Olympic Peninsula Farmers Markets

The Olympic Peninsula is beautiful. It is a hiker’s paradise, a boater’s paradise, and some might say paradise, period. Outdoor activities abound here. Cultural activities flourish. But there is something else on the Olympic Peninsula – fine, fresh food.

The vibrant Port Townsend Farmers Market

A stroll through the Farmers Market in Port Townsend, Port Angeles or Sequim is enough to let you know that people here take their food seriously. Numerous small farmers fill their stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables each week. Be sure to bring a cooler with you, so you can stock up on fresh, tasty Olympic Peninsula produce. (more…)

Juan de Fuca Festival in Port Angeles

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to travel to the Olympic Peninsula, the perfect opportunity awaits during Memorial Day Weekend. This is your chance to attend a fantastic festival and visit several Olympic Peninsula wineries.

The Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts is an annual occurrence in Port Angeles, WA. Each Memorial Day Weekend, it brings dozens of outstanding musicians, dancers and artists to the Olympic Peninsula. They come from around the world; local favorites share the stage with folks from Ghana and British Columbia. The results are electric. (more…)

A Weekend of Jazz and Wine

Let the music begin.

Jazz lovers will soon be descending upon Port Angeles, WA, for Jazz in the Olympics. This festival runs April 23, 24, and 25, 2010, at several venues around Port Angeles. Traditional Jazz, Dixieland, and Gospel will be performed by ten different bands from all around the United States and Canada. The music starts Friday afternoon at 2pm and ends Sunday night. Shuttle buses make traveling between venues a cinch.

Even the most diehard fans of jazz will need a break eventually. When that time comes, head to a nearby Washington State Winery; four Washington Wineries are located in and around Port Angeles, and the only problem will be deciding which one to visit first. (more…)

Wine and Cheese – a Perfect Marriage

Saint-André cheese & Châteaux de Bourgogne cheese & Granville Island olive bread.. and red wine..

Wine and cheese - the best combination there is.

Wine and cheese were meant to go together. They are the perfect union. Well paired wine and cheese bring out the best in each other. The right combination compliments and enhances each flavor. It can be an extraordinary gustatory experience.

Cheese has a multitude of flavors and textures, from sumptuously creamy to sharp and crumbly. It is delicious when melted on noodles, crumbled over salads, and sliced next to fruit. And of course, cheese with bread and crackers is heavenly. But sometimes it is hard to know which cheese to choose for your dinner party or luncheon. (more…)

Wine and Birds Go Well Together

If you are heading to Sequim April 9 -11, 2010, for the Olympic Peninsula Bird Festival, be sure to leave room in your schedule for tasting Washington State wines.

Don't miss the Olympic Peninsula Birdfest, April 9 - 11, 2010

The Olympic Peninsula Bird Festival is chock full of interesting events. Participants may chose from several morning and afternoon field trips, photography workshops, or Northwest Raptor Center tours. Rise at dawn to listen to the Chorus of bird calls by the Dungeness River, and take the Owl Prowl once darkness falls. Cruise to Protection Island, and bid for unique items at the Silent Auction.

All this sounds like great fun for birding enthusiasts, but also exhausting.

When you feel ready for a bit of a rest, consider a trip to one of the Washington State Wineries near Sequim. A visit to a tasting room will restore your spirits and prepare you for the next activity at the Bird Festival. In addition, you are likely to find a Washington State wine that you would like to enjoy at home. Olympic Peninsula Wineries produce a limited number of cases each year, enabling us to focus on quality. The best chance you have of sampling our wines is in our delightful tasting rooms from Port Angeles to Port Townsend.

Bring your binoculars to the Olympic Peninsula Bird Festival, and leave with Olympic Peninsula wine.

Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour

Mark your calendars, for the Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour will be at the Washington State Wineries of the Olympic Peninsula on April 17 and 18, 2010. We’ll pair handcrafted local wines with locally made artisan cheeses, and the results will be out of this world.

Enjoy local, hand-crafted Washington wines and cheeses.

Six Washington State Wineries located in Port Townsend and Port Angeles will participate in the NW Wine and Cheese Tour. Our wineries will be open from 11 am to 6 pm both Saturday and Sunday. This allows ample time for you to leisurely visit all the wineries and sample a good selection of Washington State wines and cheese.

Cheesemakers from Mt. Townsend Creamery of Port Townsend and Mystery Bay Farm of Marrowstone Island will be at Olympic Cellars Winery, on Saturday. Sample these cheeses with the peninsula’s own Pane D’Amore bread and a selection of Olympic Cellars wines. Suzanne Tyler will present cheeses from Wild Harvest Creamery at Sorensen Cellars in Port Townsend.

Keep an eye out and a fork ready for amazing cheeses from Mount Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend, Golden Glen Creamery in Bow, and Montesano Estrella and Beechers in Seattle. We look forward to seeing which cheeses will be paired with the fantastic fruit wines of Black Diamond Winery. And we always love to see what is being poured in the lovely tasting rooms at Harbinger Winery and Camaraderie Cellars of Port Angeles. In Port Townsend, look for excellent cheese and wine parings at FairWinds Winery.

An added perk to any wine tasting event on the Olympic Peninsula is the Rain Shadow that protects most of this area from the rains that often fall in spring. We can’t absolutely guarantee sunshine, but you are more likely to find sunshine between Port Townsend and Port Angeles than anywhere else in Western Washington. Now that is worth toasting!

Tickets are now available online or by calling 800-785-5495. We encourage you to have a designated driver if you plan to thoroughly taste our Washington wines.

Is Wine Recession-Proof?

While it’s been reported that wine sales are up in 2009, with Washington state wines showing the greatest domestic growth (http://wineindustryinsight.com/?p=763), the fact is that the wine industry is not recession proof. Washington winemakers have been feeling the pinch as reported by the Tri-City Herald (http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/472266.html). According to WINO Magazine Editor Doug Haugen, however, there is a win/win solution for wine consumers and wineries in a down economy — buy direct. Here’s what Doug has to say, http://www.winomagazine.com/2009/02/economy-scheconomy/.

Online “Passport” Sales Rise in 2008

Many travelers took advantage of the opportunity to purchase their “Passports” on line before departing on the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ first International Passport Wine Tour this past weekend. A quick click via the winery association’s website enables an easy, secure Pay Pal transaction in advance of all wine tours.

Visitors paired wines crafted locally from old world origin grapes with a selection of foods from some of Europe’s most famous wine growing regions. New taste sensations were discovered, including Sorensen Cellars’ Viognier and goat cheese canapes with apricots and almonds, and Olympic Cellars’ Dungeness Red Lemberger Wine and Alsatian Tarte Flambee.A good time was had by all.

The Olympic Peninsula Winerie’s next event will be the Red Wine & Chocolate Tour. This two-weekend event will take place on February 7-8, 2009 and February 14-15-16 (Presidents’ Day Weekend). More information is available at www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org. Get your advance tickets on line now!

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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