12th Annual Friends of the Fields Harvest Dinner

Friends of the Fields Harvest Dinner 2014If 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

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

Olympic Peninsula Wine Trail WestOkay, 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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Well, Shucks: It’s the 32nd OysterFest!

OysterFest - Oct. 5th – 6th Mason County Fair Grounds, Shelton WA

OysterFest – Oct. 5th – 6th Mason County Fair Grounds, Shelton WA

OysterFest, also known by the longer moniker “The Annual West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship and Washington State Seafood Festival,” is upon us once again and you can expect all the great, local fun and craziness that’s attended the previous 31 festivals – plus a little bit more, don’t you know.

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Day Trip from Seattle, Part II

In our last post, we began outlining a driving route for someone visiting the Olympic Peninsula from Seattle. Here is more of a perfect day on the Peninsula:

Fourth Stop: Wind Rose Cellars

Leave Eaglemount Winery outside Port Townsend and drive to Sequim. This adorable town, famous for it’s lavender fields, is home to the Olympic Peninsula’s newest winery, Wind Rose Cellars.

Head West on Hwy 20 for about two miles. Hit Hwy 101 and take a right. About 16 miles down, take the East Washington St exit and take a right on N. Rhodefer Rd. Take another right on W. Sequim Bay Rd and then a final right on Bell Bottom Road. Wind Rose Cellars will be on the left at 233 Bell Bottom Rd.

Fifth Stop: Olympic Cellars

Half way between Sequim and Port Angeles is a huge, historic barn, which houses Olympic Cellars.

Get back on Hwy. 101 N and drive about nine miles. Olympic Cellars will be on your left, so you need to exit the freeway at Agnew Cutoff and get back on in the opposite direction briefly. You can’t miss the big Olympic Cellars barn! 255410 U.S. 101, Port Angeles.

Sixth Stop: Black Diamond Winery

Keep heading West on Hwy 101 for about 6 miles until you arrive in the town of Port Angeles. Follow the signs to Forks and stay on 101 through town. Take a right on South Pine St. This road curves to the left and becomes West 16th. Then, take a full left onto South Pine  St. and continue on to Black Diamond Road. About three miles up the road, you reach Black Diamond Winery on the right, at 2976 Black Diamond Rd. Enjoy the scenic vineyard and delicious fruit wines here.

We have two more wineries to guide you toward. Come back later this month for the rest of the driving route!

 

 

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.

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Washington Wine

March 8, 2011, is the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. This is a day for women to come together, recognize achievements, and look toward the future. In countries all around the globe, women meet to discuss politics, business, art, and societal needs. The overriding theme for 2011 International Women’s Day is “Equal access to education, training, and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.”

Join Washington State Wineries in celebrating International Women's Day.

Two Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula are owned and operated by women: Olympic Cellars and Harbinger Winery. The other six Washington Wineries / Cideries are owned and operated by families or couples.

Support local Washington State wine and women winemakers on March 8, 2011. Olympic Cellars is hosting a Women’s Day Celebration at 6 p.m. There will be freshly baked bread, homemade soup, and of course locally crafted wine and cider. 2011 will be the 10th annual Olympic Cellars community IWD celebration, and all are welcome: women, men, and children.

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.

Sweet and Savory, Chocolate and Wine

chocolate!

Chocolate. Red Wine. Joy.

Is there anything better than following a bite of chocolate with a sip of good red wine? We think not.

Celebrate two of the best things in life with good friends, family, or that special someone. Join seven of our Washington State Wineries on the North Olympic Peninsula for two weekends of Red Wine and Chocolate: February 12 – 13, and February 19 – 21, 2011 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily).
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