Savor the Flavors of Spring on the Olympic Peninsula!

Spring is busting out all over the north Olympic Peninsula, including inside the region’s nine artisan wineries and cideries! Come and taste the flavors of the season during the Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour, Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 from 11am – 5pm. Spring wine and cider releases will be paired with fresh, locally-made cheeses to enjoy as you travel at your own pace from Chimacum and Marrowstone Island to Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles. Live music, art and beautiful scenery will round out your celebration of spring!

Advance tickets are available online for $35.00, or $40.00 at the door of participating wineries. Tour tickets include wine and cheese tasting at all nine wineries and cideries plus a commemorative wine glass. Independently, each venue charges a $10.00 tasting fee. Visit www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org.

Here is a sampling of what you will encounter along the wine trail:

Chimacum
Stop at Finnriver Farm Orchard & Cider Garden to taste life on the land and enjoy the signs of spring on the farm—young lambs, nesting geese and new buds on the apple trees! We are pleased to welcome our friends and neighbors from Mt. Townsend Creamery, to showcase the beauty of cider and cheese pairings. Finnriver will feature our spring botanical cider, Honey Meadow, and our newly released 2018 homegrown Fire Barrel Cider and Orchard Perry. We will continue our annual tradition of Pane d’Amore’s delectable cheesy breadsticks. We serve local brats and crepes on weekends, and host live music on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

Sequim
Wind Rose Cellars will pour some of our special award-winning wines, plus our new release 2017 Rosato (dry rose wine), paired with cheeses from Black Sheep Creamery. On Friday and Saturday nights we will host live music from 7-9pm. Friday we will have night the “Hot Llamas,” a local bluegrass band that also plays a mixture of modern songs in the bluegrass fashion. Saturday night, we’ll host the “Mike Klinger B3 Organ Band,” a local jazz group that performs a mixture of jazz and blues mixed with a little funk. Our bistro menu features small plates and local treats; two rotating beer taps, cider and kombucha on draft.

Port Angeles
Camaraderie Cellars will visit some of our favorite things for the annual Wine, Cider & Cheese event: Willapa Hills Creamery cheeses made near Chehalis, Uli cheddar bratwurst made in Seattle, and award winning wines that we make right here!  We will pour some outstanding award winners such as Tempranillo and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and some local favorites as well.  Our favorite season, spring, is busting out all over our gardens.  And our new Ridge Room is complete and ready for your visit.  Special event discounts will help fill your cellar.

Olympic Cellars is celebrating some big wins! Our 2014 Syrah won a Gold Medal at the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Competition. We also won Gold and Best of Columbia Valley at the 2018 Toast of the Coast Competition in Del Mar.

Our 2015 Dungeness Red Lemberger won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Competition.  It also won Double Gold, Best of Horse Heaven Hills and Best Lemberger in Show at the Toast of the Coast Competition in Del Mar.

You will have the opportunity to sample both the Syrah and the Dungeness Red. We will have 10 wines available for sampling and you choose the five that you want to taste. For pairing, we will feature lovely, small batch, all-natural cheeses from Golden Glen Creamery. Expect their traditional flavored cheddars and yummy cheese curds.

If you like to sip and shop, we will be introducing a new artist to the Olympic Cellars’ gift shop. Donna Taylor Mayo will be on hand to discuss her beautiful, recycled -glass pieces. The tour will also be an excellent opportunity to take advantage of our 20% discount on 4 bottles, mix and match.

More information at www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org.