Looking for some wine-themed reasons to drive around the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas this weekend? You’re in luck.
As was previously reported, the six of the eight wineries on Bainbridge Island will be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. A map of the various locations can be found at the Wine Alliance of Bainbridge Island website. The website also has phone numbers for the seven wineries, and links to the websites for those that have them.
The Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association is also hosting an event the same weekend. The theme of the weekend is “Drink in the Bounty of our Harvest.” The event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be a wine themed scavenger hunt, a first for the annual event.
Here’s what the press release says about what wine enthusiasts of all levels can expect from the weekend:
Locally made wines, including new releases, will be paired with harvest inspired appetizers. Hard ciders will be available at Finnriver Farm and Eaglemount. And it’s B.Y.O.G. (bring your own glass) again this year! Last fall’s inaugural B.Y.O.G. tour proved so much fun – and so many unique and extraordinary glasses were shared – that the wineries are bringing it back!
The event is $25, and is a self-guided tour. Tickets can be paid online in advance, or purchased at the door. The cost includes complimentary wine tastings and appetizers at each winery. A tasting fee of $5 per winery applies to visitors without a ticket.
Featured wineries include:
Finnriver Farm, Chimacum
A 33-acre organic family farm and artisan Cidery. Sparkling hard
ciders, including Finnriver’s handcrafted champagne-style cider and
apple-blueberry cider, will be available for sampling.
Harvest-themed sweet treats include pumpkin-rum cookies.
FairWinds Winery, Port Townsend
FairWinds’ Gewürztraminer will be paired with home-grown gourmet
stuffed potatoes, while home-grown squash will be made into a dip
served on pita chips and paired with the only Mead produced on the
Olympic Peninsula. In addition, FairWinds will feature its
traditional hot spiced Lemberger wine.
Sorensen Cellars, Port Townsend
Fall harvest treats from the Quimper Peninsula will be paired with
Sorensen’s hearty red wines. Case specials will be available
throughout the weekend.
Eaglemount Wine & Cider, Port Townsend
Apples from Eaglemount’s homestead orchard will be featured with a
new wine release.
Olympic Cellars, Port Angeles
Olympic Cellars will open its cellar – the heart of its
120-year-old working barn that is home to the winery. Harvest
treats include pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkin seeds served with
Mt. Townsend’s Fromage Blanc; Pane d’Amore Miche bread made with
Nash’s organic grains and served with Olympic Cellars Chardonnay
Butter; a wine and cheese pairing featuring Mt. Townsend Creamery’s
artisan cheeses; hot mulled Lemberger wine; and harvest fresh
surprises throughout Olympic Cellars’ cornucopia table. Featured
wines include the newly released 2007 Cabernet Franc from Boushey
Vineyard and the ever-popular Cranberry Jubilee, the perfect wine
for the holiday table. Also, featured will be the 2007 Neuharth
Legacy Cabernet Sauvignon, released in 2009 to commemorate the
winery’s 30th anniversary, and considered by winemaker Benoit Murat
to be his best wine made at Olympic Cellars.
Camaraderie Cellars, Port Angeles
Camaraderie Cellars’ gardens will be open and a harvest display set
up in the newly completed arbor area. Inside the tasting room,
savory bites of pate, sausages, and local breads will complement a
range of red wines perfectly suited for cold autumn nights and
hearty fare. Special pricing will enhance holiday shopping.
Harbinger Winery, Port Angeles
To celebrate the end of harvest Harbinger Winery & Brew House will
be sipping on its latest release of Cranberry Bliss while sampling
chanterelle and butternut squash bisque. Freshly baked pumpkin
bread with several festive local artisan butter spreads from Golden
Glen Creamery will be available as well. Another new release poured
for the tour will be Harbinger’s 2008 Menagerie, a blend of Merlot,
Grenache and Syrah. (100 percent of the profits from this wine go
to the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society). Guests can also sample
the 2007 Columbia Valley Syrah, 2008 Viognier, and the 2009 “Bone
Dry” Rose.
(A note for beer lovers: Harbinger’s Brew House Ratz have also been creative in their beer-making endeavors; stop by to check out the surprises they’ve concocted).
For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org, or call 800-785-5495.
For information about bed and breakfasts on the Olympic Peninsula, visit www.opbba.com. The Bainbridge Island Lodging Association has a complete list of bed and breakfasts, as well as other lodging information, on its website.
If I didn’t have to work this weekend, my plan would be to do the Bainbridge wine tour one day and the Olympic Peninsula tour the next.
