The Olympic Peninsula Wine Trail East – Part 2

The upper Olympic Peninsula has 9 wineries / cideries within an hour or less of each other so, with a designated driver and a some directions, taking a tour of the Olympic Peninsula Wine Trail is easy enough (even if an official one has yet to be created).

Last time around we talked about the west leg of our Olympic Peninsula Wine Trail. This time we’re going to look at the east leg of the tour, the Port Townsend area.

Using the numbering on our wine association’s map, numbers 6-9 are what I’m calling the east leg of the trail.

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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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2012 Juan de Fuca Festival

The Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts in Port Angeles is one of the most exciting events on the Olympic Peninsula. 2012 promises to be better than ever!

Two Man Gentlemen Band Memorial Day Weekend Port Angeles

The Two Man Gentlemen Band performs at the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts.

The festival begins on Thursday, May 24, with a Pre-Festival Kickoff Event: African Rhythms — Celtic Soul. Early festival goers will be treated to Baka Beyond, a highly original Afro-Celtic danceband. Band members come from six different European and African countries. Keeping still while you listen is not an option. This could be worth an extra long weekend.

Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts celebrates the arts in all its mediums, but it is music that takes center stage.

The 2012 lineup includes:

Allen Stone, the amazing 24 year son of a preacher man who is taking the world by the ears.

Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, known as the Lion of Zimbabwe.

Locarno, featuring Tom Landa and an exciting blend of Mexican, Cuban Son, Folk Music, Pop and Funk.

The Two Man Gentlemen Band, playing hot, raucous, retro swing.

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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.

Savor Life

We had a great turnout for the first weekend of our Red Wine and Chocolate Tour. Thanks to everyone who journeyed to the Olympic Peninsula to enjoy delicious combinations of locally made chocolate and Washington State Wine.

Olympic Peninsula Red Wine and Chocolate Tour

Take advantage of the upcoming long weekend and journey to the Olympic Peninsula for the Red Wine and Chocolate Tour.

If you were unable to make it to Port Townsend, Sequim, or Port Angeles wineries and cideries this past weekend, you’ll have another opportunity this weekend. The Red Wine and Chocolate Tour of Olympic Peninsula wineries continues February 18-20, 2012.

Spend a couple of nights in a romantic Port Townsend Bed and Breakfast. Rent a cozy cottage in Sequim. Book a room overlooking the water in Port Angeles. Allow yourself plenty of time to visit the eight Washington Wineries and Cideries participating in the Red Wine and Chocolate Tour. If you visit each one, you’ll be eligible to win an elegant gift basket.

Take advantage of the coming long weekend. Spend your time sipping wine, savoring chocolate, and immersing yourself in the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. Visit Dungeness Spit. Walk the trails of Fort Warden. Ride your bikes along a stretch of the Olympic Discovery Trail. Visit a beautiful farm in Chimacum.

Please see our Red Wine and Chocolate Tour for additional information, and plan you weekend getaway now.

Two Weekends of Bliss at Olympic Peninsula Wineries

The Red Wine & Chocolate Tour at Olympic Peninsula Wineries begins this weekend, February 11 and 12, 2012. It continues the following weekend, February 18-20.

This is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Sublime combinations of wine and chocolate are explored and celebrated. Each participating Washington State Winery and Cidery on the Olympic Peninsula will have something unique to share: a deep, dark chocolate fountain, sinful truffles, and an abundance of new release wines.

Black Diamond Winery

Try a variety of sweet combinations at Black Diamond Winery. Chocolate truffles will be served alongside Raspberry, Loganberry, and Strawberry Wines. Black Diamond will also be pouring their Syrah, for folks who like life a little less sweet.

Try cocoa spice-rubbed pulled pork at Camaraderie Cellars in Port Angeles.

Camaraderie Cellars

There are chocolate desserts, and then there is chocolate food. It’s hard to resist Camaraderie Cellars’ cocoa spice-rubbed pulled pork cooked in a wood-fired oven. Try it with the savory chocolate bruschetta, which is unlike anything we’ve ever tasted. Enjoy them both with the 2009 Syrah, which will be released during this event.

For the sweet teeth out there, Camaraderie will serve Molly Baby chocolate shortbread cookies and Equal Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate bars. Cabernet and Merlot varietals will be served alongside these goodies.

Eaglemount Wine and Cider

Tucked away on a lovely piece of ground above Discovery Bay, Eaglemount will serve new releases of their cider, mead, and red wine. Chocolates by Chocolate Serenade add a sweet touch.

Dip a strawberry into the chocolate fountain at FairWinds Winery, in Port Townsend.

FairWinds Winery

It just wouldn’t be the Olympic Peninsula Red Wine and Chocolate Tour without a chocolate fountain. The fountain at FairWinds Winery is said to be the tallest chocolate fountain on the Peninsula. Dip fruits and sweets into this delicious pool of dark chocolate and try the latest vintages of Gewürztraminer, Port O’ Call, and a Carbernet Sauvignon / Merlot blend. You may not want to leave.

Finnriver Cidery

Warm yourself with Finnriver Cidery’s newly released Raspberry Wine and then savor chocolate-covered berries.

Try Black Currant and Pear Cider cocktails with outrageous chocolate brownies.

Treat yourself to a ticket to the Chocolate Chamber, where you can dive into a cup of “BLISS” Chocolate Elixir, a creamy gourmet sipping chocolate by Jennifer Michele Chocolat of Port Townsend.

Harbinger Winery

Mount Olympus Black Truffles by Wicked Little Sweets are divine. When paired with Harbinger Winery’s newly released 2009 Bolero, they’re sinful.

If you appreciate good beer, don’t leave without trying Bar Hop Brewing’s Venezuelan Chocolate Porter.

Harbinger Winery is also hosting Aphrodisiac Chocolate tastings in the Kitty Kat Lounge. Reservations recommended.

Olympic Cellars

You may think you’re wine tasting on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, but when you step into Olympic Cellars, you’ll realize you’re actually in Paris. Sip red and white Washington State Wines, savor handcrafted chocolates by Yvonne Yakota, sway to French music and watch an artist at work. Don’t leave without trying a freshly baked chocolate croissant.

Wind Rose Cellars

Italian grape varieties grown in Washington State are the foundation of the wines at Wind Rose Cellars in Sequim. Try the newly released 2010 Dolcetto and sample the creative chocolate combinations made by Sequim’s Cocoa d’Amici: Hazel Nut Crunch, Pistachio Fig, and Ginger Cinnamon.

Additional information is available at Red Wine & Chocolate Tour. Bon appétit!

Olympic Peninsula Red Wine and Chocolate Tour

For many of us, February on the Olympic Peninsula means red wine and chocolate.

Folks often believe February in the Pacific Northwest to be a bit dreary. In truth, the second month of the year typically includes many days of grey and rain. Fear not! The antidote to February Glums is the miraculous combination of chocolate and red wines from Washington State.

For the past several years, Olympic Peninsula Wineries have given new meaning to the month of February. We devote two weekends to the delightful combination of red wine and chocolate; locally made chocolates are tasted and paired with our own Washington State Wines. What can we say? “It’s a tough job…”

In 2012, the Red Wine and Chocolate Tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends of February 11-12 and February 18-20. We are currently exploring bold new combinations guaranteed to rock your world. Take our word for it–you won’t want to miss this event. Mark your calendars now.

Tickets are not required to attend the Red Wine and Chocolate Tour, but advance tickets do guarantee admittance. The $30 ticket includes admittance to all eight participating wineries (in Port Angeles, Port Townsend, and Chimacum), a commemorative wine glass, and complimentary wine and chocolate tasting at each winery. If you have your ticket stamped at all participating wineries, you’ll be eligible to win a gift basket.

Non-ticketed visitors will be charged a $5.00 wine / chocolate tasting fee at each winery.

The Washington State Wineries of the Olympic Peninsula encourage responsible drinking, and we will not serve or sell wine to any guest who appears intoxicated.

Olympic Peninsula Wineries Holiday Open House

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to start considering Christmas and Hanukkah. This year, gift a gift that can be truly enjoyed. Give a bottle of Washington State Wine from the Olympic Peninsula.

Give special gifts this year. Give Washington Wine made on the Olympic Peninsula.

Find the perfect wines for the oenophiles in your life by attending our Holiday Open House. All eight of our Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries will be open from noon until 5 p.m. on December 10 and 11, 2011. Make a weekend of it (holiday shopping need not be dreary), and visit all of them.

Take your time. Stretch your legs at beautiful, rural, Eaglemount Wine & Cider and Finnriver Farm & Cider. Spend a few hours at the Port Townsend wineries, Sorensen Cellars and FairWinds Winery. Pass the night in Port Townsend, where you can enjoy an excellent meal at Fins Coastal Cuisine or The Silverwater, then head to Port Angeles on Sunday, where you can leisurely taste at Olympic Cellars, Black Diamond Winery, Harbinger Winery, and Camaraderie Cellars. You may even want to make a long weekend of it.

If you know your oenophiles to have certain preferences, talk to the pourers at the various wineries. They’re in the best position to help you find the right wines.

Won’t it feel good to have your holiday shopping finished by the 12th?

A Brief Guide to Wine Tasting

Play fun cork games during the 2011 Harvest Wine Tour of Olympic Peninsula Wineries.

The Harvest Wine Tour of our Olympic Peninsula Wineries starts today. We hope to see many familiar faces and welcome new people to the Washington State wineries and cideries of Port Townsend, the Chimacum Valley, and Port Angeles.

Please read on for a brief guide to wine tasting. We hope this will help you negotiate and appreciate the wines you sample this weekend.

Wine tasting is about more than just taste. It examines the sight, scent, and taste of wine. The experience begins with the uncorking (which is why many restaurants offer the cork for sniffing), and ends when the aftertaste has faded.

Be sure to note the following aspects:

The appearance of the wine in the glass. Hold your glass up the light and tilt it. Note the colors. Then swirl the wine and watch the legs run down the sides of the glass – the thicker and slower the legs, the fuller the body of the wine will be. Think of the difference between skim milk and whole milk.

The aroma of the wine in the glass. Swirl the wine for about 10 seconds, then put the glass to your nose and breathe deeply. Do this a few times. How many various scents can you distinguish?

The taste of the wine. Take a sip and savor it before you swallow. Does it have a heavy or light texture (again, think of skim vs whole milk). Is it sweet? Fruity? Dry?

The finish of the wine, or aftertaste. How does the wine linger in your mouth after the sip has been swallowed?

Consider a wine’s complexity, character, and potential. Would you enjoy drinking this wine alone, or do you think it would be best served with food? If served with food, what kind of food? Spicy, sweet? Rich and creamy? Meaty?

We look forward to seeing you tasting Washington State Wine this weekend during the Harvest Wine Tour of Olympic Peninsula Wineries. Enjoy the wine and cider you taste. Have fun with the experience. Drink responsibly and pace yourself. Cheers!

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