Claudia Bowers is the owner of Pravia Wines & Events, an event production company that specializes in food and wine events. From intimate winemaker dinners, to corporate parties and food and wine festivals that attract over 1,000 people, she does it all with elegance and professionalism. Claudia says she loves to entertain friends and family in her home, but I think that she caters to ALL of us in Oregon as the founder of Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival! One of my favorite things about my job is talking to people who are passionate about what they do–Claudia is definitely one of them. I spoke to Claudia for nearly two hours, and learned so many new things about her life, her passion for celebrating culinary culture in Oregon, and left with plenty of advice about wine to share with you.

Here’s my interview with Claudia …

Would you like to share with us something interesting about yourself to start off the interview?
I love taking my puppy, Henry on walks with my boyfriend David. It’s a great way for us to all spend time together, have fun and catch up after a busy day. I also love sitting at home with a glass of wine watching movies. I love comedies and romance movies, and hate horror films! And of course, I also love entertaining. When I have time, I love to cook and have friends over. I grew up in a big, happy family and there was always food and lots of parties with friends and family. It becomes natural that I have parties nearly every other weekend at my own home!

You’re in the wine industry now, but where did you start out in your career?
I worked in the cosmetics industry for 17 years, and managed the multimillion dollar Estee Lauder Companies–which family of brands include Bobbi Brown, MAC, Clinique, La Mer, Prescriptives, Bumble and Bumble, amongst others. It was a very cutthroat industry.

So how did you transition into the wine industry, which is completely different than the cosmetics industry?
Well I’ve always been a wine appreciator. I had a good friend who worked as a NW sales manager for Rex-Hill Vineyards and she told me how great it was. To be honest with you, I then started working part-time too — just to get a wine discount! But I truly enjoyed the products, the story, the people … the entire industry! And I decided to completely transition into the wine industry. I then received training and wine education through the International Sommelier Guild and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. I eventually became the General Manager for a local winery, planning events. But soon found myself working too many long and hard hours. I then decided to start my own business, because if I were to work 70 hours a week, I’d rather be working for myself!

Tell me more about your business, Pravia Wines and Events.
I wanted to offer the wine industry event planning by someone with a wine background. I only do food and wine events, and I have extensive understanding and knowledge of the wine industry, which makes me different from other event planners out there. I work with top chefs and restaurants in the region and Wine Country–working closely with wineries in the Northwest, including Oregon, Washington and Sonoma, California. I offer services for corporate parties, food and wine festivals, fundraising events, winery events, private parties and classes.

You founded the Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival. Tell me more about this event.
This event showcases and celebrates the very best of Oregon’s culinary culture–world class wineries, restaurants, and culinary artisans. It’s important for us to have everything here and to support local businesses and operations. This event is a great way for us to send a message to Oregonians to keep our dollars IN Oregon. In addition, this event supports a great cause, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. So mark your calendars for August 14th, 2010 at the Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club for our next Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival! There’ll be over 30 wineries from all over Oregon, 14+ restaurants, culinary education, cooking demonstrations, etc. In addition to everything we did last year, this year we’ll also have a special seafood chef to show you how to clean and prepare certain seafood. This is another way to promote ways to keep our dollars in Oregon. Instead of going out to buy your seafood, head on out to Garibaldi, take a boat out and catch your own food (crab), and take what you learned from our seafood chef to clean and cook it!

I recently attended the Kuni BMW Spring Wine event that you coordinated. In addition to working with Kuni several times a year, who are your other clients?
I am also coordinating Pinot in the Pearl (May 6th), the 15h anniversary of a local winery, events and parties for local wineries, Winemakers’ dinners, Cellar club members, etc. From winemakers dinner to major events, it ranges from 20 to over 1,000 guests!

All this talk about wine makes me crave for a glass right now! Do you have a favorite wine?
I don’t have a “favorite”. For me, it’s all about what I’m eating. Food shows better with the right wine and vice versa. So there shouldn’t be just one type of wine you have with everything! Although when I am just having a glass of wine by itself, I do enjoy the Oregon Pinot Noir. I’m also a seasonal drinker, so I choose my wines based on the weather. At parties, I always start my guests off with bubbles–sparkling wine!

You also teach classes, one of them Food and Wine Pairing. What are your favorite classes to teach?
My top three are definitely Wine 101, Food & Wine Pairing, and Regional Classes. Regional classes are where we learn about wines from different regions of the country. Lets say one class will be focused on wines from Spain, or New Zealand wine, or Tuscany wine from Italy.

That sounds so much fun! Where do you teach?
Mostly in a client’s home (minimum 10 people) or at a caterer. If I’m working with a caterer to pair a wine with certain foods, sometimes we can even work to schedule a private event at the restaurant itself. I love to “wow” people with knowledge, and love seeing the excitement they get learning about their palette.

What is a wine pet peeve of yours?
I have TWO major wine pet peeves and it has nothing to do with how one holds his or her glass! That is something that can be learned, and it also depends on preference, how he/she is comfortable holding it. My first pet peeve is when I see people chewing gum and drinking wine. There’s no way you can fully taste or experience a wine if you’re chewing gum! My second pet peeve is when someone wears strong fragrance when wine tasting. It completely interferes with the tasting. When that person walks into the room and you smell him or her, it changes your mood and kills the overall experience.

What are some tips and tricks you can share with us to learn more about wine?
There’s always something new to learn about wine. Find out where the wine shops are in your neighborhood or elsewhere. Sign up for classes and explore other regions, taste lots of wine and learn about new wines from around the world. Most of these wine shops will feature a new region all the time and they’re knowledgeable about their product. Secondly, there’s more than pinot noir (red wine) or Chardonnay out there. Just start tasting and don’t hold yourself back! Lastly, the best way to transition from white to red wine is to pick a pinot noir with a light body to start off with. If it’s too bold, it’ll be too dry and you won’t enjoy it. So start light!

My last question for you, Claudia: what is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
My business is like the child I’ve never had. The most rewarding aspect is when a vendor–either a winemaker or restaurant simply says “Thank You” for hosting this event, or “I enjoyed this event.” And I also love it when consumers tell me they had a good time at my events. I love connecting people and also making new friends myself!