Father’s Day on the Olympic Peninsula

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 19, 2011. Consider doing something different and special this year with your dad. Head to the Olympic Peninsula for a day of fresh air and fine Washington State Wine.

Enjoy a glass of wine in the gardens at Camaraderie Cellars.

If your father is a golfer, take him out for a round of golf at one of the following Olympic Peninsula Golf Courses:

Discovery Bay Golf Course is about 5 miles outside Port Townsend. 18 holes and gorgeous views of Discovery Bay and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains.

Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, in Sequim, is the driest course in Western Washington. The Olympic Mountains stand tall in the distance.

Sunland Golf Club is fun to play. Tall sequoia, fir, spruce and cedar trees line the course, which also has great views of the Olympic Mountains.

Peninsula Golf Club sits on a hill east of Port Angeles. It overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains stand at its back.

Wine and cider tasting is the perfect activity after a morning round of golf, and the Washington Wineries of the Olympic Peninsula provide it. Four wineries offer wine tasting in Port Angeles, two wineries offer wine tasting in Port Townsend, and there are two winery / cideries between Port Townsend and Port Angeles. See our Olympic Peninsula Wineries map for more specifics.

Spend a day or two on the Olympic Peninsula with your dad, this weekend, June 18 or 19, 2011. If this weekend, is already booked, consider another weekend. Opportunities for outdoor recreation are abundant – golfing, kayaking, hiking, biking, etc.; and no matter what activity you do, save time for wine tasting on the Olympic Peninsula.

Whale Watching and Wine Tasting

Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is one of the few places in the state where one can go whale watching and wine tasting in the same day.

Killer whales, humpback, minke, and gray whales all swim in the waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. Puget Sound Express, based in Port Townsend, takes passengers out to see them all. For the past few months, gray whales have been most visible. For the next few months, orcas should be most prevalent.

A glass of Washington State Wine is just what is needed after an exhilarating day searching the waters for whales. Sorensen Cellars and FairWinds Winery are both located in Port Townsend, and both offer wine tasting. Wine and cider tasting is also available at Finnriver Farm and Cidery, located outside of town in lush Chimacum valley, and Eaglemount Wine and Cider, in the hills on the southeast banks of Discovery Bay.

The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the most majestic creatures on earth – whales. It is also home to some mighty fine wine – Washington State Wine. The Olympic Peninsula is the place to experience both.

Additional information about whale watching tours is available at Puget Sound Express.

The Gift of Port Angeles Washington Wines

grapes

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 wines as gifts this year. They’ll be much appreciated.

Welcome Eaglemount Wine and Cider

Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association welcomes Eaglemount Wine and Cider of Port Townsend to our group of Washington State wineries. Eaglemount Wine and Cider is located off Eaglemount Road, on a beautiful old homestead near the junction of Highway 20 and Highway 101 at Discovery Bay.

Eaglemount Cider of Port Townsend.

Eaglemount is known in the area for their several varieties of outstanding ciders: Homestead Cider (made of heirloom apples), Cyser (hard cider sweetened with honey), Ginger Cider (Homestead Cider and organic ginger), and Perry Cider (a slightly sweet pear cider). Their Washington state wines are also quite popular: grapes come from Arianses Vineyard near Mattawa, WA, which is known for producing outstanding wine grapes. They’re then aged underground in American French, and Hungarian oak barrels.

Eaglemount Wine and Cider has joined just in time to participate in our 2010 Harvest Olympic Peninsula Winery Tour, which takes place November 13 and 14, from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. It’s an ideal place to stop when traveling between the Washington State wineries of Port Angeles and Sequim and those in Port Townsend and Chimacum.

Great Wine Takes Dedication

And our winemaker Benoit Murat has it. Benoit is a native of Toulouse, in the southwest of France. The area between the Bordeaux region and the Pyrénées mountains is home to a great variety of wines, and some of the oldest. We are so pleased to have Benoit here with us, bringing his knowledge and experience to Olympic Cellars, one of six Washington State wineries on the Olympic Peninsula.

Benoit is pictured below, hard at work. (more…)

Red Wine and Chocolate

Is it indulgent to spend a weekend (or two) traveling between Olympic Peninsula Wineries, drinking red wine and eating chocolate? Or is it good sense? It’s no secret that moderate consumption of red wine is good for your health – it is believed to lower the risk of heart disease. Well, it has come to light that the same is true for dark chocolate.

Antioxidants, flavonoids, resveratrol? Let the doctors and scientists study the nitty gritty of why red wine and dark chocolate can help our hearts. We’ll just do as the French have always done – consume them and smile.

Six Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula are pulling out their best red wines and pairing them with fine chocolates during the weekends of February 5-6 and 13 – 15, 2010. You may purchase tickets to these festive events and taste at all six wineries for a mere $25 (includes a souvenir wine glass), or taste at individual wineries for $5 each.

There is a red wine for every palate at Harbinger Winery in Port Angeles, and a variety of chocolates to match them. Fruit wines, hearty reds and crisp blushes are all here.

Camaraderie in Port Angeles will pair their 2006 gold medal winning merlot with merlot chocolate dipping sauce, Molly Baby chocolate cookies and Princess Valiant chocolates. They’ll pull out other reds as well: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and blends.

Head to the Black Diamond Winery, in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains near Port Angeles, for tasty Raspberry and Strawberry wines. Be sure to savor the chocolate truffles between sips.

Those of you who enjoy a little spice in your life may want to head straight to Olympic Cellars, on highway 101 between Sequim and Port Angeles. CBC chocolatier Peter Crabtree has created spice-embedded chocolates to enhance the reds at Olympic Cellars. Your taste buds will tingle.

FairWinds Winery in Port Townsend will be pairing their award-winning Port O’Call with rich chocolate flowing from “the tallest known chocolate fountain in captivity”. Also in Port Townsend, Sorensen Cellars pairs reds with assorted chocolates and truffles made by Sequim chocolatier Yvonne. Be sure to try the two new releases: a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec.

You can consider it romantic or fun to head out for a weekend of tasting chocolates and wines from Washington State. Or you can consider it an integral part of your health care. How you spin it is up to you. No matter what, we feel certain you will enjoy it.

Holiday Sips and Tips

The holidays are a time when we often worry about selecting the “right” wines to accompany the delicious assortment of foods that will adorn our festive tables — and the abundance of advice that exists can sometimes feel overwhelming. Following are a few tips designed to eliminate the stress of making the “right” decision, so that you can relax and enjoy the day!

First, for big holiday meals don’t overcomplicate the wine selection. It can be as easy as simply opening a few different types of wine and letting people choose their favorites.

If you have a special, prized bottle of wine in your cellar, bring it up for the holidays and open it before dinner. Let your guests enjoy all of its delicate flavors. This might be a perfect time to offer a toast to those most special in your life.

At the table, food takes center stage. So serve several bottles of food-friendly, less expensive wines that blend well with the wide variety of dishes that you are serving. Then, sit back and enjoy your gathering.

Several Olympic Peninsula Wineries are offering “holiday” wines, perfect for sipping or for pairing with a variety of foods.

Port Townsend’s Sorensen Cellars recently released a 2007 Malbec from Two Coyote Vineyard near Zillah. Beautifully dark and inky in color, with a nose of Mountain Huckleberries that carries over onto the palate. A terrific wine to go with hearty winter stews and cassoulet. $20.00 per bottle. Place orders at the winery at 360.379.6416.

In Port Angeles, Olympic Cellars’ new La Galopine, a Roussanne and Viognier blend, is perfect for sipping before your holiday meal. This white Rhone blend offers up luscious aromas of fresh stone fruit, dry yet vibrant with dancing acidity. Barrel fermented and aged “sur lies” for 12 months. The wine is made with grapes from Ciel du Cheval, considered Red Mountain’s top vineyard. These grapes are sold only to 20 Washington wineries. NEW RELEASE: $23.99

Perfect for the table, Olympic Cellars’ Cranberry Jubilee holiday wine is medium-bodied with a fruit-filled cranberry finish. Crisp, and just a little bit sweet, the wine is decadent with leftovers from your turkey dinner. $15.99.

Harbinger Winery, also in Port Angeles, just released its 2008 Cranberry Bliss, an off-dry blend of Barrel-fermented Rose, Chardonnay, and Cranberrry wine. The cranberries are harvested from a bog in Grayland, Washington. The wine is a great match for just about any holiday “gastronimical situation,”  be it salmon, sushi, or ham. About 50 cases are available to the public, and they will be gone by the New Year. Pick up your bottle today!

More Olympic Peninsula “Fun Facts”

1. Which Olympic Peninsula location was a runner up for the filming of Disney’s second film in the series, “The Chronicles of Narnia?”
Answer: Quinault Valley

2. How did Port Townsend get its name?
Answer: Captain George Vancouver originally named the city “Port Townshend” in 1792 for his friend the Marquis of Townshend.

3. Which Native American tribes were located in what is now Jefferson County in the mid-19th century?
Answer: Chemakum (or Chimacum), Hoh (a group of the Quileute), Klallam (or Clallam), Quinault and Twana (Kilcid band-Anglicized: Quilcene).

4. Which towns on the Olympic Peninsula’s east side are known as, “The Emerald Towns?”
Answer: Quilcene & Brinnon

5. What are the 7 stocks of fish found in the Dungeness River?
Answer: Chinook; Chum; Coho; Pink; Steelhead; Cutthroat and Char.

Olympic Peninsula Fun Facts

While you may know the Olympic Peninsula as an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, with old-growth forests for hiking, mountain biking and camping, scenic waters for boating, kayaking, fishing and diving, and of course, as home to award-winning artisan wineries, chances are there are a few things that you don’t know about this beautiful region of our state. Here are a few “fun facts” to add
to your knowledge base.

1. The Olympic Peninsula is home to the only rainforests in the Continental United States. These forests are among the rainiest places in the world.

2. The Quinault Valley is called the “Valley of the Giants” because 6 of the world’s largest species of evergreens reside there in relatively close walking distances from developed areas.

3. The Hood Canal town of Quilcene is world famous for its oysters.

4. At 7,980 feet, Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Olympic National Park and has the third largest glacial system in the contiguous U.S.

5. Where on the Olympic Peninsula can you find a herd of Roosevelt elk? In the cities or Brinnon, Sequim and Forks.

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!

Port Townsend Wineries Feature Local Cheeses, Home Grown Appetizers for Passport Weekend

With the holidays just around the corner, now is a good time to start considering which wines you will serve with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. And the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ Passport Wine Tour offers a variety of food (and wine) for thought! Visit the wineries on November 14-15 from
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.and sample new and current release wines superbly paired with fresh Olympic Coastal Cuisine. Some of the wineries will feature special limited bottlings for the holidays.

In Port Townsend, FairWinds Winery’s off-dry Gewurztraminer will be paired with an array of cheeses made by Port Townsend’s Mt. Townsend Creamery. Appetizers made with red potatoes grown on FairWinds Farm served with various toppings will be complemented by the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend.

Sorensen Cellars will feature its 2008 Pinot Gris, 2007 Viognier, 2007 Sangiovese, 2006 Cabernet Franc, and 2005 Syrah. The wines will be paired with locally sourced appetizers.

Get away for a weekend and enjoy autumn on the Olympic Peninsula!