Taste Washington – one of the largest wine events in our area – returns March 28th – March 31, 2019!

March 28 is the VIP Red & White party. “This intimate and exclusive experience takes you ‘into the cellars’ of Washington’s premier winemakers to taste the best of the best. This is the only event at Taste Washington where you will you find Washington winemakers’ most-coveted bottles, including wine club-only bottles and 90+ point pours. Held at the renowned AQUA by El Gaucho on Seattle’s waterfront, this elegant affair requires you to dress the part. So break out your red and white attire and come prepared for a fashionable evening of unmatched sophistication”

The New Vintage is Friday night.“More than a night out on the town, The New Vintage is an unforgettable experience that delivers stories in the form of food and wine. With unexpected moments at every turn, this event is your backstage pass to meet and mingle with the exciting chefs and inspiring winemakers who are putting Seattle and Washington State on the world’s food and wine heat map. [At] The Sanctuary, The New Vintage welcomes Seattle star chefs Edouardo Jordan (JuneBaby), Ethan Stowell (How to Cook a Wolf) and Rachel Yang (Joule), coupled with chef friends from around the country including Chris Cosentino (Cockscomb, San Francisco, CA), Vivian Howard (The Chef and the Farmer, Kinston, NC), and Gregory Gourdet (Departure, Portland, OR). Experience wine cocktails at the Halo Bar up above, plus exclusive bites in an intimate space down below. Take in the magic of Washington wines—those you know and love, and others you’re sure to fall in love with. Explore, indulge, imbibe, and you can confess your sins later.”

And, the big kahuna, The Grand Tasting, is Saturday and Sunday. “A truly ‘grand’ experience, this two-day event is overflowing with Washington’s culinary riches. With delicious samples from over 235 Washington wineries and bites from over 65 local restaurants, we simply don’t believe in having too much of a good thing. Watch today’s hottest chefs demonstrate their culinary skills on stage, get up-close and personal with hundreds of area winemakers, and indulge in Pacific Northwest-inspired food and wine. And while you’re at it, find new favorites to vote for in Taste Washington’s fourth annual Best Bite competition. Whether you’re a seasoned wine and food connoisseur or simply a fan of eating and drinking great things, there’s something to satisfy every taste bud at this event.  Thank goodness you’ll have two days to discover it all.”

Here are some of my tips for a successful wine and food event:

• Get your tickets early  (Taste WA events tend to sell out).
• Bring a friend! It’s more fun to taste with a buddy. Make this a birthday or thanks-for-being-awesome gift.
• Check out the food and winery lists in advance and make a list of what booths you want to visit. I like to make a list of “favorites” (those I’ve tried before and LOVE) and “newbies”.
• Always try wines/restaurants you haven’t tried before, that’s a big part of what makes this event fun!
• Bring a bag or larger purse! Sometimes restaurants and wineries will hand out coupons/tasting passes etc – you’ll run out of pocket room fast!
• Drink lots of water! Hydration is key. Bring a water bottle with you.
• It’s ok to spit or dump! A lot of wineries will give you an ample pour – this is so you can see the color of the wine and smell it easier – it’s ok not to drink it all! Your senses will diminish as you get buzzed and a lot of the fun of this event is finding wines you’ll want to buy later.
• Talk to the folks pouring wine, but feel free to step a bit to the side of the table while you engage in conversation with them so they can continue to pour for the people behind you. You can still chat them up while you let others listen in and sip for themselves.
• Dress up a little but wear comfortable shoes. There’s a lot of space to cover!
• Charge your phone before you go and bring a travel charger. I snap photos of the wines I like along the way so I can remember my favorites!
• Share your photos and reviews on social media posts with hashtag #TasteWA.

The Seattle Wine and Food Experience offers FOUR events this February (one of these experiences is already sold out). There’s something for just about everyone.

Events include:

THURSDAY FEB 21: Comfort at SODO Park

FRIDAY FEB 21: Pop! Bubbles & Seafood at The Sanctuary  (Sold out!)

SATURDAY FEB 22: The Grand Tasting at Bell Harbor (VIP tickets are sold out but General Admission are still available)

SUNDAY FEB 23: Sunday Supper at Block 41 (NEW this year!)

Details:

COMFORT

I’ll be heading to Comfort on Thursday on a friend-date with my pal Paul Levy (yes, contrary to When Harry Met Sally beliefs, men and women CAN be friends).  I’ve been to the venue, SODO Park, for a wedding before and am exciting to see what they do with the gorgeous space for Comfort! From the menu online, the dishes I’m most excited to try are: Tulalip Casino’s Mom’s After School Grilled Cheese, Mountaineering Club’s cucumber dish, Catina Lena’s Beef Kimchi Quesadillas. and Smith Brother’s Milk and Cookie station (seriously how cute is this photo?!) For drinks, I’m excited to sip 2 Towns Ciderhouse Pineapple Cider and Made Marion Blackberry Hard Cider, Finn River’s Black Currant Cider, Perihelion Brewery’s Lost in Space Sour Cherry Ale, and Woodinville Whiskeys.

POP! BUBBLES & SEAFOOD

This event was truly delightful last year and I’m excited to learn more about sparkling wine and champagne with my friend Joy. The venue is awesome – if you haven’t been to The Sanctuary in downtown Seattle yet and have tickets for this event (or can buy some off someone – this particular event is now sold out), you are in for a treat! I love seeing how creative restaurants get with seafood offerings. I’m most excited to try: Eat Good Group’s “Pine Cured Steelhead Crudo with Wild Mushroom, Tempura, Elderberries and Cocoa,” Ivar’s “Smoked Coho salmon, goat cheese mousse,
roasted Anjou pears, Belgium endive spear” and Salty’s “Beet Cured Ora King Salmon Crudo, Fried Caper Aioli, Fennel, Red Onion and Cucumber, Charred Lemon Vinaigrette, Warm Baguette.” I don’t have enough insight on bubbly wine to know which wineries I should be most excited for – feel free to let me know on my facebook post!

THE GRAND TASTING

The Grand Tasting is a jaw-dropping good time. I’ll be working with some of my inspiring clients this Saturday, so won’t have a chance to make The Grand Tasting this year but YOU should go. It’s one of the most fun food & drink events that the city offers – there is a joy and laughter in the air throughout this event due to the creative displays and layout, an immense amount of food and drinks to experience, and the playful sense of exploration you get to enjoy as you delight your tastebuds. #SWFE Grand Tasting last year was one of the most memorable food/drink event I have ever experienced, and that’s saying a lot!

Check out Seattle Mag’s awesome guide with tips and tricks to make the most out of this event here. “More than 200 vendors will be clamoring to share their food and drink with you—your challenge will be making the most out of this festival of wine and local eats. Fear not: we wouldn’t leave you unprepared in the face of such a momentous occasion. Take a peek at our step-by-step game plan designed to help you maximize your experience. You may not have known it at the time but mapping out your trip to Disneyland was just training for Seattle Wine and Food Experience” – Seattle Mag

Check out photos from 2018’s Grand Tasting here.

SUNDAY SUPPER

This event is brand new to #SWFE this year! I’m so thrilled to be attending this event with my husband this coming Sunday. I haven’t been to Block 41 yet but will be sure to report back! I’ve had great food from Spinasse and Mamnoon in the past so am excited to see what they bring to the table along side chefs from General Harvest Restaurants, Sawyer, Ciudad, and Eden Hill.

Here’s the scoop:

“A curated list of Seattle’s best chefs will come together to create a once in a lifetime dinner experience, with each chef serving up an inspired course as part of an epic immersive meal.”

• 5:00 pm: Doors open for cocktail hour – Enjoy cocktails, bubbly and appetizers as guests arrive
• 5:45 pm: Dinner seating begins upstairs
• 6:00 pm: Sunday Supper kicks off with a beautiful six-course meal and wine pairings
• 8:00 pm: Chefs’ After Party! Join us downstairs after supper for an after-hours bash complete with late night snacks, entertainment and desserts by Tulalip Resort Casino’s Nikol Nakamura and Salt & Straw

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I’m hydrating NOW in preparation for this weekend of delicious fun! Thanks to #SWFE for hosting these events! I look forward to sharing photos and reviews of my favorite bites and sips during and after the fun.

What are YOU most excited for during the weekend of Seattle Wine & Food Experience? #SFWE

Tickets here.

RSVP and invite friends on the Facebook Event Pages.

Check out photos from last year’s events here.

Photos via Seattle Wine & Food Experience.

#SWFE

Wine tasting events can be one of the most fun ways to connect with a date or a friend. You don’t have to be an expert wine taster to enjoy sipping different varietals and you’ll leave with some new favorites in mind!

Taking a trip to Walla Walla specifically for wine tasting is a fun experience in itself, but if your February is as busy as mine has been, you’ll be excited to hear that you don’t have to go far at all to taste a wide range of wines from Walla Walla.

Tickets are available now for the Walla Walla Wine Tasting at McCaw Hall in Seattle Center on February 25 from 5:30pm to 8pm! Get your tickets here.

In addition to discovering wineries I’m not familiar with, I’m excited to specifically experience pours from  Dusted Valley (so good!) and Seven Hills winery.

My suggestions for a attending a wine-tasting event:

• bring a water bottle – stay hydrated!
• have your phone charged – take photos of labels you like the most
• when sipping your wine when you talk to the winery folks at a particular booth, stand a bit to the side so they can answer questions while they pour wine for the next person in line
• have a bit of food before your go – this event is just light hors d’oevres

Here’s a list of everyone who will be there:

Connect with 50 Walla Walla Valley wineries and winemakers and sample, side-by-side, the wine crafted from the unique growing sites of the Walla Walla Valley AVA and surrounding areas.

Participating Wineries

Abeja
Adamant Cellars
ALUVÉ
áMaurice Cellars
Amavi Cellars
Armstrong Family Winery
Balboa Winery
Bledsoe Family Winery
Brook & Bull Cellars and Vital Winery
Browne Family Vineyards
Cadaretta
Caprio Cellars
College Cellars of Walla Walla
DAMA Wines
Dunham Cellars
Dusted Valley
Elephant Seven
Eternal Wines and Drink Washington State
FIGGINS
Five Star Cellars
Forgeron Cellars
Foundry Vineyards
Gifford Hirlinger
Kontos Cellars
Lagana Cellars
L’Ecole N° 41
Locati Cellars
Maison Bleue Winery
Northstar Winery
Otis Kenyon Wine
Pepper Bridge Winery
REININGER Winery
Rôtie Cellars
Seven Hills Winery
Sinclair Estate Vineyards
Sleight of Hand Cellars
Solemn Cellars
Spring Valley Vineyard
Tamarack Cellars
Tempus Cellars
Tertulia Cellars
The Walls
Three Rivers Winery
Tranche
Trust Cellars
Walla Walla Vintners
Watermill Winery
Woodward Canyon
Zerba Cellars

Tickets here. 

RSVP to the Facebook event page here.

Special thanks to the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance for hosting me at this event. I look forward to discovering new-to-me wines! 

The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is a nonprofit wine industry membership organization whose primary mission is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media and trade interested in learning more about the Valley’s wine industry.

Whiskey lovers: mark your calendars and get your tickets now for The Whisky Extravaganza coming to The Rainer Club in downtown Seattle Friday, November 9, 2018.

This Friday night tasting  will showcase “the world’s most prestigious whisky brands, including Highland Park, The Glenrothes, Glenfiddich and Brown Forman.” Attendees will also enjoy a delectable stationed dinner which includes menu items such as risotto, pasta bolognese, vegan pumpkin panna cotta, and a wide range of other dishes (see the main site for Seattle’s full menu).

Also included in your ticket, should you wish to attend, is a master class with award-winning author and whisky expert Lew Bryson and Glass Revolution’s Raj Sabharwal. If this interests you, be sure to sign up for the masterclass after purchasing your tickets.

Tickets here.

What’s your favorite whisky? Let me know in the comments below!

New to whisky tasting? Here’s advice the #whiskyextravaganza shared in a recent tweet with a beginner’s guide to tasting.

Images via The #WhiskyExtravaganza website.