Taste Washington: The State’s Biggest and Best

Get ready for the biggest – and arguably the best – food and wine tasting event in the state of Washington.

Taste Washington returns to Seattle March 26 to 29 with a number of wine-related events and seminars capped by the two-day Grand Tasting extravaganza at CenturyLink Field Events Center.

Not only is this a huge event for consumers, it’s an important showcase for Washington wineries as well. By my count, there are 234 wineries scheduled to attend and, according to people in-the-know, a fairly hefty waiting list of others anxious to get in. That number represents nearly one-quarter of all the wineries in the state and gives consumers an unparalleled opportunity to taste the best of Washington’s current releases.

The festivities kick off with two wine-and-appetizer events: the Red and White Party at El Gaucho restaurant on March 26 and The New Vintage event at the Four Seasons Hotel on March 27.

March 27 begins with three separate “Taste Washington on the Farm” day tours (one of which is already sold out) that include a luxury-transport visit to Taylor Shellfish on Samish Bay (for which limited tickets are still available).

Back in Seattle, a number of wine-themed seminars will also be held on March 28 and 29. Topics and tastes range from the state’s Red Mountain and Columbia Gorge Appellations to a “Washington vs. the World” class that will compare blind tastes from some of Washington’s finest wineries to those from France’s esteemed Bordeaux region.

Then of course, there’s the Grand Tasting event on March 28 and 29 that will feature the 200+ Washington wineries along with over 70 Puget Sound-area restaurants.

In addition to the copious amounts of food and wine, event attendees with also have the chance to view cooking demonstrations at an on-site chef’s stage and visit exhibits from an array of vendors featuring wine regions, accessories, coffees, and beers, to name a few.

If you’re feeling indecisive about the number of choices, my advice is to go with the Grand Tasting, which gives you the most food and wine exposure over a one or two-day period of your choosing.

General admission tickets get you in the door from 2 to 5 pm for $90 for a single day and $140 for both. VIP tickets are also available from 1 to 5 pm, with $160 one-day and $205 two-day options that include the extra hour of tasting, exclusive VIP lounge access and a take-home goodie bag.

To purchase tickets for these and all other events, visit tastewashington.org.

In three weeks: A rundown on several of my favorite wines along with some sage-like observations from this year’s Taste Washington.