Taste Washington

Here in BC we have wonderful wines to enjoy from the Okanagan, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, and more. But did you know that just across the border, to our Washington State neighbours, there is a wine industry that is 3-4 times bigger than here in BC? There are approximately 750 wineries in Washington state making fantastic wines. But even with our proximity to each other, we rarely hear about their wines, or get a chance to taste them, and that is a pity.

In previous posts I have outlined some tasting rooms that I have visited and I encourage you to check them out; and in this post I want to let you know about a very big, very varied wine and food event called “Taste Washington“. My Taste Washington Experience 2011 link (see what I tried last year).

Taste Washington extends over March 23 and 24, 2013 this year. It’s held at the CenturyLink Field Event Centre in Seattle with lots of room for you to roam the isles, sip wine, nibble appetizers, and chat with friends. At the event there will be over 225 wineries in attendance (that is basically the same as having every winery in BC in one venue!). You can attend 1 or both days. With this many wineries, I would suggest getting the 2 day pass. This way you can pace yourself, and if you really like a wine you sampled on Saturday, you will have a chance to try it again on Sunday.

Some of the wineries in attendance will be:

14 Hands
Airfield Estates Winery
Alexandria Nicole Cellars
Almquist Family Vintners
Amavi Cellars
Ambassador Vineyard
Andrew Will
Cadaretta
Cadence Winery
Cairdeas Winery
Camaraderie Cellars
Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Cave B Estate Winery
CAVU Cellars
Forgeron Cellars
Four Lakes Winery
Gamache Vintners
Gilbert Cellars
Girly Girl Wines
Glen Fiona Winery
Glencorrie Winery
O Wines
Obelisco Estate Wines
Orca Wines
Otis Kenyon Wine

and that is just a sliver what you will experience! Besides tasting all these WA state wines, there is also food, which I think makes it rather unique, or a step above other events. At Taste Washington they have food stations by different restaurants spread along each isle. What I like about this is that you can nibble an appetizer and try it with wine, and see how the two work together. Most times when we enjoy wine, we are also eating food with it, whether it is just appetizers, or a full meal. Wine and food combined can be even a greater taste experience than either on their own. There will be a wide range of wines, from sparkling, white, and red wines. Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling grapes to name a few varieties too.

Where to Get Tickets

You can purchase tickets online from the Taste Washington website link here. The tickets are US$80/day or US$125 for both days. The tasting hours are from 2pm-5pm each day. On top of the tasting room, there are also seminars that you can attend. I will talk about these seminars in my next blog post. For more information about the event, here is a link to Taste Washington. See you there!