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 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!

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.

Autumn Equals Apple Cider

Nothing says autumn quite like apple cider. For centuries, people have celebrated the fall harvest of apples by pressing them into cider. Hot apple cider, sparkling apple cider, and hard apple cider are the quintessential beverages of autumn.

Don’t let this autumn pass you by without stepping onto a farm and celebrating the apple.

Fall at Finnriver Farm on the Olympic Peninsula.

Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum is hosting an Apple Festival this Sunday, October 16, 2011, from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be apples, hot apple cider, apple brandy, and a variety of artisan hard ciders. There will also be family games, face painting, and music all day. The incomparable Cape Cleare salmon cart will be on hand with delectable dishes like their salmon sandwich, and Finnriver will serve a few tasty sweet treats.

Why stop at just one Washington State cidery? Head over to Eaglemount Wine & Cider while in the Chimacum Valley and sample their ciders. The wine studio at Eaglemount Winery is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Finnriver Farm & Cidery and Eaglemount Wine & Cidery are members of Olympic Peninsula Wineries, a group of Washington State Wineries and Cideries making wine on the Olympic Peninsula.

Celebrate the apple this Sunday, October 16, 2011.

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.

Fort Worden State Park

Fort Worden State Park is one of Washington’s treasures. Situated on the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, it offers stunning views, soft sandy beaches, and wooded hiking and biking trails. It’s also just minutes from historic downtown Port Townsend, one of the most picturesque towns in the state.

The view from Fort Worden.

Few beaches in the Puget Sound area can match the beach at Fort Worden. Grassy dunes line the sand, dancing in the ever-present breeze. Mount Baker, the Cascade Range, and Mount Rainier stand tall in the distance, while the cliffs of Whidbey Island shimmer in the foreground. The deep sand begs for bare feet, the drift wood inspires fort building, and the water is cooling on a hot day. (more…)

Cape Flattery

Cape Flattery sits at the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, on Makah land. Indeed, it is the northwestern-most point of the contiguous United States. For that reason alone, it’s worth a visit.

The Cape Flattery Lighthouse on Tatoosh Island.

It’s easier to travel to the tip of Cape Flattery than it used to be. A couple of years ago, the rough and pitted dirt road that once lead intrepid travelers 4.5 miles from Neah Bay to Cape Flattery was paved. The muddy, poorly maintained trail to the tip of Washington state was transformed into a groomed earthen and cedar plank trail. The Makah Tribe rightly decided that more people would come to Cape Flattery if it was easier to get there. Still, the journey requires a commitment – Cape Flattery is nearly 90 miles northwest of Port Angeles.

Once there, it’s worth staying a while. There are several options available. Hobuck Beach Resort on the Makah Indian Reservation offers cabins, RV camping, and tent camping. For more information, please see the Hobuck Beach Resort.

You’ll want to have a good supply of Washington State Wines with you while you’re exploring Cape Flattery and Neah Bay. Be sure to allow time for wine tasting on your journey west; there are several Olympic Peninsula Washington Wineries in Port Angeles – right on the way. Wine tasting ensures you’ll be drinking a wine you really like when you’re at the northwestern tip of the contiguous United States.

Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival

Each spring, historic Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula celebrates community and Washington’s beautiful state flower during the Rhododendron Festival. In 2011, the 76th Annual Rhododendron Festival takes place May 16-21. Rhody Fest means spring has come.

Relax in Sweet Laurette's courtyard after the Rhody Festival Pet Parade in Uptown Port Townsend.

Residents of Port Townsend and surrounding communities participate in numerous parades just for the fun of it during Rhody Fest. Everyone gets caught up in the celebratory mood while watching the great Trike Race downtown and the fancy Pet Parade Uptown. The Bed Race is one of the most entertaining and hilarious events in Washington State, while the Grand Parade is reminiscent of a bygone day. No Rhododendron Festival would be complete without the carnival that takes over Memorial Field at the end of the week.

It’s worth traveling to Port Townsend for the Rhododendron Festival. While there, we suggest you visit one or all of the Washington State wineries in and around Port Townsend. Sorenson Cellars and FairWinds Winery are located in Port Townsend proper, while Finnriver Farm & Cidery and Eaglemount Wine & Cellar are tucked into the beautiful land outside of town.

Bring a bottle of your favorite Washington State Wine back home with you, and when you drink it, remember the good fun you had during the Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival.

A schedule of festival events is available at Rhodyfest.

Port Townsend Kitchen Tour

The kitchen has long been the heart of the home. People are drawn to the warmth of the kitchen and sustained by the meals that emerge from it. For many, the kitchen is the embodiment of the word “home”. Perhaps that’s why it’s so interesting to see other peoples’ kitchens.

The 14th annual Port Townsend Kitchen Tour takes place Saturday, April 30, 2011. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., participants may tour eight different kitchens in Port Townsend’s historic Downtown and Uptown. This is a unique opportunity to peek into some of the homes you’ve most admired in Port Townsend.

Some of the kitchens are in historic homes, updated to meet the needs of our time. Others are in new homes, and reflect current trends in design. If you’ve been considering a kitchen remodel, the Port Townsend Kitchen Tour is a fantastic opportunity to see a variety of kitchen designs, cabinetry, counter tops, and more. Plus it’s fun.

There may be no better activity after a day of kitchen touring than Washington State Wine tasting. Sorenson Cellars and FairWinds Winery are located in Port Townsend; both offer wine tasting on the weekends. Two more tasting opportunities are just outside of town in beautiful Chimacum: Finnriver Farm & Cidery and Eaglemount Wine & Cider.

Local Washington State Wines and Ciders are also available at The Wine Seller, on Water Street in Port Townsend.

Please visit Port Townsend Kitchen Tour for additional detail.