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Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour- April 17 & 18 2010
What better way to familiarize oneself with a place than by indulging all of the senses? The Olympic Peninsula Wineries invite culinary enthusiasts to come and see the paths of migrating whales, hear the sounds of returning birds, smell the scents of nature reawakening, and taste the flavors that are transforming the Olympic Peninsula into a culinary tourism destination.
You can do it all at the Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour. Each of six wineries located in Port Townsend and Port Angeles will host a different cheese maker, and pair delicious local artisan cheeses with specially selected local wines. The event will take place on April 17-18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Just a few years ago there were no cheese makers on the Olympic Peninsula,” says Vicki Corson, president of the Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association, “now there are five and that’s a small industry!” “The creameries are making delicious, award-winning products using sustainable farming practices, and the wineries support and applaud their efforts. Together we have identified some fantastic wine and cheese pairings that will provide our visitors with a delicious and true culinary sense of place.”
Participating cheese makers include Wild Harvest Creamery of Chimacum; Port Townsend’s Mt. Townsend Creamery; Gothberg Farms of Bow, Wash; Mystery Bay Farm of Marrowstone Island; and Golden Glen Creamery, also of Bow.
Advance “reserve tickets” for the self-guided tour are available online for $25, and entitle the holder to a commemorative wine glass and complimentary wine and cheese tasting at each winery. Visitors who choose not to purchase the optional ticket package will be charged a $5.00 tasting fee at each winery.
Winery Pairings:
Black Diamond Winery, Port Angeles: Black Diamond specializes in a variety of fruit wines produced with estate and locally-grown fruits. The winery will be pairing three cheeses from Golden Glen Creamery with their Syrah, Muller Thurgau and Raspberry wines. For more information call 360/457-0748 or visit www.blackdiamondwinery.com.
Camaraderie Cellars, Port Angeles: Camaraderie Cellars is pleased to partner again this year with Gothberg Farms of Bow, Wash., producers of exceptional cheeses made from the fine milk of a small herd of La Mancha dairy goats. Judy Hoy, Port Angeles breeder of internationally acclaimed milking goats, will be on site during the weekend. Camaraderie will pair some of their newly released 2007 reds and a selected wine or two from their reserve library with a selection of cheeses and some tasty savory bites. For more information call 360/417-3564 or visit www.camaraderiecellars.com.
FairWinds Winery, Port Townsend: FairWinds will be serving Mt. Townsend cheese fondue paired with their Gewürztraminer. Other appetizers will be served as well. For more information call 360/385-6899 or visit www.fairwindswinery.com.
Harbinger Winery, Port Angeles: Harbinger Winery is honored to be pairing their wines with Golden Glen Family Creamery of Bow, Wash. Golden Glen is a third-generation dairy farm owned by the Jensens, a family that is passionately dedicated to all-natural, responsible farming practices. Golden Glen cheeses are slow-batch pasteurized, not homogenized, in order to create healthier, better-tasting products. The cheese maker will be on site to share their wonderful, handcrafted cheeses, educate folks about the cheese making process, and answer questions. Harbinger will release its limited 2009 Sieg-MA during the event weekend, produced from grapes grown at Graysmarsh Vineyard in Sequim. The 2009 Raspberry Bliss, a gold medal winner at the 2010 Grand Harvest Awards in Sonoma, will be poured and matched with several cheeses to show the versatility of this wine. Special care has been taken to create memorable flavour sensations with all wine and cheese pairings. For further information call 360/452-4262 or visit www.harbingerwinery.com/index.html.
Olympic Cellars, Port Angeles: On Saturday, April 17, Tami Parr, industry authority, author and founder of the Northwest Cheese Project blog, will give three short, interactive presentations about the growth of cheese making on the Olympic Peninsula and the ins and outs of wine and cheese pairing. Cheese makers from Port Townsend’s Mt. Townsend Creamery, as well as Rachael Van Laanen, owner and cheese maker at Marrowstone Island’s Mystery Bay Farm, will be on site sampling their unique handmade cheeses and fresh chevres, paired with artisan breads by Pane D’Amore of Sequim and a selection of Olympic Cellars wines. Parr’s presentations will take place at 11:30 a.m; 1 p.m; and 3 p.m., with input from the cheese makers and Olympic Cellars Winemaker Benoit Murat. Afterwards, she will sign copies of her new book, Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest, an in-depth guide to the region’s artisan cheeses.
A representative from Mt. Townsend Creamery will be on hand Sunday, April 18, sampling their popular Cirrus and Washed Rind Tomme cheeses. For more information call 360/452-0160; www.olympiccellars.com.
Sorensen Cellars, Port Townsend: For a second year, by popular demand, Sorensen will feature Wild Harvest Creamery of Chimacum, which produces artisanal goat cheeses. The cheese maker will be on site sampling several products. Two new wines will be introduced during the event, the 2008 Sorensen Viognier, and the winery’s most popular varietal, 2008 Sorensen Sangiovese. For more information call 360/379-6416 or visit www.sorensencellars.com.
Please Note:
Due to the limited facilities at our small wineries, groups of more than 15 cannot be accommodated during event weekends.
Please call 1-800-785-5495 to schedule a special group tour for another time.
The Olympic Peninsula Wineries encourage responsible wine touring and recommend that you have a designated driver in your group.