12th Annual Friends of the Fields Harvest Dinner

If you’ve a passion for locally sourced, delicious food, then you wont want to miss the 12th Annual Friends of the Fields Harvest Dinner, scheduled for Sunday, September 25th, 2014 on the North Olympic Peninsula.

An all-volunteer event, the Friends of the Fields Harvest Dinner is a collaborative celebration of the Olympic Peninsula’s local harvest. This multi-course, all-volunteer, gastronomic gala is local food, donated by the community and prepared by celebrated, local chefs, all for a good cause: promoting farmland conservation by demonstrating the quality of the local area’s bounty.

And it’s not just food – local drink will also be on hand in the form of beer and wine, along delicious desserts, and live music. (more…)

Port Angeles Underground Tours

Work begins on filling in the Port Angeles waterfront, circa 1914

Many people know that Seattle has an old underground section of the city that you can tour but did you know that you can take Port Angeles Underground Tours as well?

Located on the North Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles, like so many towns at sea level, was initially built up … where it really shouldn’t have been.

Founded in 1862, with real construction beginning in the 1880’s, Port Angeles sprang up primarily near the water so as to facilitate ease of transport for its main export: logs. Unfortunately, this meant suffering the effects of high tides and what that brought in, namely the growing city’s own sewage!

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The Olympic Peninsula Wine Trail West – Part 1

Okay, I admit it, there is, as of yet, no officially sanctioned Olympic Peninsula Wine Trail – but that doesn’t mean you can’t make up your own!

The upper Olympic Peninsula has 9 great wineries / cideries all grouped within an hour or less of each other – from Port Townsend to Port Angeles – and most of which are open daily or by appointment all year ’round – so taking a tour is a no-brainer!

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Day Trip From Seattle Part III

Our last two blogs posts have given your driving routes for a tour of Olympic Peninsula wineries from Seattle. Here, we finish that itinerary with our last two winery stops.

Stop #7: Camaraderie Cellars

After Black Diamond Winery and their beautiful views, head back down Black Diamond Rd. towards Port Angeles. Continue onto Pine St. and then turn right onto W 16th St. Get back on US 101 W for about a mile and then turn left on Benson Rd. About a third mile up the road, Camaraderie Cellars will be on the left, at 334 Benson Rd.

Stop #8 Harbinger Winery

It’s a quick mile and half to our final winery: Harbinger. Simply head back to Hwy. 101 from Benson Rd. Take a left onto 101 West and about a mile down you will see Harbinger Winery on the left at 2358 Highway 101 West.

What a day! This is a good 8-9 hours of wine tasting and touring. You will see a wide array of Olympic Peninsula communities and environments. By the time you pull away from Harbinger Winery, you are sure to be ready for some dinner. Stop in Port Angles for a delicious dinner at one of our recommended restaurants. After all that, you can make your way back to the Bainbridge Ferry on Hwy 101. Or, if you’re done driving for the day, stay on the Olympic Peninsula for the night in a hotel, bed and breakfast or inn.

Upcoming Olympic Peninsula Event: Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour

Looking for a good weekend to come up and visit us this spring? May 4th & 5th is our annual Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour. We invite you to sip and savor new wine releases and ciders paired with a variety of cheeses crafted by local, artisan creameries. The Olympic Peninsula Wineries and eight local creameries will treat visitors to a truly local culinary experience, with interesting pairings that provide an authentic sense of place.

August Events Featuring Olympic Peninsula Wines

Several of our member Olympic Peninsula Washington State Wineries are involved in special events around the Sound this month. They’re different, their fun, and they’re certainly worth a look. Now that summer has finally reached the Pacific Northwest, get out and enjoy it!

Toast a successful jump with Olympic Cellars Washington State Wine.

Pair Washington Wine with skydiving? Why not. Join “The Working Girl First Jump Club” for an evening of Tandem Skydiving into the field behind Olympic Cellars Winery on August 10 and August 24. Jumps start at 5 p.m. and will run hourly in groups of 5 – 6 until all have jumped. Participants will certainly be served Olympic Cellars Washington State Wine, but not until after the jump. Friends and family are invited to watch at the winery and enjoy a picnic dinner while waiting. For more information, please see Olympic Cellars.

The Finnriver Farm Cider Dinner is less likely to make your adrenaline run, but it too promises to be a superlative event. Join the folks from Finnriver Farm and Cider and Chef Mark Bodinet at the Copperleaf Terrace, where you’ll be treated to inspired cuisine paired with Finnriver Washington State Ciders and fruit liqueurs. Copperleaf Terrace is located at Cedarbrook Lodge, a tranquil setting south of Seattle. The five-course dinner is a farm-to-table meal made with local ingredients, including Finnriver Farm’s own strawberries. For the menu, please visit Cedarbrook Lodge. To make a reservation, please call 206.214.4282. The cost is $55 per person (plus tax and gratuity), and seating is limited to the first 24 guests.

Camaraderie Cellars Washington State Wine will be available at the Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival, August 6, 2011. The festival will highlight Chef Kevin Gillespie, 2 time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award, known for bringing the farm to the fork. There will be celebrity chef appearances, a cook-off finale, and wine seminars, among other exciting events. Additional information is available at the Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival.

Award Winning Washington Wines

We are thrilled and honored to announce that several Olympic Peninsula wineries / cideries were winners in the prestigious 2011 Seattle Wine Awards.

Fifteen esteemed wine professionals met at the Rainier Club in mid April to taste and evaluate wines made from Washington grapes. Competition was stiff, and the winners listed below are truly delighted to have been recognized.

Visit the Olympic Peninsula and taste our award winning Washington wine.

Camaraderie Cellars:
Gold medal for 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Gold medal for 2008 Syrah.
Gold medal for 2008 Cabernet Franc.
Silver medal for 2008 Elégance.
Silver medal for 2008 Grâce.

Eaglemount Wine and Cider:
Silver medal for 2008 Osprey.
Bronze medal for 2007 Raptor Reserve.
Bronze medal for 2007 Syrah.

Finnriver Cidery:
Double Gold medal for their Artisan Sparkling Cider.

Harbinger Winery:
Double Gold medal for 2010 La Petite Fleur.
Gold medal for 2010 Raspberry Bliss.
Silver medal for 2009 Viognier.

Olympic Cellars:
Double Gold medal for 2007 Cabernet Franc
Gold medal for 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Bacchus.
Gold medal for NV Working Girl White.

We invite you to visit our Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula; try our award-winning wines and ciders for yourself.

Learn more about the 2011 Seattle Wine Awards at Seattle Wine Awards.

The Spruce Railroad Trail

Feeling like a weekend of fresh air and exercise? Head to the Olympic Peninsula and hike the Spruce Railroad Trail, then enjoy a glass of Olympic Peninsula, Washington State Wine.

Looking forward to sipping wine and admiring the view at Camaderie Cellars this spring.

During World War I, a railroad was built to transport Sitka Spruce from the forests of the Olympic Peninsula to Seattle. Today, a section of the old railroad bed has been converted into the Spruce Railroad Trail, which hugs Lake Crescent. The trail is just under four miles and offers wonderful views of Lake Crescent and the surrounding Pacific Northwest forests.

A good walk is bound to make you thirsty. After hiking the Spruce Railroad Trail, stop by one of the Washington State Wineries in Port Angeles for a glass of locally crafted wine.

Harbinger Winery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m (5 p.m. on Sundays). Tucked in the middle of the winery, it is a fun place to sip wine and their newest production – beer.

Olympic Cellars is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take time to unwind in this historic old barn on Highway 101 before you head back from whence you came.

Black Diamond Winery reopens in March from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends. Camaraderie Cellars is open weekends May through October.

Winter Hurricane Ridge

A winter getaway on the Olympic Peninsula should include a trip to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. Stunning views begin on the drive to the peak, where pull-outs look east to Mt. Baker and the Cascades. Admire intimate views of the Olympic peaks of Mt. Dana, Mt. Carrie, and Mt. Olympus from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, and follow the Cirque Rim Trail on a clear day to gaze at Port Angeles, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands, and Victoria, BC.

In the winter, Hurricane Ridge Ski Area is a haven for skiers, snowboarders, sledders and snowshoers. The ski area at Hurricane Ridge is relatively small, but the powder is deep and it gives way to a limitless backcountry area. Novices will be comfortable on the groomed trails, but expert skiers and snowboarders will find it hard to keep away from nearby bowls, glades, and steeps.

Hurricane Ridge Ski Area

Relax after your day of fresh air and powder with a glass of Washington State Wine from an Olympic Peninsula Winery. Several Port Angeles Washington Wineries at the base of Hurricane Ridge offer wine tastings on the weekend: Camaraderie Cellars, Harbinger Winery, Black Diamond Winery, and Olympic Cellars. Learn about these locally crafted wines at the bar as the winemaker pours you a glass, and take your time selecting a bottle or two to take home or back to your lodging.

The best part of tackling a snowy mountain, after all, is how good you feel when you come down.

The Gift of Port Angeles Washington Wines

The magical fruit.

Give the gift of Port Angeles Washington wines this holiday. Offer them as gifts to friends and family, bring them to dinners, and serve them at your table.

Try Black Diamond Winery‘s Shiro Plum, featuring plums from their own private orchard. Talk about local. This dry fruit wine is produced from start to finish in Port Angeles, on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

Try the 2002 Grâce from Camaraderie Cellars. It combines grapes from Fred Artz’ vineyard on Red Mountain, Paul Champoux at Mercer Ranch, and Len Parris at Chandler Reach; the Malbec comes from Crawford Vineyard in Prosser. All these bits of Washington State have been blended to create a wine that has won several international awards, including a Double Gold at the San Francisco International Competition. Drink it now or in years to come.

This month’s featured wines at Harbinger Winery are the 2007 Syrah and the 2007 Malbec. The Syrah is big and bold, with hints of leather and licorice and wonderfully deep, fruity aromas. The Malbec has a lovely backbone of tannins and acidity, balanced by ripe berries.

The wines at Olympic Cellars have been made from Eastern Washington’s Sagemore Farms’ and Champoux Vineyards’ grapes for 25 years. There are now three different labels produced at Olympic Cellars: Working Girl, award-winning but affordable; La Dolce Vida, five varietals of premium wine produced in small batches; and Dungeness, a heritage and artist series.

Offer these Washington State wine s as gifts this year. They’ll be much appreciated.

Olympic Peninsula Wine Tour

The Harvest Wine Tour highlights seven Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula. Our version of a fall harvest festival takes place November 13 and 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A self guided tour, the Harvest Wine Tour encourages people to visit all seven participating Washington State Wineries: Harbinger Winery, Camaraderie Cellars and Black Diamond Winery in Port Angeles, Olympic Cellars in Sequim, Sorenson Cellars and FairWinds Winery in Port Townsend, and FinnRiver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum.

Tickets ($25) are available for purchase in advance, or at the door (on a first come basis). They include entrance and tastings at all seven wineries, a special commemorative wine glass, and samples of tasty local cuisine at each winery. Oenophiles who have their passports stamped at all seven participating wineries will be eligible for gift basket drawing.

The Harvest Wine Tour is a great excuse to get out of the city and visit the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. It’s fun to visit small wineries, each of which has its own distinct personality. Meet the wine makers and learn about the wine first hand while tasting it.

Gray Skies? Drink Washington Wine.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, or indeed anywhere on the west coast, you may be feeling a bit down. We live through months of gray skies secure in the knowledge that come summer, our skies will be blue. “Sure it can be rainy”, we tell friends who live elsewhere, “but when the sun comes out, no place on earth can match its beauty.” So where are you sun?

Denuded mountains in Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, and Victoria B.C. way in the distance

View of Victoria from the Olympic National Park, outside of Port Angeles.

Well, those of us who make Washington State Wines can’t make the sun shine in Washington State, but we can help to cheer you. Head to the Sequim area – if it will be sunny anywhere in western Washington, it will be sunny here in the Olympic Rainshadow. Stay awhile, and taste Washington wines and ciders at our seven wineries from Port Angeles to Port Townsend.

A little time on the Olympic Peninsula can make anyone feel better. A walk out to the lighthouse at the tip of Dungeness Spit, in Sequim, is magnificent no matter the weather. A drive up to Hurricane Ridge, outside of Port Angeles, is sure to raise your spirits. Dinner in historic Port Townsend tastes good, rain or shine.

It is imperative to include wine tasting in your Olympic Peninsula holiday. After a drive up to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park, stop by Harbinger Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, and Black Diamond Winery. After a walk on the Dungeness Spit, visit Olympic Cellars. On your way to Port Townsend, enjoy a cider at FinnRiver Farm and Cidery, in Chimacum, and once in Port Townsend, stop by Sorenson Cellars and FairWinds Winery.

To keep your spirits raised, pick up a few bottles of your favorite Olympic Peninsula Washington Wines and take them home. That way, no matter what the weather does, you can find solace in a glass of good wine.

Passport Wine Tour This Weekend! Remember – it’s B.Y.O.G. (bring our own glass)!

The Olympic Peninsula Wineries invite you to come out and enjoy award-winning handcrafted wines superbly paired with fresh Olympic Coastal Cuisine during the Passport Wine Tour this weekend, November 14-15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We’re adding a new twist to this year’s event — bring your own glass! It’s a fun opportunity to show off the most unique piece in your collection. We look forward to pouring our wines in your special glass and hearing what makes it your favorite. Tickets for the self-guided tour are $25.00 and entitle holders to a label collection Passport, complimentary wine tastings and samples of local cuisine at each winery.

For the past couple of weeks we’ve been highlighting what each of our wineries will be serving during Passport Weekend on our blog. Today we’re down to the final two — Camaraderie Cellars and Harbinger Winery, both in Port Angeles.

Camaraderie Cellars will feature seasonal tasty bites including roasted beet vinaigrette and wine-poached pears, along with Bell Street Bakery’s seasonal vegetable bread. These delicious bites will be paired with Camaraderie’s favorites: a just released Malbec, Tempranillo, and our popular Viognier.

Harbinger Winery will release a limited bottling of our popular seasonal Cranberry Bliss, as well as the 2008 Viognier, 2007 Syrah, and 2007 El Jefe’
(a reserve Spanish blend with a Rhone twist). These wines will be matched with locally grown foods, including a savory Chanterelle and Chevre blintz made with locally foraged Chanterelle Mushrooms.

Fall is a beautiful time to visit the Olympic Peninsula — we hope to see you this weekend!