We can’t promise the elk will drop by for some of our Washington State wine this August, but you never know. We can promise you an enjoyable wine tasting experience.

Elk graze near Olympic Cellars, between Sequim and Port Angeles, WA.

Weekend afternoons, lovely chamber music fills a beautiful turn-of-the-century barn. Founder Alan Iglitzin and a wonderful collection of talented musicians delight audiences with music by composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Fujiwara, and Shostakovich, among others.

We hope you'll take time to partake in the Olympic Music Festival this summer

The setting is as beautiful as the music. The simple barn sits on 55 acres, along with an old farmhouse that is home to festival director Alan Iglitzin and his wife. Attendees are welcome to arrive early, stroll the grounds and enjoy a picnic. Once the concerts begin, some folks make themselves comfortable in church pews and on hay bales in the barn, while others prefer to remain stretched out comfortably on the lawn. Either way, the music washes over them.

This is an ideal setting to enjoy a glass of Washington State Wine. While on the Olympic Peninsula for the Olympic Music Festival, take time to visit one of seven Washington State Wineries, where you are welcome to sample the wine. Select a few favorite bottles and bring one to the Olympic Music Festival to enjoy prior to the show. Music and wine go marvelously together.

For more information about the Olympic Music Festival, please visit http://www.olympicmusicfestival.org/.

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.

Washington Wines featured at the Sequim Lavender Festival

Black Diamond Winery will be serving Plum, Muller Thurgau and Strawberry Rhubarb wines – perfect for warm summer days. Enjoy visiting the winery, which sits on 20 lovely acres on Tumwater Creek in Port Angeles. Look forward to tasting new releases at the other Olympic Peninsula Wineries during the Lavender Festival.

Once the festival is under way, our wines will be available by the glass in the Wine and Beer Garden at the Lavender Street Fair, in Sequim. Rest your feet after a day of wandering through lovely lavender farms, and cool off with a glass of wine. There will be live music throughout the day quite near the Wine Garden, making it a delightful place to relax and prepare for the next farm tour.

Visit the 2010 Olympic Peninsula Lavender Festival and tour seven fine Olympic Peninsula Wineries.

The Sequim Lavender Festival is fast approaching. The 2010 festival runs Friday through Sunday, July 16, 17, 18. Visit seven lavender farms on the Olympic Peninsula, and while you’re out enjoying yourself, visit seven Washington state wineries on the Olympic Peninsula as well.

Olympic Peninsula Wineries are offering a Lavender Celebration Tour of Wineries from Saturday July 10 through July 18. All of our wineries will open from 11am to 5pm daily, and we’ll be pouring new and current releases. For more details, visit our Sequim Lavender Festival Wine Tour page.

Come look at lovely lavender and drink delicious wine on the Olympic Peninsula.

For more information about the Sequim Lavender Festival, visit www.lavenderfestival.com

Tootie Heath at Jazz Port Townsend.

This summer, one amazing event after another keeps people entertained and engaged: Voiceworks, the Festival of Fiddle Tunes, Chamber Music, the Writers’ Conference, Jazz Port Townsend…. On Friday afternoons, folks get comfortable on blankets with picnics and listen to free concerts by some of the finest performers in the nation. The atmosphere is relaxed, with children dancing in the background. It’s wonderful.

Centrum is housed at Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend. The sandy beaches, majestic woods, and unbeatable views at Fort Worden are complemented by the historic charm of Port Townsend. When not busy with a workshop or at a concert, lounge on the beach or hike through the woods to scenic overlooks. Wander through the batteries tucked away throughout the park. Or enjoy a fine meal in one of the many restaurants in Port Townsend.

Sounds idyllic, and it is. The only thing needed to make this scene complete is a couple of bottles of Washington State Wines. Fortunately, it’s available. There are quite a few excellent Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula. In Port Townsend, visit Sorensen Cellars and Fair Winds Winery. On your way to or from town, stop by FinnRiver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum.

Washington State Wineries on the Olympic Peninsula are open for tours and wine tasting. Visit individual websites for more information.

Breathtakingly beautiful Port Angeles, on the Olympic Peninsula

Each summer, visitors and residents of Port Angeles have the wonderful opportunity to listen to live music on the City Pier, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains as backdrop. The 2010 Concert on the Pier Series takes place Wednesday nights between 6pm and 8pm throughout the summer. They are a great excuse to spend a few days on the Olympic Peninsula during the week.

The series starts Wednesday, June 23, with The 8 Second Ride playing country music. It wraps up September 8 with Big Band music by the Sequim City Band. Each week look forward to a different band and a new sound. Country, Jazz, Big Band, Bluegrass and old fashioned Rock & Roll will all be featured. Find the music you like best, drop everything, and head to the Olympic Peninsula.

While here, visit Washington State Wineries and taste Washington State Wines. There are a number of excellent wineries on the Olympic Peninsula, all of which offer wine tasting during the summer.

Notice Olympic Cellars on Route 101 between Sequim and Port Angeles. Look for Harbinger Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, and Black Diamond Winery in and around Port Angeles when you are waiting for the music to start. On your way back home, take a detour up to Port Townsend and check out Finnriver Farm and Cidery, Sorenson Cellars, and FairWinds Winery.

Pick up a couple bottles of your favorite Washington State wines to enjoy at home. Drinking them will remind you of mountains, water, sunsets and music on the pier.

The 2010 Port Angeles Concerts on the Pier Line Up:
Date            Type                                   Band
23-Jun        Country                                 The 8 Second Ride
30-Jun        Party rock 60′s-00′s           Big Fine Daddies
7-Jul            Sinatra to the Stones          Wise Guys
14-Jul          Jazz                                        Dixi-Blu Jazz Band
21-Jul          Big Band                               Olympic Express Big Band
28-Jul         Bluegrass                              Deadwood Revival
4-Aug          Rock & roll                           Jane and the John Doe Band
11-Aug         Blues                                     The Soulshakers
18-Aug        Rock & roll                           Super Trees
25-Aug        Marimba                              Sequimarimba
1-Sep           Bluegrass                             Luck of the Draw
8-Sep          Big Band                              Sequim City Band

Visit the Tasting Room Thursday - Sunday from 1 - 5pm, May through October

Finnriver is dedicated to sustainable agriculture, ecological land stewardship, and enhancing biodiversity. The Kislers, Eric Jorgensen and family, and their partners grow certified organic berries and heirloom apple trees, and also “glean wild apples from old-time local homesteads and source fruit from a fifth generation organic family farm in eastern Washington.” They then craft these fruits into artisan sparkling ciders, dessert wines and spirits.

Stop by the farm’s Tasting Room to try the Artisan Hard Sparkling Cider (Méthode Champagnoise) and the Farmstead Sparkling Cider (Méthode Ancestrale). While there, learn about the two different methods for getting the sparkle into wine. Walk among the trees of the orchard, and maybe pick a berry or two.

We hope you’ll visit the Olympic Peninsula sometime this summer, and that you’ll taste local Washington State wines while you’re here. Meet the folks behind the bottle. See the grapes, apples and berries grow. There is nothing better.

ShrimpFest. Be there.

Bring your belt sander and enter decorated belt sander races (just so you can say you did). Bring a bucket and a shovel, so you can hunt for clams and oysters during low tides (license required). It’s a cute little festival, and always fun.

While you are visiting the Olympic Peninsula, why not do a little Washington State wine tasting at Washington wineries? There are two in Port Townsend, and four in the Port Angeles area. Shrimp are good, but they are even better when paired with a refreshing white wine. Ask the vintners which of their wines would best accompany shrimp (there is a good chance they have done some research on the matter).

The vibrant Port Townsend Farmers Market

A stroll through the Farmers Market in Port Townsend, Port Angeles or Sequim is enough to let you know that people here take their food seriously. Numerous small farmers fill their stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables each week. Be sure to bring a cooler with you, so you can stock up on fresh, tasty Olympic Peninsula produce.

At the Port Townsend Market, look for berries from FinnRiver Farm, greens from Red Dog Farm, and sumptuous tomatoes from Plum Wild Farm. In addition, there are a good number of people making delicious food there: Bob makes handmade bagels, Jennifer Michele makes artisan chocolates, and long time favorite Pane D’Amore makes “to die for” cheese sticks, pastries and breads. At the Sequim Farmers Market, you’ll find fresh milk and eggs, lavender galore, and plenty of locally grown vegetables. In Port Angeles, look for Tuna Dan and grass fed beef from Clark Farms. There is a good chance you’ll find Washington State Wines and cider at these markets, too.

Of course, all good food demands good wine, and that’s where we come in. Six Washington State Wineries in Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend have all the wine you need: hearty reds to go with that grass fed beef, dry whites to go with the fish, and everything in between to go with everything else.

It’s fun to visit our Olympic Peninsula wineries while you’re here. Ask to sample some of our Washington State wines, and select the ones you most enjoy. Bring them back home with your cooler full of fresh food, and have a feast with friends and family.