I recently toured Portland’s Chocolate Fest, and took photos during their Friday Opening Night Premiere Party. The Convention Center was buzzing with activity, and it was awesome getting to meet both established and new chocolatiers, bakers, and winemakers–and that’s not to mention sampling and photographing their delicious treats!

There were too many wonderful photos and makers to possibly fit them all into one blog post, but we have plenty of highlights from the evening. Food photography ahoy after the jump.

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Decadent Creations won Best In Show (their 2nd year running!), and their display was overflowing with delicious treats and bite-sized samples. (check out these cute little flags!)

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People crowded around for CocoTutti‘s samples, and it’s no wonder: even their button-sized bites came in beautiful colors and textures.

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Cupcake Jones was giving out tastes of their famous frosting, and had adorable mini-cupcakes for sale.

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I don’t normally get super-excited about white chocolate, but Forte sold me on it completely with their Gusto Rosemary and Sea Salt White Chocolate bar!

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Did you know that you can make wine with fruits much like you would with grapes? I learned that thanks to HV Cellars, and they’re definitely experts at it.

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Speaking of libations, there were also some flavorful wines (with appropriately suggestive names) from Naked Winery, and fruity infused vodkas from Wild Roots.

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Our friends at nom*ables spiced up the evening with their signature themed treats! Among them were the Pepper Potts, and a Cornetto Trilogy of treats that included, “You’ve Got Red On You” Brownies.

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Pearl Chocolate is an offshoot of Pearl Bakery, which is just up the street from Upswept HQ, and we know and love their stuff. Their packaging and their chocolates were beautiful!

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And speaking of cute packaging, I loved the boxes, bags, and adorable decor that Rose City Sweets brought to the event.

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Taza Chocolate has been a longtime favorite of mine, but their chocolate-covered almonds were new to me. So good!

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I’ve also come to know and like Stirs the Soul‘s raw chocolate bars, so it was awesome to get acquainted with some flavor options I hadn’t seen from them before.

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In the raw chocolate treats vein, it was also very cool to discover Kilikina’s Chocolat. Their display was simple and perfectly reflected their earthy roots, and the chocolates were wonderful!

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And finally, if you’ve never had cacao before it becomes a bar or truffle, definitely try the “Roasties” from Woodblock Chocolate. It’s an interesting and incredibly snackable way to enjoy the flavors without the sugar.

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 Portland branding design – photography for business and branding – Upswept Creative