There are only about two weeks left until Taste Washington in Seattle on March 27th and 28th. An event of epic proportions, that includes Saturday Seminars the likes of which any experienced NW oenophile only dreams about. Sunday concludes with the tasting to end all tastings, the aptly named Grand Tasting. Taste Washington is one of the largest region specific wine events in the world, and it's coming to Seattle for the lucky 13th year.
The Washington Wine Commission sees Taste Washington as an opportunity not only to show the state's wares, but also to give it's serious wine audience some amazing opportunities to meet and speak with some of the state's growers and legendary vintners. This event is the culmination of that opportunity. If you are serious about wine in Washington, this is perhaps that time to smash the piggy bank and throw yourself headlong into a weekend of learning about what it is you've spent all that time collecting and drinking.
I counted about 216 wine and cider makers just in scrolling through the website. 216, which is a whole lotta wine. The Washington Wine Commission takes their events seriously from a production standpoint, but they're also serious about the education of their consumers. Yours truly will be covering the event for The Oregon Wine Blog, and I am thrilled at the opportunity.
While the public events kick of on Saturday with the seminars, there are also the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards on Friday the 26th. The Washington Wine industry recognizes it's industry supporters, with recognition going to Sommelier of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Most Innovative Wine List and more.
Seminars on Saturday will include food and wine pairing with Seattle's own Tom Douglas, a lesson on one of Washington's most distinguished terroirs, Boushey Vineyards, and peek inside the legendary Quilceda Creek. These are the kinds of opportunities Northwest winos dream about. To hear Dick Boushey and some of his devoted vintners talk about the essence of Washington fruit could be a "pinch me" kind of occasion.
The Grand Tasting on Sunday is truly grand, with almost one third of the entire wine industry in the state pouring. What is also exciting is that some growers will be pouring wines using their fruit, which is a unique opportunity as a wino to really get to the root of the matter. The folks at Taste Washington have also brought together 75 different culinary options, which will include small bites to pair with your wine, as well as cooking and other demos.
But a point to stress is that the idea is to Taste Washington not, Get Hammered on Washington, and so the Washington Wine Commission is out to make spitting hip. They want to emphasize, tasting (it's not called Drink Washington). So for those of you going to the Grand Tasting remember that it's "Hip to Spit" and quite frankly, with 216 options on the day, it's the only way you're going to get out of there on your own two feet.
Tickets are still available and they're also looking for volunteers if you're interested in getting involved and getting a discount. I hope to see you there.
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