Sequim Irrigation Festival

Sequim Irrigation Festival

The Irrigation Festival is underway!

The 2012 annual Sequim Irrigation Festival begins today, May 4. The theme is 117 & Still Growin’ Green.

The Irrigation Festival flows from the vast irrigation system that early settlers created. Sequim was transformed from a dry valley to a land of fertile fields and abundant crops. Agriculture remains an important part of Sequim’s economy and identity, as a trip to the weekly Farmers Market reveals.

The Irrigation Festival begins with the First Friday Art Walk, when Sequim’s art galleries stay open late and host special events.

It continues on May 5 and 6 with an Arts and Crafts Fair on Bell Street, between Sequim and 2nd Avenues. Each year brings a great variety of items, food booths, and local entertainment. The weekly Sequim Open Aire Market, on Cedar Street between Sequim and 2nd Avenues, showcases a wealth of fresh produce from local farmers.

Look for various Olympic Peninsula Wineries and Cideries at the markets, and bring a bottle of Washington State Wine home with you, to help you remember the event.

Sequim Irrigation Festival Parade

Watch the Grand Parade on May 12.

The following weekend starts Friday evening with a Logging Show, a Truck and Tractor Pull, and a Strongman Showdown. This brawny evening concludes with fireworks.

Saturday, May 12 is the Kids Parade, the Classic Car Show, and the 117th Irrigation Festival Grand Parade.

The Carnival comes to town Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. As always, there’ll be rides and fun for the entire family.

Sequim’s Irrigation Festival runs May 4-13, 2012. Come enjoy the nation’s oldest festival.

The Port Townsend Farmers Market

Spring is here, and spring means farmers markets. It’s hard to beat the farmers markets you’ll find on the Olympic Peninsula.

Port Townsend Farmers Market live music

Live music at the Port Townsend Farmers Market.

Last year, the Port Townsend Farmers Market was recognized as the best large Farmers Market in the state. Colorful produce lines the stalls, the smell of freshly-baked breads permeates the air, and music sets the mood. People shop, congregate, eat and dance. Is there a better place to be between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on a Saturday? We think not.

Port Townsend Farmers Market

Check out the Port Townsend Farmers Market, Saturday mornings.

In a few weeks, the smaller but no less note-worthy Chimacum Corner Farmers Market opens. It starts May 20 and runs Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the fall. If you happen to find yourself craving fresh produce on a Sunday in Chimacum prior to that, stop by the Chimacum Corner Farmstand. You can’t miss it; it’s the cheerful yellow store in the heart of Chimacum.

Spend a weekend on the Olympic Peninsula this spring. Visit Olympic Peninsula Wineries* and taste locally made, Washington State wine. Visit the Port Townsend Farmers Market and stock up on locally grown fresh produce and other treats. Discover the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

* Several of our member Washington State Wineries and Cideries are located in and around Port Townsend. FairWinds Winery is located in Port Townsend. Eaglemount Wine and Cider is located outside of Port Townsend off Route 20, and Finnriver Farm & Cidery is located in Chimacum.

Photos from the Port Townsend Farmers Market Video by Oliver Henry.

For Mothers Who Like Wine

Anyone whose mother likes wine need worry no more about how to celebrate Mother’s Day. Treat mom to a day of wine tasting on the Olympic Peninsula.

Mother's Day wine tasting Olympic Peninsula

Nice weather? Treat mom to a picnic on the beach.

Eight Washington State Wineries and Cideries call the Olympic Peninsula home. Some of the wines they produce are made from grapes and other fruits grown right here, on the peninsula. Come learn all about what they do during a Mother’s Day outing.

Have fun finding your favorite wines. Do you and Mom prefer sweet whites or robust reds? Perhaps you like dry whites or softer reds. Have you tried artisinal hard cider?

Make a weekend of it so you can take your time and wine taste at your leisure. Stay in a hotel overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Port Townsend, a vacation rental in Sequim, or a historic Bed and Breakfast in Port Townsend. Discover the many fine restaurants that call the Olympic Peninsula home: the Alderwood Bistro in Sequim; Fins Coastal Cuisine in Port Townsend; the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock. Get picnic fixings at the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market, or the Chimacum Corner Store.

You’ll find many varietals at our member Olympic Peninsula Wineries. Help your mom find her favorite during a Mother’s Day weekend wine tasting extravaganza!

 

Olympic Peninsula Wineries Photo Contest

Olympic Peninsula Wine and Cheese Tour

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.

 

Washington State Hard Cider.

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.

NW Wine and Cheese Tour photo contest

The historic barn at Olympic Cellars.

 

 

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!

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.Life is beautiful, even in February.

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.

Happy New Year from the Olympic Peninsula

We’d like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who visited our Washington State Wineries and Cideries in 2011. Thanks for journeying to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. Thanks for taking the time to visit us, taste our wine and cider, and chat with us about what we do and why we do it. We all love what we do, but the work wouldn’t be nearly so fun if we couldn’t share our wine and cider with you.

We hope to see you again in 2012.

Happy New Year from Olympic Peninsula Wineries!

Happy New Year!

New Year’s Resolution: Be a Locavore

As you review the past year and consider the year to come, we at Olympic Peninsula Wineries would like to encourage you to be a locavore.

This is what being a locavore in Washington State looks like.

We don’t mean to suggest that you should eat and drink only locally produced foods and drinks 100% of the time (though what an accomplishment that would be).   The joys of biting into colorful, juicy Satsumas during grey Pacific Northwest winters are too great to overlook. We do hope you’ll consider the benefits of eating locally: to your health, to the environment, and to your local economy.

This blog is no place for a diatribe, so we’ll keep it short and sweet. Eating locally:

  • keeps your money in your community
  • reduces your carbon footprint
  • tastes and feels good

Those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest are lucky: we can eat a varied diet of foods grown and raised here twelve months a year. We can grow kiwis and tomatoes and greens and berries in our backyards. We can find a wide variety of artisan, farmstead cheeses, free-range chickens, and grass-fed beef at farmers markets. We can eat wild salmon and Hood Canal oysters. We can drink Washington State wine and cider and beer.

In short, eating local in Washington State means eating pretty darn well.

Be kind to yourself in 2012. Be a locavore.

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.

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?