As far back as we can remember, we’ve always called Taste Washington “the Super Bowl of Wine Events” because it is the country’s largest single-region wine and food event. Period.

We love to go every year and encourage you to run, don’t walk, to get your tickets for the activities being held March 31-April 3.

In this 19th year, an expanded lineup features:

• Red & White Party: AQUA by El Gaucho
• The New Vintage: Motif Seattle
• Seminars: Four Seasons Hotel Seattle
• Taste Washington on the Farm
• Wine Dinners
• Grand Tasting: Century Link Field Event Center

More than 225 wineries will be pouring at the Grand Tasting and 70 restaurants will be serving tasty bites. We highly recommend that you develop a plan before you enter the doors. Because once there, you will be hit with an explosion of taste potentials — and it can be overwhelming.

For example, one year we decided to only taste wines made from Cabernet Franc, as a standalone varietal. Another year, we decided to visit booths of some of our tried and favorite wineries plus five new ones.

But we always leave room for some flexibility; chances are something will catch our eye as we walk through the aisles, and we’ll make an on-the-spot decision to deviate from the plan.

Note: We recommend tasting and spitting wine (or pouring it into the buckets at each booth) at this major event, but if you think you might want more than a sip or two, many hotels in the area are offering special weekend packages. Otherwise, be sure to have a designated driver, or take cabs or local transit home.

Of the 225+ wineries pouring at the Grand Tasting, here is our long list of 50 of our favorites (in alphabetical order):

1. Alexandria Nicole Cellars
2. Amavi Cellars
3. Ambassador Wines of Washington
4. Andrew Will
5. Avennia
6. Barrister Winery
7. Bartholomew Winery
8. Betz Family Winery
9. Buty Winery
10. Canvasback
11. Chateau Ste. Michelle
12. Columbia Crest
13. Cooper Wine Company
14. Cote Bonneville
15. Darby
16. DeLille Cellars
17. DiStefano
18. Double Canyon
19. Doubleback
20. Dunham Cellars
21. EFESTE
22. Fidelitas
23. Fielding Hills
24. FIGGINS
25. Force Majeure Vineyards
26. Forgeron Cellars
27. Gard
28. Gorman Winery
29. Guardian Cellars
30. JM Cellars
31. L’Ecole No 41
32. Lauren Ashton Cellars
33. Long Shadows Vintners
34. Mark Ryan
35. Matthews & Tenor Wines
36. Mercer Estates
37. Obelisco Estate Wines
38. Otis Kenyon
39. Savage Grace
40. Sinclair Estate VIneyards
41. Sparkman Cellars
42. Stevens
43. Stottle Winery
44. Three Rivers
45. Upchurch Vineyard
46. Walla Walla Vintners
47. Waterbrook
48. William Church
49. Woodinville Wine Cellars
50. Woodward Canyon

Of course, we won’t be able to visit all of them, but we will shorten the list and make up our plan in the next week or two. We hope to see you there!

Cheers!
Margot and Dave