Discover Washington Wine Calendar of Events

Gorman Winery — Warehouse District, Woodinville.

EDITOR’S NOTE: To promote your wine event on our Calendar of Events, simply e-mail the specifics about the event to: chuck@discoverwashingtonwine.com. It’s best to send your information to us at least 30 days prior to the event.

Wine Tasting at the Walter Clore Center

Friday, April 26 – Horse Heaven Hills Winegrowers Reception – 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Make sure to buy your tickets now for an evening at The Clore Center featuring a selection of wines from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Wine growers and winery representatives will be on hand at this special event, which will take place from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 26. Enjoy a night out, stock up your cellar and meet some great people in the industry.

Wineries that will be represented on this special night include Alder Ridge/CAVU Cellars, Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Columbia Crest, Coyote Canyon, Double Canyon, Martinez & Martinez Winery, Mercer Wine Estates and Water From Wine.

Tickets are $20 (plus tax) for the general public, but members of the Clore Center’s Best Cellars Wine Club may attend the event for just $10. Appetizer cheese trays are included in the price of admission. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Saturday, April 27 – Blind Tasting: Viognier – 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Tasting wines blind, without knowing the winemaker, the winery, the price or seeing the label is a great way to develop your palate, discover new wines and make your own decisions about price indicating your preference for wines. Viognier is, without a doubt, one of the most attractive white grape varieties in the world. At this event, you will taste five different Viognier wines with character and great ageing ability. You’ll learn about the history of the grape, the regions in which it is grown world-wide, common tasting descriptions, and current information on Viognier grapes grown in Washington. Instructor: William Pollard. Class Level: Intermediate. Tickets: $30 plus tax; $25 for members of the Clore Center’s Best Cellars Wine Club. Ticket price includes a welcome splash on arrival, a discounted $1 tasting after class, and a 10% discount opportunity on wine purchases during your visit that day. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Thursday, May 2 — 5th Annual Clore Classic Golf Tournament – Noon to 7:30 p.m.

Calling all golfers. The Clore Center’s 5^th Annual Clore Classic Golf Tournament will take place on Thursday, May 2^nd at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, WA. Tee off is at l p.m. Show your support for Washington wine and The Clore Center with a day of fun, competition and fantastic wine. This annual tournament brings together industry groups and Clore Center supporters. All proceeds benefit The Clore Center’s ongoing wine and culinary programming. Last year, more than 80 golfers raised more than $15,000 to support The Clore Center’s various programs. To register, call The Clore Center at (509) 786-1000, ext. 204.

Saturday, May 4 – Meet the Maker: Sonder Wines – 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The Clore Center’s first “Meet the Winemaker” event of the month of May will feature Riley Miller, owner of Sonder Wines, on Saturday, May 4. After working 10 harvests between the northern and southern hemispheres, Riley returned to the State of Washington to begin crafting Sonder Wines from grapes sourced from the Yakima Valley. The Clore Center’s “Meet the Maker” series is a great way to meet winemakers and winery owners, and to taste and purchase their wines on your visit that day. The cost to attend any of the Meet the Maker events is The Clore Center’s regular tasting fee of $10.

About Class Levels: No entry test or proof of experience is needed to attend any classes – we list the level of class for our experienced guests.

Novice = very basic information, including step by step tasting, wine etiquette, basic food pairing recommendations, surface level regional education, value wine.
Intermediate = brief tasting guide, historic and regional information, advanced culinary insights, higher value wine
Advanced = skip tasting guides, and dive into in-depth regional and historic information, more unique food pairings (if applicable), premium wines.

To order tickets for these events, visit: theclorecenter.org. Or call The Clore Center at (509) 786-1000. Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center is located at 2140A Wine Country Road, Prosser, WA 99350. The Center’s tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lake Chelan Spring Release & Rosé Soirée – April 20-21 & April 27-28

Over two weekends – April 20-21 and April 27-28, the 30-plus wineries located in the Lake Chelan Valley AVA will open their tasting rooms to showcase the brilliant whites and delightful pinks they bottled a few months ago. And on Saturday night, April 27, many of the same wineries will gather from 7 p.m to 9 p.m. at the beautiful Larc Hill Vineyard Ranch for an evening they’re calling Rosé Soirée. All of the wines that will be poured at the Soirée will be Rosé wines made in the Lake Chelan Wine Valley. Tickets for the event, which includes 10 tastings, appetizers, and a logo glass to take home are $55 per person. However, Designated Driver tickets, which include food but no wine or glass, can be purchase for $25 per person.

If you prefer to visit each winery participating in the two-weekend Spring Release event separately, the wineries that will be open both weekends include Alta Cellars Winery, Amos Rome Vineyards, Ancestry Cellars, Benson Vineyards, C.R. Sandidge Wines, Cairdeas Winery, Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards, Fielding Hills Winery, Four Lakes Winery, Karma Vineyards, Lake Chelan Winery, Mellisoni Vineyards, Nefarious Cellars, One Wines, Inc., Rio Vista Wines, Rocky Pond Winery, Siren Son Vineyard Estate & Winery, Skagit Cellars, Succession Wines, Tildio Winery, Tsillan Cellars, Tunnel Hill Winery, Vin du Lac Winery, Wapato Point Cellars and Wine Girl Wines.

For a list of wines each winery will be pouring during the two-weekend Spring Release event, visit: www.lakechelanwinevalley.com/lake-chelan-spring-release/

Sexy Syrah Grand Tasting – Salty’s Restaurant on Alki Beach – Thursday, April 25

Salty’s Restaurant on Alki Beach in West Seattle will be the venue for the 18^th Annual Sexy Syrah Grand Tasting event on Thursday, April 25. More than 30 Washington wineries will be pouring their best Syrahs at Salty’s, which is arguably the Seattle area’s hottest view restaurant. If you have an affection for red wines with bold spices, rich fruit and silky texture, you’ll want to attend this event, which always sells out quickly. A portion of each ticket will benefit Seattle’s Children’s Hospital working with the John L. Scott Foundation.

Tickets for the event, which runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., are $50 per person. However, for $65, you can purchase a VIP ticket that allows you entry to the event at 5 p.m. Sexy Syrah is produced by Sommelier David LeClaire and Salty’s Sommelier Tim O’Brien. To purchase tickets, log onto: www.seattleuncorked.com. Or contact David LeClaire at: david@seattleuncorked.com. Phone: (206) 683-3288.

Kirkland Spring Fling Wine Walk – Friday, April 26

Grab some friends and go on a wine tasting tour of Washington wineries at businesses in downtown Kirkland, WA. Meet winemakers from 15 wineries and sip, stroll, shop and sip some more through downtown Kirkland, a vibrant waterfront community located on the shores of Lake Washington just east of Seattle.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at The Heathman Hotel (220 Kirkland Ave.), where you’ll pick up your event map and list of each wine being poured at select downtown Kirkland businesses, along with a commemorative wine glass and 12 tasting tickets. The event is a fundraiser for the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and the Kirkland Downtown Association in collaboration with Seattle Uncorked. Tickets are $25 in advance/$30 the day of the event. VIP early entry tickets are also available for $35.

Following is a list of businesses that will be participating in the event and the wineries that will be pouring their wines at each location: F45 Training – Long Cellars; Nyanza Bridal – Treveri Cellars; REMAX Hallmark Realty – Red Earth Wines and Fly-Caster Brewing Co.; Serendipity Consignment – Truth Teller Winery; Lizzy Kate – Ellensburg Canyon Winery; Lake Street Diamond – Sol Stone Winery; Raw Bar 89 – Chateau Beck; Crush Footwear – Drum Roll Wine; The Heathman Hotel — DeLille Cellars; Bombaii Cutters – Fortuity Cellars; Purpose Boutique – Naches Heights Vineyard; Dermavita Med-Spa – Patterson Cellars; Catalyst Fitness — Cadaretta Winery ; Clementine Shoppe – Love That Red Winery and Parklane Gallery – Zerba Cellars.

For information about purchasing tickets for the Kirkland Spring Fling Wine Walk, contact the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce at: https://kirklandchamber.org/kirkland-wine-walk/. Or call (425) 822-7066.

Yakima Valley Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend — Friday, April 26 – Sunday, April 28.

Wineries from Yakima to Benton City, WA. will take part in Wine Yakima Valley’s Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend from Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28. It’s your chance to get a jump on tasting and purchasing some of the best wines in Yakima Valley wine country. A visit to the Valley on this weekend will allow you to sample delicious, yet-unfinished wines from the barrel.

To enjoy the weekend at its fullest, purchase a PREMIER PASS, which gives you access to exclusive benefits available only during this Spring Barrel Tasting weekend. PREMIER PASS holders will be able to experience a variety of specialty food pairings, library tastings, and reduced tasting fees.

Passes purchased by April 18 will be shipped to you at the shipping address you provide during checkout beginning April 20. Passes purchased after April 18 will be available for pick-up during the event weekend at the location selected during checkout. ONLINE PREMIER PASS SALES END at 8 a.m. on April 24. PREMIER PASSES can be purchased by going to Wine Yakima Valley’s website at: www.wineyakimavalley.org.

Wineries participating in the Yakima Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend include:

Yakima Area Wineries

AntoLin Cellars, Gilbert Cellars.

Zillah Area Wineries

Covet Winery, Cultura Wine, Dineen Family Vineyards, Horizon’s Edge Winery, J. Bell Cellars, Knight Hill Winery, Maison de Padgett Winery, Masset Winery, Paradisos del Sol Winery, Porrteus Winery, Severino Cellars, Tanjuli Winery, Two Mountain Winery and VanArnam Vineyards.

Sunnyside/Grandview/Prosser Area Wineries

14 Hands, Airfield Estates, Barrel Springs Winery, Co Din Cellars, Côte Bonneville, Daven Lore Winery, Domanico Cellars, Fortuity Cellars, Milbrandt Vineyards, Thurston Wolfe Winery, Wit Cellars and Yakima Valley Vintners.

Benton City and Red Mountain Wineries

Chandler Reach Winery, Cooper Wine Company, Hightower Cellars, Kitzke Cellars, Purple Star Winery, Sleeping Dog Wines, Tapteil Vineyard Winery, Terra Blanca Winery and Tucannon Cellars.

Tasting hours vary from winery to winery during Barrel Tasting Weekend, so make sure to contact the wineries you pan to visit before you go. Organizers of the event ask that you bring your own glass (wineries cannot provide glasses during large weekend events).

For more information about Spring Barrel Weekend, visit: www.wineyakimavalley.org. Or call (509) 571-7483.

Yakima Valley Winemaker’s Table – Saturday, April 27 – Sunday, April 28

Yakima Valley’s newest event offers an intimate wine tasting experience with your favorite winemaker. Over the weekend of April 27-28, you’ll enjoy an exclusive vertical tasting of library wines, current vintages and barrel samples from 10 wineries in Washington’s Yakima Valley. Coinciding with Yakima Valley’s Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend, this is your opportunity to sample the best wines these wineries have to offer. You’ll learn the history, nuances and stories of each win in a private, seated tasting. In addition, your Winemaker’s Table ticket will be honored as a PREMIER PASS to all wineries participating in Yakima Valley’s Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend.

Wineries that will be participating in the Winemaker’s Table event are Chandler Reach (Sunday only), Co Dinn Cellars, Cote Bonneville, Gilbert Cellars, J. Bell Cellars, Kitzke Cellars, Purple Star Wines and Muret-Gaston Wines, Tanjuli Winery, Wit Cellars and Yakima Valley Vintners.

Seating times: Saturday, April 27 – Every two hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; Sunday, April 28 – Every two hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets for the event are $75 per person. For detailed information about what wines each winery will be pouring at the Winemaker’s Table event, visit: www.wineyakimavalley.org.

Walla Walla Spring Release Weekend – Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5

During Walla Walla’s Spring Release Weekend visitors are among the first to enjoy newly released wines, many of which can only be found by visiting the wineries and tasting rooms themselves. It’s a fantastic opportunity to talk directly with Walla Walla Valley winemakers about their new vintages and gain insight into the creative winemaking process. In addition to sampling and purchasing newly released wines, many wineries will offer special activities such as winemaker dinners, live music, and much more.

For a list of specific events taking place during the weekend, go to: www.wallawallawine.com/spring-release-weekend. Or call the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance at (509) 525-8799.

Downtown Issaquah Wine & Art Walk – Saturday, May 4

Gather your friends for a night of wine tasting, art and music in Historic Downtown Issaquah, WA. on Saturday, May 4. Stroll Historic Front Street and enjoy live music, art, artists in action, snacks and local boutique wines. Front Street shops and restaurants are open to the public during the Wine & Art Walk. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This is an all ages, FREE event, but wine tasting requires the purchase of drink tokens. A set of 10 drink tokens is $25 if purchased in advance or $35 at the event. Check in begins at 6 p.m. at the historic Shell Gas Station at 232 Front Street.

Wineries that will be participating in the event include Abbey Vineyard & Winery, DiStefano Winery, Ducleaux Cellars, Ellensburg Canyon Winery, Fortuity Cellars, Market Vineyards, Michael Florentino Cellars, Monte Scarlatto Estates, Nine Hats Wines and Wind Rose Cellars. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own wine glasses.

For more information, and to purchase drink tokens, call (425) 391-1112, or visit: www.downtownissaquah.com/event/downtown-issaquah-wine-art-walk. If you miss the Wine & Art Walk on May 4, don’t worry. Another one is schedule for the first Saturday in June.

Savor Southwest Washington Wine – Pearson Air Museum, Vancouver, WA. – Saturday, May 11

The Southwest Washington Wine Association will present its first ever Savor Southwest Washington Wine event from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at the Pearson Air Museum in Vancouver, WA. The event will showcase wines from 15-plus Southwest Washington wineries and food from locally owned and operated boutique restaurants, highlighting the rapidly emerging Southwest Washington wine and food scene.

With just 350 tickets available, this exclusive epicurean event aims to provide guests the opportunity to sip, sample and experience the wines and food of Southwest Washington while meeting and mingling with winemakers and chefs in a leisurely, uncrowded environment. The event is all-inclusive – all wine, food, coffee and other event offerings are included in the ticket price. Once in the door, guests can simply focus on savoring the local wine and food scene. Early bird tickets can be purchased for $65 through April 10; after April 10 tickets go up to $75; and at the door (if there are any tickets available at that time) they will be $85.

Participating wineries include Burnt Bridge Cellars, Columbia Gorge Vintners, Confluence Vineyard & Winery, Dolio Winery, Emanar Cellars, English Estate Winery, Heathen Estate Winery, Heisen House Vineyards, Maryhill Winery, Matranga Vineyards, Mended Oak Winery, Olequa Cellars, Pomeroy Cellars, Rezabek Vineyards, Stavalaura Vineyards and Windy Hills Winery.

Restaurants providing food at the event include Bleu Door Bakery, Elements Restaurant, Farrarr’s Bistro, La Bottega and Tommy O’s.

The Southwest Washington Winery Association chose the historic Pearson Air Museum location for the first Savor Washington Wine event because of its close proximity to Fort Vancouver, the site where in 1825 the very first wine grapes in the entire Pacific Northwest were planted. What better place to savor the wines and food of Southwest Washington than just steps away from where Washington wine began.

For more information, and to buy tickets for the event, visit: www.savorswwawine.com. Or email: Savor@swwawine.com.

Rosé Revival and Cool Whites Wine Event — Thursday, May 16 — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The 17th Annual Rosé Revival and Cool Whites wine event will be staged Thursday, May 16 under the Olympic Terrace Tent at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland, WA. This event, in its third year at the Woodmark, features an array of dry rosé and interesting white wines. No red wines. Attendees will meet a variety of Northwest winemakers and taste their rosés made in small lots from Sangiovese, Syrah, Cab Franc, Tempranillo, Grenache and Pinot Noir. The event will also feature delicious whites for summer, including varieties such as Sèmillon, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Albariño, Grüner and Pinot Blanc, as well as wines from Italy, France, Argentina, Australia, and more.

More than 30 Northwest wineries will be pouring their latest releases for Summer at the event, including Aluel Cellars, Bayernmoor Cellars, Cedergreen Cellars, Chandler Reach Vineyards, Chateau Beck, Chatter Creek Winery, DeLille Cellars, Ducleaux Cellars, Elevation Cellars, Goose Ridge Winery, Grosgrain Vineyards, Hedges Family Estates, Lachini Vineyards, Lauren Ashton Cellars, Lodmell Cellars, Michael Florentino Cellars, NHV Naches Heights Vineyard, Nine Hats Wine/Julia’s Dazzle, Paterson Cellars, Revelry Vintners, Rocky Pond Cellars, Rooted Souls Winery, Scarlet Oak Barrels, SMAK Wines, Three of Cups Winery, Treveri Winery, Two Mountain Winery, Upsidedown Wine, Warr-King Wines, Watermill Winery, William Grassie Wine Estates, Wilridge Winery & Distillery and Woodhouse Wine Estates.

Tickets for the event are $35 per person, but VIP tickets, which allow you to enter the event at 5 p.m. are available for $50 per person. Proceeds from this event go to support Save Our Wild Salmon, a nationwide coalition of conservation organizations, commercial and sports fishing associations, businesses, river groups, and taxpayer advocates working collectively to restore self-sustaining, abundant, and harvestable populations of wild salmon and steelhead to rivers, streams and oceans of the Pacific salmon states.

To purchase tickets, go to: www.tickettomato.com/event/6078. Or contact David LeClaire at david@seattleuncorked.com. Phone: (206) 683-3288.

Yakima Valley Vintners – Grape to Glass Gala – Saturday, May 18 – 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Yakima Valley Vintners’ annual Grape to Glass Gala, which will be held on Saturday, May 18, will include a Winemaker’s dinner paired with Yakima Valley Vintners’ wines, a silent auction, music and dancing. Yakima Valley Vintners, Yakima Valley College’s teaching winery, is located on the YVC Grandview Campus. The facility offers students studying in the college’s Vineyard & Winery Technology Program the opportunity for hands-on technical training in the area of viticulture and enology.

The Gala is also a way to celebrate the success of graduates from the program who are working in the grape and wine industry. Tickets for the Gala are $65 per person if purchased by April 30; $75 per person if purchased starting May 1. If you purchase a table for 8 guests, you will be treated to priority service and special event recognition for you, your business and your guests on the program and during announcements throughout the evening activities.

For more information about the event, which will be held at Yakima Valley College’s Grandview Campus, visit: www.yakimavalleyvintners.com/events or call (509) 882-7069. Proceeds of the Gala benefit student scholarships for the Vineyard & Winery Technology Program.

Fund Raiser for The Jazz Project – Fairhaven Village Inn – Bellingham, WA. – Saturday, May 18

Plan now to take part in an evening of wine, beer, appetizers and music from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the Fairhaven Village Inn in Bellingham, WA. The event is a fund raiser for the 9^th Annual Bellhaven Jazz Festival that will take place Sept. 7 at Samson Estates Winery in Everson, WA. The goal of the fund raiser is to raise $10,000 to keep the Sept. 7 Festival free for all to enjoy. The Festival is funded by The Jazz Project, a 501c3 organization headquartered in Bellingham. The organization is dedicated to increasing performance opportunities for local, regional and international jazz musicians. To find out more about The Jazz Project, log onto: www.jazzproject.com. For more information about the May 18 fundraiser, contact Jud Sherwood at: jsherwoodjazzproject@gmail.com or call Jud at (360) 650-1066.

Red Mountain Revealed – Terra Blanca Winery – Sunday, June 23

Dust off your nicest shoes, rent a tux, buy a new dress – the red carpet is coming to Red Mountain. Red Mountain Revealed, the first documentary style film created by the Red Mountain AVA Alliance, will be unveiled at Terra Blanca Winery on Sunday, June 23. The documentary tells the story behind the Red Mountain AVA from the first planting of wine grapes in 1975 by Jim Holmes and John Williams to what the future holds for the AVA. Throughout the evening, guests will have a chance to enjoy Red Mountain AVA vineyard designate and reserve wines paired with heavy appetizers. Following the screening of the film, guests will be able to engage in a panel discussion with Red Mountain winemakers, growers and special guests to learn more about what makes this wine grape growing region so unique and special.

Tickets for the event, which will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., are $65 per person. Terra Blanca Winery is located at 34715 Demoss Road, Benton City, WA. 99320. You can purchase tickets for the Reveal at: www.eventbrite.com, or by contacting Alicia Brown, Executive Director, Red Mountain AVA Alliance, at: alicia@redmountainava.com.