Chocolate. Red Wine. A Divine Combination.

Chocolate is divine. It is luxurious. It is decadent. It has been special since it was discovered, and with good reason. Sweet and smooth, dark and creamy, rich and bittersweet…there is really nothing else like it. We drink it. We melt it. We eat it any way we can.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Red Wine and Chocolate.

Although today chocolate is relatively affordable, it was once quite a luxury. Even these days, chocolate of extraordinarily good quality comes with a price. A gift of fine chocolate is meaningful; that’s why we give it to the people we love.

But don’t just give a box of chocolates to your Valentine this year. Step out of the box. Give an experience. Bring your sweetie to the Red Wine & Chocolate Tour at Olympic Peninsula Wineries.

Discover enchanting combinations of red wine and chocolate. There will be deep Cabernets, rich Merlots, and flavorful Syrahs. There will be hand crafted, locally made chocolates. They will be paired by experts who recognize that both grapes and cocoa beans are effected by the climate and geography of the regions that produce them.

Pairing wine and chocolate has got to be one of the most delightful sciences there is. Taste for yourself. Join us Olympic Peninsula Wineries for two weekends of Red Wine and Chocolate.

The Red Wine & Chocolate Tour runs February 11-12 and February 18-20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional details are available on our Events page.

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.

Sweet and Savory, Chocolate and Wine

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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A Generations-Old Italian Family Recipe

The Conca Family of Lost Mountain Winery has been making wine — and great Italian food — for generations.

Following is a classic dish that Winemaker Steve Conca’s Italian grandmother handed down to Steve’s father, Romeo Conca, and Romeo then handed down to Steve and his wife, Sue. The Conca family had a small restaurant in Bellano on the shores of Lake Como at the turn of the century, and Bracciola was served at the restaurant. The recipe was originally made with salt pork instead of bacon, but Steve and Sue prefer the smokey flavor of the bacon.

Bracciola (bra-shoal)

1 flank steak
6 slices good quality bacon
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley
salt & pepper
Olive oil
1 qt red pasta sauce (homemade or jar)
Parmesan Cheese

Chop raw bacon with garlic and parsley until it forms a slightly chunky paste (food processor works well). Spread this mixture on the underside of the flank steak to within about 1/2 inch of edges. Roll-up snugly, jelly roll style, and tie with cotton or butcher’s twine. Dust with salt and pepper. Heat oil in dutch oven style heavy pan and brown flank steak for a few minutes on each side. Add the pasta sauce, bring to a boil, cover and simmer at low for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Check occasionally and stir to turn and be sure it does not stick or burn. Remove meat from the sauce, remove string and cut crosswise into about 1/2 inch rounds. Serve these pinwheels with the sauce over your favorite cooked pasta. Top with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

Serve with Lost Mountain Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Tour, Crab Festival & Poker Run

Just when you thought the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival couldn’t get any better, the Olympic Peninsula Wineries are throwing something new into the pot.

The first annual self guided Tour of Wineries and Poker Run will take place Saturday & Sunday, Oct 11 & 12, starting at 11 am. The best five card poker hand at the end of the weekend wins a gorgeous gift basket and a trio of gift certificates from Seven Cedars Casino. Anyone age 21 and over is welcome to join the fun.
Here is how it works. Begin the run at any of the North Olympic Peninsula Wineries, the Crab and Seafood Festival’s Wine Bar located on the Port Angeles City Pier, or the Seven Cedars Casino near Sequim. Enjoy some award winning wine and pick up your Poker Run Card, complete with instructions and a map.

Each winery you visit, in addition to the Crab Festival and the Casino, offers the opportunity to draw a card and have your personal Poker Run Card stamped with the value of the card you drew. Visit all nine locations and you’ve got nine opportunities to draw for the best potential poker hand, but the number of stops is up to you. A minimum of five stops is required for validation.

Each venue will have a depository for completed cards and will accept cards until closing. The wineries will be open from 11am-5pm on Sat & Sun, the Crab Festival from 10am-7:30pm on Sat, and 10am-5:30pm on Sunday. Seven Cedars Casino opens at 10am each day and will offer the last chance to drop off completed Poker Run Cards at 7pm on Sunday.

The Poker Run is free of charge. Wine tasting will be available at all seven wineries throughout the day, and customary tasting fees will apply. At the end of the weekend all Poker Run Cards will be gathered and transferred to the casino where the winning hand will be determined. The winner will be notified by mail and email.

Come out and try your luck with
World Class Wines, Spectacular Seafood, and a winning experience!

Celebrate Lavender Wine Tour

Summer covers the North Olympic Peninsula in numerous shades of purple as the designated Lavender Capital of North America comes abloom. Celebrating this seasonal heritage, the Olympic Peninsula Wineries invite the public to enjoy a special Lavender Wine Tour, from Saturday, July 12 to Sunday July 20. the seven artisan wineries will pour their new and current releases from 11- 5 daily. Drive the self-guided Lavender Wine Tour and experience the warm hospitality for which the wineries are known.

The wine tour kicks-off Sequim’s annual Lavender Festival, set to take place July 18-20. The festival is the largest lavender event in North America, attracting visitors from around the world each year. The Olympic Peninsula Wineries will be featured in the Wine & Beer Garden during the Festival Street Fair, with wines available for tasting or for purchase by the glass or by the bottle.

Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend!

Spring Barrel Tasting in North Olympic Wine Country

Public Invited to Experience Oak’s Significant Role in the Aging of Wine

May 12, 2008 – The Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association will offer a sneak peek at a number of upcoming releases during its annual Spring Barrel Tasting Tour, to take place Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday, May 24 through Monday, May 26. Seven member wineries located in Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles will welcome visitors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

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