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 the information about your event a minimum of 30 days in advance.
Experience New Vintages Straight from the
Barrel at Yakima Valley Wineries During April
Join Yakima Valley wineries as they open their doors to celebrate spring. Spring is an exciting time in the valley as the vineyards come to life and wineries begin pouring new releases.
Every April, Spring Barrel Tasting delivers a unique wine tasting experience. Many winemakers pull wine straight from the barrel, giving you a sneak peek at how these young vintages may mature. You be the judge of the wines. Will they be an award winners? Other wineries create unique tasting, pairing and educational experiences. You’ll also find entertainment and special savings at wineries around the Valley.
Wineries taking part in Yakima Valley’s Spring Barrel tasting event are as follows:
Yakima — Adelia Wine Cellars (April 26-28), Antolin Cellars (April 26-28); Yakima Valley Vintners – Yakima Campus (April 26-27), Wilridge Vineyard (April 26-28).
Wapato – Fortuity Cellars (April 27-28), Freehand Cellars (April 27-28); Owen Roe Winery (April 27-28), Treveri Cellars (April 27-28).
Zillah — Whitman Hill Winery (April 27-28), Tanjuli Winery (April 26-28), Bonair Winery (April 26-28), Horizon’s Edge Winery (April 26-27).Hyatt Vineyards (April 26-28), LaPierre Winery (April 26-28), Paradisos del Sol Winery (April 26-28), Roza Estate Wines and Spirits (April 27-28), VanArnam Vineyards (April 26-28), Dineen Vineyards (April 27-28), Two Mountain Winery (April 27-28).
Prosser – Barrel Springs Winery (April 26-28), Coyote Canyon Winery (April 23-24), Martinez and Martinez Winery (April 27), Airfield Estates (April 27-28), Desert Wind Winery (April 26-27); DavenLore Winery (April 26-30), Alexandria Nicole Cellars (April 26-28), Wit Cellars (April 27).
Benton City – Chandler Reach Winery (April 27-28), Hamilton Cellars (April 26-28), Terra Blanca Winery (April 26-28), Tucannon Cellars (April 27), Sleeping Dog Winery (April 26-28).
The Official Yakima Valley Travel Guide™ is the single best resource for planning your visit to the Yakima Valley. Packed full of maps, trip ideas and details of the many attractions, it will be your constant companion during your stay. To obtain a Guide, visit: https://www.visityakima.com/yakima-valley-travel-guide.asp.
Coyote Canyon Winery’s Annual Spring Barrel
Event Set for Sat., April 27 and Sun., April 28
Plan now to attend Coyote Canyon Winery’s Annual Spring Barrel Tasting Event on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28. You will taste the winery’s red, white and reserve wines straight out of the barrel all weekend long as you listen to live music by the always entertaining country music artist Cale Moon.
Local food vendors Big Weezy’s BBQ and Rollin Ice Cream will be on hand to serve a hungry crowd. Bring your own wine glass or purchase a Coyote Canyon logo glass to enjoy your wine throughout the day.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Cale Moon will perform from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is $20 per person, which includes entry fee plus seven tasting tickets. Coyote Canyon is located in the Winemaker’s Loft in Vintners Village at 357 Port Ave., Prosser, WA. 99350. Phone: (509) 786-7686. To learn more about Coyote Canyon Winery, visit: www.coyotecanyonwinery.com.
Hamilton Cellars’ Annual Spring Barrel Tasting
Event Set for Weekend of April 26 through 28
Hamilton Cellars, located on Washington’s famed Red Mountain, will celebrate its annual Spring Barrel Wine Tasting event on the weekend of Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28.
Over the weekend, the folks at Hamilton Cellars will offer special barrel tastings of the winery’s 2022 estate wines as well as 50% off case specials on Hamilton’s Cab Franc and Malbec wines. You’ll have your choice of pairing your wine tasting with either gourmet cheese of chocolate.
On Saturday, April 27, Kekoa and his singer-songwriter talent will entertain guests with his Hawaiian energy from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Hamilton Cellars is located at 55410 N. Sunset Road, Benton City, WA. 99320. For more information about the winery’s Spring Barrel Tasting Event, call (509) 628-8227. Ask for Larry.
Chandler Reach Winery Celebrates Spring
Barrel Weekend Sat. and Sun., April 27-28
Make sure to attend Chandler Reach Winery’s annual Spring Barrel Wine tasting event on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28. During the event, guests will be able to taste wine straight from the barrel, which is a great way to get a sneak peek as to how these young vintages may mature.
Come for lunch, stay for music. After guests sample wine from the barrel, they can grab a bite from Chandler Reach’s specially crafted Spring Barrel food menu, sip the winery’s current release wines and enjoy live music by Flowers for Wolves from noon to 4 p.m. both days. Listen to and learn more about Flowers for Wolves at: www.flowersforwolves.com.
A $25 entry fee includes a souvenir glass, 5 tasting tokens per guest (1 token = 1 pour. No tokens required for barrel samples. Tasting tokens may be combined for larger pours). Glass pours, bottles of wine and food will be available for purchase.
Members of the winery’s Wine Club will be admitted to the event at no charge and receive a souvenir glass and tasting tokens. If you are a designated driver, your entry fee will include a souvenir glass and a non-alcoholic beverage of your choice.
Chandler Reach is located at 9506 W. Chandler Road, Benton City, WA. 99320. For more information about the event, call the winery at (509) 588-8800. Ask for Carolyn. If you are not a member of Chandler Reach’s Wine Club, Carolyn can sign you up.
Walla Walla Valley Wineries Get Set for
Spring Release Weekend — May 3 through 5
Make plans now to attend Walla Walla Wine Valley’s Spring Release Weekend, which will take place Friday May 3 through Sunday, May 5. During this annual event, winery and tasting room teams throughout the Valley will curate memorable experiences with live music, food, and wine pairings to showcase their latest releases.
Walla Walla comes alive in spring as the temperatures rise, the vines wake up, and locals and visitors celebrate the changing of the season. With marquee wine events, accessible outdoor recreation, and all the charms of downtown and the surrounding valley, it’s the perfect time to visit.
Walla Walla is home to more than 130 wineries, a nationally recognized culinary scene, an abundance of easily accessible nearby outdoor recreation, and an arts and entertainment scene that rivals cities many times its size. With a population of just over 30,000 residents, the city is known for many things, including its friendliness and hospitality, the quality of its wine, and of course, the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onion.
An easy and scenic four-hour drive from Seattle, Portland, or Boise, Walla Walla can also be accessed via Alaska Airlines daily non-stop flights from Seattle. To begin planning a visit to Walla Walla, visit: www.wallawallawine.cpm/event/spring-release.
6th Annual Lake Chelan Wine and Jazz Festival
Set for Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, May 19
Plan now to attend the 6th Annual Lake Chelan Wine and Jazz Festival, which will take place Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, May 19 in the cities of Chelan and Manson, WA.
The most unique music festival of its kind, the four-day event will feature a wide range of jazz genres, including funk, R&B, Motown, Latin jazz, Blues, and traditional jazz styles. Twenty bands will play at 13 wineries and other venues around the Lake Chelan Wine Valley with 50 performances in all.
The Festival showcases internationally acclaimed jazz artists and celebrates the wonderful wineries located in the historic downtowns of Chelan and Manson as well as the remarkable beauty of the Lake Chelan Wine Valley.
Your Four-Day All Access Festival Pass includes 50 performances at 13 wineries and venues around the lake. Festival passes are $169 plus tax. Children under 12 are free. Complimentary transportation is also available for Festival Pass holders. Passes are available by visiting: www.chelanwinejazz.com.
Food and wine is available for purchase at every performance. Performance schedules are staggered to enable Festival pass holders to see multiple shows per day and to enjoy artists at different venues. It’s like a musical tour of the Lake Chelan Wine Valley. Festival Passes are limited, so you’ll want to grab them before they sell out.
Jazz afficionados will recognize many of the entertainers who will be performing at the Festival: They include Danny Quintero, Cascadia Groove, Stephanie Porter, The New Triumph, Sarah Shea, Dmitri Matheny, Greta Matassa, Hit Explosion, Francesco Crobada, Brohamm, The Mark Lewis Quartet, Michael Winkle, Jake Bergevin, Darren Motamedy, Eugenia Jones, The Scott Lindenmuth Band,, CD Woodbury, The Ellensburg Big Band. Dr. Funk and The Lake Chelan Big Band.
The final day of the Festival has been set aside for performances by the Lake Chelan Jazz Band (from 12:30 to 2 p.m.) and the Ellensburg Big Band (from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.) at downtown Chelan’s River Walk Pavilion.
The full schedule of the Festival, which includes the names of the performers and what venues they will be playing at, can be found at: www.chelanwinejazz/schedule.
Auction of Washington Wines Announces
Schedule for 37th Annual Season of Events
The Auction of Washington Wines (AWW) returns for its 37th year of fundraising, announcing a full calendar of wine events and auctions this spring and summer.
AWW promotes awareness and growth of the Washington wine industry while benefiting the community with ongoing contributions to three beneficiaries: Seattle Children’s Hospital, Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program, and the Auction’s Industry Grant Partner, Vital Wines. The Auction raised $4.1 million in 2023. Since its inception in 1988, the organization has raised more than $63 million.
The organization’s 37th Annual Fundraising Calendar will include: May 15: Wine Country Celebrations Vintner Dinner at Chateau Lill in Woodinville May 16: Wine Country Celebrations Vintner Dinner at Fiction @J. Bookwalter Winery in Richland. May 18: Wine Country Celebrations Vintner Dinner at Abeja Winery in Walla Walla.
August events will include: August 6-10: Gala Online Auction, August 8: TOAST! Industry Awards at Sparkman Cellars in Woodinville, August 9: Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction at Chateau Ste. Michelle, August 10: Gala at Chateau Ste. Michelle.
The season kicks off in May with three Vintner Dinners in wine country locations across Washington state — in Woodinville, Richland, and Walla Walla. The dinners offer an exclusive experience for guests to dine alongside winemakers in three different Washington wine regions.
On May 15, Chateau Lill in Woodinville hosts the first Vintner Dinner featuring wines from Mark Ryan Winery, Obelisco Estate, and Tenor Wines. A pre-dinner reception will feature Damsel Cellars, Sleight of Hand Cellars, Kevin White Winery, Latta Wines, Martedi Winery, and Vagabond Wine Company.
The second Vintner Dinner is on May 16 at Fiction @ J. Bookwalter Winery in Richland, featuring wines from Avennia Winery, Treveri Cellars and wines from the surrounding area. The final Vintner Dinner is at Abeja Winery in Walla Walla on May 18, featuring wines from Dossier Wine Collective and Long Shadows Vintners and six additional Walla Walla wineries.
This summer, the Auction of Washington Wines returns with its Gala Online Auction from August 6 to 10. There is something for everyone included in this auction, with unique wine packages, wine-themed excursions, and incredible tasting experiences up for bid.
On August 8, the Auction of Washington Wines recognizes emerging and diverse wine industry leaders at the TOAST! Industry Awards, which will be held at Sparkman Cellars in Woodinville.
The Winemaker Picnic & Barrel Auction is the largest celebration of Washington wine in the Auction calendar. Held on the beautiful grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle on August 9, the Picnic provides an opportunity to meet more than 90 Washington state winemakers.
The Gala, held at Chateau Ste. Michelle on August 10, is the Auction’s marquee fundraising event. The Gala offers exclusive auction items in a live auction, and the party continues under the stars at the Gala. For more information about AWW’s 2024 schedule of events, visit: www.auctionofwawines.org.