Highlights of the Wine and Cheese Tour

NW Wine and Cheese Tour Olympic Peninsula

Wine and cheese. Yum.

Join Washington State Wineries and Cideries on the Olympic Peninsula for the 2012 NW Wine and Cheese Tour, April 14 and 15.

Read on for a list of what not to miss. Additional information is available on our Olympic Peninsula Wineries Events page.

Black Diamond Winery

Sip 2007 Syrah and Muller Thurgau with three types of Golden Glen Creamery Fresh Curd.
Finish with Plum and Raspberry wines.

Camaraderie Cellars

Sip Trinquer, a delicious white blend, and nibble amazing blue cheese cookies from Spoonful Caterers.
Try the newly released Malbec with several cheeses from Wilapa Hills Creamery.

Eaglemount Wine & Cider

Sample the new Cabernet Sauvignon and hard cider.

FairWinds Winery

Try Back Country Creamery’s Trailblazer with a glass of Gewurztraminer.
Enjoy Summit House with a glass of the Cabernet/Merlot blend.
Discover the wonderful combination of Camp Chego and Mead.

Finnriver Farm & Cidery

Enjoy spring goat cheeses from Mystery Bay Farm with glasses of sweet wine and sparkling cider.

Harbinger Winery

Try the 2010 Rose with any cheese.
Sip the Reserve Syrah with cheddar aged near the banks of the Samish River.
Pair Raspberry Bliss (made from locally grown berries) with a smokey blue cheese from the Rogue Valley.

Olympic Cellars

Enjoy the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with Golden Glen Creamery’s Double-Cream River Cheddar.
Try the 2009 Chardonny alongside a Wine and Cheese Soup and artisan bread with Golden Glen butter.

Wind Rose Cellars

Sample a variety of Black Sheep Creamery cheeses with the 2011 Pinot Grigio, the 2010 Barbera dry rose, and the 2010 Dolcetto.

Olympic Peninsula Wineries Photo Contest

Participate in our upcoming photo contest.

The Olympic Peninsula is a scenic place.

Bring your camera to the Olympic Peninsula Wineries NW Wine and Cheese Tour on April 14 and 15, 2012. All are invited to participate in our first annual “Sip Wine and Cider, Say Cheese” Photo Contest.

Our wineries and cideries are located in some truly lovely spots.

Olympic Cellars’ historic barn, with the Olympic Mountains in the background. Finnriver Farm & Cidery’s rolling fields and orchards.

Camaraderie Cellars’ expansive patio and lush gardens.

Harbinger Winery’s cool, industrial setting.

Black Diamond Winery’s acres of grapes overlooking Tumwater Creek.

Eaglemount Wine & Cider’s lovely historic homestead and orchards.

FairWinds Winery overlooking the Olympic Mountains outside Port Townsend.

Wind Rose Cellars’ cozy tasting room in the heart of downtown Sequim.

Finnriver Farm and Cidery.

Take photos of the scenery, the Washington wine, hard cider, the cheese. We’re looking for memorable photos to mark the occasion. The top 3 entries will be posted on the Olympic Peninsula Wineries website and Facebook page. Winners will receive a pair of tickets to the 2012 Harvest Wine Tour, November 11-13.

The historic barn at Olympic Cellars.

A Very Brief History of Cheese

Cheese has been enjoyed for thousands and thousands of years. It predates history. Anything that has that kind of staying power has got to be good.

The NW Wine and Cheese Tour, April 14 & 15, 2012.

It is widely believed that the first cheese came into being shortly after the earliest domestication of sheep and goats. It was most likely discovered by accident. Milk was frequently stored in animal skins, which contain rennet; the combination of rennet, movement, and time caused the milk to separate into curds and whey.

Once there were curds, cheese was on its way.

The years have been good to cheese. Ancient Romans were among the first to elevate cheese making to a fine art, but they were not the last. Over time, one civilization after another experimented with cheese, playing with flavors and textures.

Recent years have witnessed a resurgence in farmstead and artisanal cheese making. Those of us who live in Washington State are blessed to have many such fine cheese makers among us.

Join Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries the weekend of April 14-15, 2012, for the Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour. Discover enchanting combinations of Washington State Wine and Cheese. And raise your glass in thanks to the first people who thought to store their goat milk in animal skins.

A Locavore’s Dream: Washington Wine and Cheese

Wine is a wonderful. It can be enjoyed on its own and it can bring out the best in food. For every meal, there is a wine. For every moment, there is a wine. Yes, wine is wonderful.

We're looking forward to trying the cheese from Black Sheep Creamery.

It’s hard to think of a more perfect combination than wine and cheese. Perhaps that’s because both wine and cheese are so diverse. There are big, bold Cabernets and there are light, effervescent, whites. There are delicate goat cheeses and strong blue cheeses. It would be easy to devote a lifetime to finding perfect combinations of wines and cheeses, and people have. The right combination can be out-of-this-world.

The Wineries of the Olympic Peninsula are looking forward to trying new combinations of Washington State Wines and Cheeses during our upcoming Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour, April 14-15, 2012.

Read on for a list of participating cheesemakers, and make your plans to attend the Olympic Peninsula’s 2012 Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour. (more…)