Hurricane Ridge and Washington Wine

Hurricane Ridge is one of the Olympic Peninsula’s treasures.

Sunny, snowy, Hurricane Ridge.

The summit stands over 5,200 feet above sea level, so the road from Port Angeles heads up and up and up. Once at the top, visitors enjoy amazing views of the interior Olympic Mountains, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and beyond. The view alone is well worth the winding drive.

At this time of year, Hurricane Ridge is covered with snow. There is a small ski and snowboard area well suited to skiers of all levels, and many powdery bowls, steeps and glades open to expert skiers and snowboarders. Folks who normally head to the Cascades may be surprised by all Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area has to offer these days.

For many of us, the best part of winter sports is the Après Ski that begins once the skis and snowboards are securely loaded on the car. We hope that those of you planning to ski at Hurricane Ridge this weekend will stop by Olympic Peninsula Wineries for our annual Holiday Open House. Consider it a fresh twist on an old tradition.

The Holiday Open House takes place from noon to 5 p.m., November 10 and 11, 2011, at all eight of our Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries. Harbinger Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, Black Diamond Winery, and Olympic Cellars are all located in the Port Angeles area. Eaglemount Wine & Cider, Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Sorensen Cellars, and FairWinds Winery are located in or outside of Port Townsend. All are perfectly situated for Après Ski wine tasting.

The Holiday Open House is a great time to hand-pick Washington State Wines for holiday parties. It’s also a great time to select wines for gifts. Visiting the individual wineries allows you to taste the wines you normally only look at on the shelf. It’s a fantastic opportunity.

A Washington State Thanksgiving Feast

Eating local is all the rage right now, and with good reason. When we eat fruits and vegetables grown near our homes and meats from animals raised near our homes, we’re supporting our local economy. Locally grown and raised food often comes from small farms that don’t use nasty pesticides. They treat their animals humanely. By choosing to eat locally, we’re choosing to support a more sustainable way of life.

Try a sparkling wine or hard cider from Washington State this Thanksgiving.

More and more restaurants are turning to small, local suppliers for their produce and meats. Increasingly, they’re serving local wines, beer, and even spirits, too. This is heartening for us small, independent producers of Washington State wines.

This Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful for the bounty of Washington state. Let’s give thanks by being locavores. Let’s put as much on our tables that was grown, raised, and produced in Washington State as we can. The more local, the better.

Fortunately, we don’t have to go without wine. Washington State Wineries produce some truly extraordinary wines and ciders. It will not be hard to find an appropriate local accompaniment to any Thanksgiving feast, no matter what you’re serving.

Many of you had the opportunity to sample a great variety of wines and ciders made by our member Olympic Peninsula wineries this past weekend, during the Harvest Wine Tour. If you did, there is a good chance you’ve already selected a few bottles of Washington State Wine or Cider to enjoy on Thanksgiving. If not, read on.

Sparkling wines and cider go very well with Thanksgiving feasts, complementing both white and dark turkey meat, sweet dishes like yams, and just about everything else on the table. Finnriver Farm & Cidery and Eaglemount Wine and Cider have a lovely selection of ciders, including the awarding winning Artisan Sparkling Cider from Finnriver. FairWinds Winery of Port Townsend makes a mean Firewood Mead, which would be festive addition to Thanksgiving day.

Syrah is an excellent red for Thanksgiving tables laden with turkey. Try the award winning 2008 Syrah from Camaraderie Cellars, or the award winning 2007 Syrah from Eaglemount Wine. Sorensen Cellars also has an excellent Syrah from 2006.

White wine drinkers should consider serving the award winning 2009 Viognier from Harbinger Winery. The award winning NV Working Girl White from Olympic Cellars, which combines Chardonnay and Riesling, is another excellent choice.

Try a mulled Syrah from Black Diamond Winery after dinner. It will be a perfect way to conclude a Washington State Thanksgiving Feast.

A Weekend of Wine Tasting

Olympic Peninsula Wineries invite one and all to the 2011 Harvest Winery Tour, November 11 – 13. This is a wonderful opportunity to taste Washington State wines and ciders created on the Olympic Peninsula. Visit eight wineries over the course of three days, tasting and comparing as you go.

There is an art to wine tasting. Vintners and sommeliers work hard to create flights that will highlight the flavors of different vintages and varietals. An event such as the Harvest Winery Tour allows participants to explore Washington State Wines in depth. It is simply not to be missed.

Vertical wine tastings explore one varietal in depth. During the upcoming Harvest Winery Tour of Olympic Peninsula Wineries, Olympic Cellars will be offering vertical tastings of their Syrah and Cabernet Franc; 2007, 2008, and 2009 vintages will be poured. This is a great opportunity to explore how different elements, such as weather, can effect a vintage.

Horizontal wine tastings explore wines of the same varietal and vintage but from different wineries. Folks participating in our 2011 Harvest Winery Tour may create their own horizontal tastings as they go. Better yet, buy a few bottles along the way, and host a horizontal wine tasting back at home, with friends.

Wine tasting is almost always available at the Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula. Many of the wines we make are created in relatively small batches and can’t be found on the shelves of every supermarket. We’re thankful for events such as the Harvest Winery Tour, which allow us to pour and share a variety of our wines.

Since this is a harvest festival, there will also be food. Each winery will have appetizers as well as wine. These tasty treats should highlight the wines served.

Please see our 2011 Harvest Wine Tour page for more details.

Olympic Peninsula Harvest Winery Tour

Fall wine tasting is a tradition as old as that of making wine.

Come to the Harvest Winery Tour on the Olympic Peninsula, November 11 - 13, 2011.

In France, vintners have created a special beverage that’s only available shortly after the harvest. In the wineries of the Loire Valley, it is known as Bernache; elsewhere in France it is known as vin nouveau. Whatever you call it, it’s worth a taste. It’s a sugary juice that is in the very first stages of becoming a real wine. Experienced vintners can actually tell something about the future wine from sipping un vin nouveau. The rest of us just enjoy it.

It only stands to reason that harvesting and pressing grapes puts folks in the mood to taste the results of one’s labor. That’s what has inspired our Olympic Peninsula Harvest Winery Tour.

You won’t find any Bernache on the Olympic Peninsula, but you will find a healthy selection of local wines made from Washington grapes.

Eight Washington Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula participate in the Harvest Winery Tour. Make a weekend of it, meandering from Port Townsend to Port Angeles with stops in the Chimacum Valley. It will be a scenic weekend, and a gustatorily delightful one.

Each winery will serve appetizers to complement their wines. Have your ticket stamped at all eight wineries and you’ll be eligible to win a lovely gift basket.

The Harvest Winery Tour takes place November 11 – 13, 2011. To purchase tickets by phone, please call 800.785.5495. Additional information is available at Olympic Peninsula Harvest Winery Tour.

Upcoming Opportunities to Taste Olympic Peninsula Wine

In the next few weeks there will be several opportunities to sample Washington State Wine and Cider from the Olympic Peninsula.

Toast the arrival of autumn with Washington Wines and Ciders from the Olympic Peninsula.

1. Seattle Lamb Jam

If you love the taste of lamb, you’ll love the third annual American Lamb Jam in Seattle. Enjoy lamb prepared in a variety of ways by 20 of the top chefs in Seattle. Camaraderie Cellars, a Port Angeles, Washington Winery, will pour their wines at the event. Please see Seattle Lamb Jam and Camaraderie Cellars for more information.

2. A Taste of the Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula boasts many small farms and is a leader in the Farms-to-Table movement that is sweeping the country. Sample their fresh fare and a selection of wines from our Olympic Peninsula Wineries on Nomember 5, 2011 at the Elks Ballroom in Port Angeles. Live music, a silent auction, and an art exhibit round out the event. The Taste of the Peninsula benefits the YMCS of Clallam County. More information is available at A Taste of the Peninsula.

3. Harvest Winery Tour

Our Olympic Peninsula Wineries join together each fall to celebrate the harvest. We invite the public to visit our wineries on the Olympic Peninsula for a Harvest Winery Tour, November 11, 12, and 13, 2011. Guests will sample Washington wines and ciders and enjoy a variety of appetizers inspired by the fall harvest. Additional information is available at Harvest Wine Tour.

Feast on Crab, Seafood, and Wine

Are you casting about for something different to do this weekend? Head to the Olympic Peninsula for the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival. It’s located in downtown Port Angeles, in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains and overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Celebrate (and feast on) Dungeness Crab at the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival, October 8-9, 2011

Our Olympic Peninsula Wineries will be serving locally made Washington State wines and ciders at the Wine and Beer garden near the Port Angeles City Pier. This is one of a handful of annual events where you may taste wines from all eight of our members Olympic Peninsula Wineries in one location. That’s a wonderful opportunity in an of itself; the fact that you’ll also be able to feast on Dungeness Crab and an assortment of other seafood from the Pacific Northwest is an added bonus.

Enhance your experience by embarking on a Sunset Crab Cruise with Expeditions Northwest (Saturday). Participate in the Crab Festival Volleyball Tournament on Hollywood Beach, and the Friday night Crab Feed. There will be cooking demonstrations by several outstanding chefs, and an after-hours celebration at The Wine Bar, in the Landing Mall.

It’s always worth traveling for Dungeness Crab. Consider making a weekend of it, so you can wine and dine to your hearts’ content.

Please see the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival website for additional information, including lodging options.

Photo credit: Dungeness Crab Festival

The Forest Storytelling Festival

Charlotte Blake Alston will tell stories at the Forest Storytelling Festival.

The 17th Annual Forest Storytelling Festival takes place in Port Angeles, Washington, on October 14, 15, and 16, 2011.

Five professional storytellers will be featured this year: Charlotte Blake Alston, Michael Reno Harrell, Patrick Ball, Paul “Che oke’ ten” Wagner, and Ingrid Nixon. Each brings their unique perspective and experience to their tales. They will also each lead a Saturday afternoon workshop, guaranteed to enlighten and entertain.

Tell your own stories while in Port Angeles, on stage during the festival or during a break, over a glass of Washington Wine made on the Olympic Peninsula. Four of our member Olympic Peninsula Wineries are located in Port Angeles: Harbinger Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, Black Diamond Winery, and Olympic Cellars. Try their wines at individual wineries, and bring a bottle or two back home, to enjoy with friends while sharing stories about your weekend at the Forest Storytelling Festival.

All festival events take place at the Peninsula College Little Theater. For a complete schedule, please see the Forest Storytelling Festival.

Photo credit: Annie Cameron.

There’s a Crustacean for Everyone

New England has lobster. Baltimore has blue crab smothered in Old Bay. The Olympic Peninsula has Dungeness Crab.

Lobster is lovely and blue crab delicious, but there’s nothing like Dungeness Crab. Celebrate this delectable crustacean during the 2011 Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival in Port Angeles, WA, October 8 and 9.

Eat crab and drink Washington Wines made on the Olympic Peninsula at the Dungeness Crab Festival, October 8-9, 2011.

Olympic Peninsula Wineries will be there, pouring selected Washington Wines at the Wine and Beer Garden at Crab Central. Drop by anytime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to sample our wines. Feel free to ask the pourers which wines they think go best with Dungeness Crab. You may be surprised by how many options there are.

Dungeness crab can be prepared as many ways as there are chefs to cook it. It is amazing on its own, and it makes a wonderful ingredient. As in past years, cooking demonstrations are a highlight of the Crab Festival. This year, see:

The Galloping Gourmet (aka Graham Kerr) demonstrate how to make his famous crab cakes.

Chef Les Chan from Victoria, B.C. prepare Imperial Crab Spring Rolls.

Chef Jon Unruh of Wildfire Grill in Port Angeles prepare Dungeness Mac & Cheese – the ultimate comfort food.

Chef Kaleb Walace of Michael’s Seafood and Steak Restaurant in Port Angeles prepare Fresh Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Dungeness Crab with Olympic Cellars Chardonnay Butter.

The Dungeness Crab Festival is also a Seafood Festival, and several regional chefs will demonstrate how to make some of their favorite seafood dishes. See:

Chef Arran Stark from Cultivated Palette Catering and Brassica Restaurant in Port Townsend show people just what can be done with Salmon.

Chef Gabriel Schuenemann of the Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim prepare Scallop Ceviche with pickled Chanterelle Mushrooms.

Chef Ron Anderson of Etta’s Seafood in Seattle prepare Cider steamed Blueshell Mussels and smoked hamhock.

Even more chefs will demonstrate how to prepare even more dishes. For a complete list of the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival Chef Demonstrations, please see Crab Fest.

You’ll come away from the 2011 Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival well fed and armed with new recipes and Washington Wines to enhance them. Now that’s a weekend well spent.

Please see Dungeness Crab Festival for additional information.

Have an Olympic Culinary Adventure

Why do we travel?

We travel to see new places and have new experiences. We travel to encounter different cultures and interact with unknown people. We travel because leaving home makes us appreciate home.

Two of the best aspects of travel are food and drink. Every region in the world has its own dishes, specialities, and twists on the familiar. Every region has its beverage. We drink Scotch in Scotland, wine in Bordeaux, and beer in Munich. We discover what it’s like to siphon beer in a cafe in Vietnam and drink strong coffee mixed with sweetened condensed milk in Thailand. We drink emoliente in Peru and Chai in India, and we discover something about the people of these lands as we sip what they sip.

It’s possible to encounter the unfamiliar in our own backyards, as well. It’s possible to see something we’ve never seen or try something we’ve never tried just a few miles from home. We just have to keep eyes open, ears alert, and noses sensitive. With this in mind, we invite you to travel to the Olympic Peninsula for a Culinary Adventure.

Embark on a culinary adventure across the Olympic Peninsula.

Follow the Olympic Peninsula Culinary Adventure to a variety of restaurants, markets, and Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula. Circle the Olympic National Park, from north to south or south to north. Along the way taste locally crafted artisan cheese in Port Townsend at the Mt. Townsend Creamery, shop for fresh produce grown in the Dungeness Valley at Nash’s Organic Produce in Sequim, and visit the Hama Hama Oyster Farm and Seafood Farm in Liliwaup.

Dine at the Geoduck Restaurant and Lounge in Brinnon, the Olympic Timber House in Quilcene, and the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock (where you can have great fun trying on an assortment of hats while waiting for your meal). Save room for locally caught seafood at Linda’s Wood-Fired Kitchen in Neah Bay, local clams at the Wildfire Grill in Port Angeles, and the creative fare at the Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim.

Most food is best enjoyed with a glass of Washington Wine or Cider. OPWA members Finnriver Farm & Cider and Olympic Cellars Winery are participating in the Olympic Peninsula Culinary Adventure. Other member wineries are an extra bonus, and well worth visiting when on the Olympic Peninsula.

If you embark on an Olympic Peninsula Culinary Adventure between September 1 and November 30, 2011, you’re eligible to win all sorts of interesting prizes. Email adventure@seattledining.com for more details. Additional information is available at Olympic Culinary Loop.

Fine Dining and Fine Wine on the Olympic Peninsula

Travelers to the Olympic Peninsula have long gone there to find stunning scenery, rain forests, and unparalleled outdoor activities. Back in the day few travelers expected to find great food or wine. That has changed.

A young apple presser examines a batch of apples that will soon be turned into cider at Finnriver Farm & Cidery

These days, people exploring the Olympic Peninsula come across restaurants that have been written up in the New York Times (Fins, in Port Townsend). They find hand-crafted pizza made in wood-fired stoves at Sequim’s Alderwood Bistro. They find elegant garden dining at the Cafe Garden in Port Angeles. They also find award winning Washington State Wine and cider.

When next you head to the Olympic Peninsula, be it to hike, admire views from Hurricane Ridge, or spend time in a historic seacoast town, be sure to bring your appetite. Allow time to stop by one of the Washington State wineries in Port Angeles and Port Townsend, where you may taste hand crafted Washington wine. Visit a picturesque cidery in the Chimacum Valley, and taste cider made from Washington apples. You’ll be happy you did.

2011 Sequim Lavender Farm Faire

The 2011 Sequim Lavender Farm Faire is scheduled for the weekend of July 15-17. Plan now to be on the Olympic Peninsula then. Tour lavender farms, eat lavender-infused foods, and spend time at the faire’s new location at Carrie Blake Park at the east end of town.

Carrie Blake Park

Lavender in the Park will be the location for all things lavender and more – with the exception of the actual lavender farms. New Vendors plus vendors from past lavender weekends will have their booths in the park, surrounded by lovely open spaces where children may run and play. This is a wonderful location for the Wine and Beer Garden which will be located next to the Amphitheater along with all your favorite food vendors from past lavender festivals. The Wine and Beer Garden will be the perfect place to hang out, catch the concerts while enjoying a glass of Washington State Wine. Each of our member wineries / cideries will be pouring two wines or ciders in the garden.

Lavender in the Park will be open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Evening concerts, food booths, and the Wine and Beer Garden will be open until 9 p.m. On Sunday, Lavender in the Park will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Stand in beautiful and fragrant fields of lavender. Try lavender-infused ice cream and enter the lavender pie-making contest. Refresh yourself with a glass of Washington State Wine made on the Olympic Peninsula.

Hope to see you July 15-17, 2011 for the Sequim Lavender Farm Faire. Additional information is available at the Sequim Lavender Farm Faire website.

Join Olympic Peninsula Wineries at the 2011 Sequim Lavender Farm Faire.

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.