The Washington State Wine Commission hosted the 2013 Washington State Wine Awards at McCaw Hall in Seattle, WA recognizing the wine industry leaders. Awards were given to restaurants, retail outlets, sommeliers, distributors, etc. for their outstanding promotion and sales of Washington State wines. There were also over 50 wineries there talking with the trade and media and pouring their wine. An array of hors d'oeuvre and music were also part of the evening mix.

Washington State Wine Awards

What do winemakers do when they're not making wine?  Well, sometimes they drink beer and make music…  Bluegrass music.  Roughly twice a month (always on Thursdays), Chuck Egner of '37 Cellars organizes a Bluegrass jamming session at Icicle Brewing Company in Leavenworth, Washington with a bunch of his musician friends (that's Chuck playing bass, guitar, and singing a little).  You never know how many musicians will show up, but it's always a good time.  Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars is there on occasion joining in with his slide guitar. This past Thursday, there were even a few more local winemakers just hanging out and enjoying the beer, wine and music. How fun is that!

The Auction of Washington Wines celebrated it's 25th Anniversary this year and put on an amazing weekend of events and the Gala Auction was no exception. It had it all — incredible wines and food, unbelievable auction items, musical entertainment, top winemakers and chefs, sponsor BMW's on display, attendees from across the country, it was quite the celebration. Close to 2 million dollars was raised for Seattle Childrens and the WSU Wine Education Programs.

Auction of Washington Wines

Winemaker Rob Newson, of Boudreaux Cellars, performs at an Auction of Washington Wines winemaker dinner at the penthouse in the Bellevue Towers.  After an evening of fabulous wines by Boudreaux Cellars and Andrew Will Winery, paired with amazing dishes prepared by chef William Belickis of Mistral Kitchen, Rob grabbed his slide guitar for a little southern blues entertainment.
I have to add that the staff from Mistral Kitchen and the two sommeliers, Oly Thompson and Teressa Schlecta were awesome.

Auction of Washington Wines

Bordered by the magnificent Cascade Mountains, with 300 days of sunshine per year, a multitude of major rivers and lakes, and unlimited activities, Cascade Valley Wine Country is one of Washington's most unique wine regions. Here in this romantic mountain setting, wine lovers can enjoy the ultimate wine tasting experience.

Cascade Valley Wine Country

This past Saturday was the annual Ohme Gardens Wine & Food Gala in Wenatchee, WA. It was a fun event that was in a beautiful setting on a pleasant evening. Ohme Gardens is situated on a hillside high above the city of Wenatchee with flora that turned this once barren land into an oasis — complete with trees, gardens, ponds, waterfalls and meandering paths. The wine and food were paired nicely with plenty of cool, crisp whites and robust reds to go around, and a creative, tasty sampling of culinary delights. Local wineries, restaurants and catering companies were represented in a well organized event put on by Wenatchee Wine Country, headed up by Jan Lutz and crew.

Wenatchee Wine Country