Experience Washington wine and food at Taste Washington March 31 - April 3.
To all you wine lovers, I encourage you to make plans to attend Taste Washington 2016. Do your research before you walk through the doors and you will be rewarded with some truly remarkable wine experiences and an expanded palate for describing Washington wine.
Prepare to be dazzled!
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| Appellation Spotlight: Columbia Gorge AVA. |
Note: I strongly encourage you to sign up for one of the wine seminars on either Saturday or Sunday. These are world class tastings and discussions on my favorite subjects. Truly one of a kind, not to miss sessions. I attended the Columbia Gorge AVA seminar last year and learned a great deal. Today I am a huge fan of white wines made from Columbia Gorge AVA vineyards. I thank the seminar I attended as responsible for this as it brought this region to my attention.
Join us March 31 – April 3 for the 19th Annual Taste Washington
Indulge in the premier wine and food experience. From a Grand Tasting featuring over 225 Washington wineries, to the exclusive Red & White Party, thought-provoking seminars, farm excursions and the energized and modern The New Vintage – experience it all at Taste Washington.
2016 TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
You owe it to yourself not to miss Taste Washington Seattle this year. This is one of my favorite Washington wine events. Don't come only for the wine, some of the best Washington restaurants will be serving delicacies to accompany all of those amazing wines.
Tips For Taste
Tip 1. Plan Ahead. Make a List.
With 225+ wineries pouring hundreds of lovely wines, how do you choose? An event this size can be overwhelming. Look over the list of wineries featured at the Grand Tasting then pick the ones you want to taste. Prioritize. Use that list to navigate around the floor. I like to visit with the wineries I don't know, so I put them at the top of my list.
Note: The more popular wineries will pour out early. As in no wine to taste. Prioritize.
Note: Book your hotel early. Downtown Seattle hotels fill up fast.
Tip 2. Eat and Pair.
With 70+ restaurants serving some of the best Pacific Northwest cuisine, there is no excuse to go hungry. Be adventurous and try something different. I like to be creative at wine and food pairings. Take time to pair the wine you are tasting with food served from the restaurants.
Tip 3. Attend a Seminar.
On Saturday and Sunday there are featured educational wine seminars at the Four Seasons Hotel. Topics showcase aspects of Washington wine. Register early as they sell out fast.
Taste Washington features educational seminars led by top national wine personalities, sommeliers and producers, that dive headfirst into what makes Washington State a world class winegrowing region. From tastings to interactive panels, these events are entertaining, enlightening and in high demand. Join us!
Seminars run concurrently each day.
Tip 4. Take Notes.
If you discover a wine/winery you enjoy, make a note. No matter how good your memory, you will forget if you don't write it down. This is your opportunity to find some gems you can purchase later and share with family and friends.
Tip 5. Make Plans for After.
I've made the mistake of forgetting to make plans for after Taste Washington. Don't make the same mistake. Put together an itinerary for afterward. There are restaurants, pubs, theaters and live music venues in Pioneer Square, downtown, Belltown and around the Seattle Center. Plan ahead.
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| Ride the Big Wheel or relax on a scenic Seattle Ferry ride. |
Related Posts:
How do you Describe Washington Wine? Reflections on TasteWashington @TasteWashington
What to do in Seattle after Taste Washington.
Washington State Wine Facts
- National rank: 2nd largest premium wine producer in the United States
- Number of wineries: 890+
- Number of wine grape growers: 350+
- Varieties produced: 40+ varietals
- Ratio of red to white: 49% white to 51% red
- Wine production: Approx. 16 million cases
- Wine grape acreage: 50,000+ acres
- Record harvest: 2014 with 227,000 tons
- Most recent harvest: 2015 with 222,000 tons
- Total Economic Impact: $4.8 billion in 2013
- Wine market segment: Washington State is focused on the premium wine market segment (wines sold for $8 and higher).
- Average hours of summer sunlight: 16 hours per day, about 1 more hour than California's prime growing region
- Annual rainfall: Eight inches (20.32 cm) in Eastern Washington (the major grape growing region) 48 inches (121.92 cm) in Western Washington
- Source: Washington State Wine
About Visit Seattle
Visit Seattle, a private, nonprofit marketing organization, has served as Seattle/King County’s official destination marketing organization (DMO) for more than 50 years. The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and economic prosperity of the region. For more information, visit www.visitseattle.org.
About Washington State Wine
Washington State Wine represents every licensed winery and every wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, Washington State Wine provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, Washington State Wine is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. For more information, visit www.washingtonwine.org.
This year I will not be attending Taste as media. Instead, I will be stationed at the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center booth during the Grand Tastings on Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and say hello.
Cheers!