The Sequim Lavender Festival is just days away, and the Olympic Peninsula Wine and Lavender Tour is in progress. Showers today should freshen the farms so the lavender will look its best come Friday July 16, when the Lavender Festival begins. By then, skies will be blue and fields of lavender will dazzle the eyes with green, purple and blue.

But if you just can’t wait until this weekend, don’t. It is summer, after all, the best time to take a few days off work and treat yourself to a little rest and relaxation. Seven Washington wineries on the Olympic Peninsula are pouring hand-crafted wines and ciders as I write; why aren’t you enjoying a taste of it?

Immerse yourself in beautiful lavender fields during the 2010 Sequim Lavender Festival.

Now through July 18, when the Sequim Lavender Festival ends, the following wineries will be open for tasting between 11 am and 5 pm daily: Olympic Cellars, Harbinger Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, Black Diamond Winery, Sorenson Cellars, FairWinds Winery, and FinnRiver Farm and Cidery. Tickets for the event are $25 and entitle visitors to complimentary tastings at each winery and a commemorative wine glass; if your ticket is stamped at all seven participating Washington State wineries, you’ll be eligible to win a gift basket. The wineries are also open to folks who do not purchase Wine and Lavender Tour tickets – wine tasting is $5 at each winery.

During the Lavender and Wine Tour, these seven wineries will feature their finest Washington State wines, including new releases. Folks who start the tour during the week will encounter fewer crowds. Linger while you taste, enjoying conversation with wine pourers and/or wine makers. Talk about lavender, and discover which wines pair best when that delicious herb is used in cooking. Pick up a few of your favorite vintages, and enjoy Olympic Peninsula wines at home throughout the summer.

Photo compliments of the Sequim Lavender Festival.