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March is Washington Wine Month

Here are three upcoming events for your consideration.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 02, 2011 at 12:04PM 0 Comments

March is Washington Wine month. Celebrate accordingly.

Photo courtesy: California Wine Tours. But come on. This could totally be a glass of Washington wine. Use your imagination!

What month is it? March. Yes, okay. But. It’s also Washington Wine Month, and there are a lot of dinners and such leading up to Taste Washington, which will be held the last weekend of the month at Qwest Field.

I’ve taken the liberty of choosing three imminently occurring related local events that I consider to be good values, and listing them below for your consideration.

TWO BOBS
This Friday, March 4, the Willows Lodge is hosting a wine dinner with one of Washington’s all-time awesomest winemakers, Bob Betz. Bobby Moore from the Barking Frog cooks the four-course meal, it’s $135.
Why it’s worth it: Auspicious consumables, lots of them.

SCHOLARLY SIPPING
The Local Vine is teaching a class on wines of the Pacific Northwest this Saturday, March 5. I recently had a chance to take an Italian wines class there and it was fun, plus you get 10 percent off bottles in the retail area where there are some really nice values. The class is from 2:30 to 4pm and it costs $55.
Why it’s worth it: Remember the mantra you use when paying your college loan bill and/or your kid’s tuition. “Education is priceless. Education is priceless. Education is priceless. Etc.”

FANCY PANTS
Legendary Swirl happens March 8 at El Gaucho. The $95 price tag buys you sips from 20 big-deal wineries like Delille and PepperBridge and Abeja. This is fancy-pants territory so please, wear the fanciest pants you own.
Why it’s worth it: This is a truly intimate event, nobody is going to bump you and cause your short-rib slider to explode all over your shirt, as is wont to happen at larger tasting events. The spread of snacks from El Gaucho is impressive, and the wines are the best of the best.

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Tags: Taste Washington, Washington Wines, Wine and Food Pairings, Wine and Dine

March 27: Taste Washington Seminars

The once-a-year wine classes are not to be missed, but one is already sold out. Get your tickets now.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 11, 2010 at 12:51PM 0 Comments

Taste Washington is just three weeks away and as I did last year, I’m going to heartily recommend you sign up for one of the seminars on Saturday.

Sunday’s Grand Tasting is great, but the seminars are fascinating and intimate, and will focus your tasting skills before you begin the sip-and-spit marathon at Qwest field. The food pairing seminar with Tom Douglas has already sold out, sadness, but there are a couple of others that sound good.

I like, in particular, the concept of Icons of Tomorrow: the Proving Grounds. The class explores which wines will be: “the next Cayuse Vineyards, Col Solare, Leonetti Cellar, or Woodward Canyon.” Grand Reve, a very fruitful collaboration of talented Washington growers and blenders (with a tasting room in Kirkland), will be there. And Efeste will be on hand to rock everyone out with its Big Papa Cab, as will Gramercy Cellars and its syrah knockout, the 2007 John Lewis.

Icons of Tomorrow is $40 and runs from 1:45 to 3pm on Saturday, March 27. All seminars are held at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. Sign up here.

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Tags: Tastings and Classes, Wine Tastings, Taste Washington, Washington Wines