The award-winning Portland Indie Wine & Food Festival is back for its sixth time on May 8th. How on earth did we miss the first five festivals? (I have a soft spot for Portland, because I first started writing about wine in 1997 when I wrote a column for KOIN-TV’s web site.)

This event showcases 40 jury-selected Oregon craft wineries and benefits the Indie Wine Foundation, a non-profit organization to preserve and sustain the art of craft winemaking.

In March, a jury of renowned wine experts, celebrity chefs and journalists will gather in Portland to evaluate the entries. To qualify, the wineries must produce only 2,500 cases or fewer each year. The selected wineries will be announced on April 2.

At the May festival, 15 of Portland’s top chefs will prepare tasty bites to pair with the wine. And to make it even more interesting, the festival has partnered with Hotel Vintage Plaza to offer a special indie wine package that includes wine-flight certificates at Pazzo Ristorante.

Even though the festival doesn’t occur until May 8th, tickets are on sale now — which should tell you something about this popular event! General admission tickets are $75 per person for a tasting glass, festival passport and access to pours from all wineries and food from all featured restaurants. You can also follow indiewinefest on Twitter.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers!