my first trips to Eugene, with my girlfriend and her family and them telling me stories of how they have been going there as long as they can remember. After moving up there, naturally, I decided I’d try and see if they were interested in Castoro. You may think it’s a shoe-in since Castoro is Italian for “beaver” but Eugene is Duck country and Beavers aren’t always welcome! On my first trip in we talked about the winery and tasted through the wines and they told me they would think about it. After a couple more drop-ins they decided to give the wines a go and ordered Fume Blanc, Cabernet and Zinfusion. Mason, the bartender and manager eventually fell in love with the Cabernet and to this day recommends the wine to patrons every night.
On this past trip, we all went to Mazzi’s on Friday night for Ryan’s Birthday, and of course there was Mason behind the bar pouring two full glasses of Castoro Cabernet as we walked to our table. The two of us caught up for a bit at the bar and the mutual respect couldn’t be more evident. We appreciate their business and support and in turn they appreciate great wine at a great price! If you like a family atmosphere and traditional Italian cuisine you can’t go wrong at Mazzi’s. The food is great and you can tell the people take pride in their work.
If you ever find yourself up that way I highly recommend stopping in, grabbing a glass of Castoro and, if the weather permits, sitting out on the patio for a lovely dinner. If you get a chance, say hi to Mason and tell him how much you love the wine! (You may have to act fast as it comes highly recommended!)
Cheers,
Luke
