The third annual Northwest Wine Encounter will be held June 1-3 at the newly renovated Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham.
Reservations must be made by May 10, and new pricing packages are now available for people living nearby who don’t need overnight accommodations.
Pricing packages:
- $399 per person, including two-nights accommodation, with two breakfasts, and attendance to all of the tastings, presentations, and the Saturday gala dinner (the entire weekend conference package)
- Live in the Seattle or Vancouver area? This one’s for you.
- $199 per person for attendance at all presentations by guest winemakers, and the gala dinner
- Great for locals; please have a designated driver, take a taxi or Uber, or use transit options for this and the next two packages.
- $100 per person for attendance to the presentations only
- $110 per person for the gala dinner only
Here are the details about the weekend event, also updated from our previous post.
A winemaker reception, educational presentations with tastings, and a gala dinner will be held to celebrate these acclaimed winemakers and their wines from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Here is the list of participating winemakers.
- Norm McKibben, Pepper Bridge Winery and Seven Hills Vineyard
- Serge Laville, Spring Valley Vineyard
- David Blair, Dunham Cellars
- Stephen Reustle, Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards (named 2017 Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest)
- Carrie & Earl Sullivan, Telaya Wine Co.
The gala dinner will be a collaborative effort among Whatcom County chefs, including Gio d’Aquino and Jacob Hodgson of B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar; the five-course dinner will feature local roasted lamb loin; lavender-spiced duck breast; and spiced rum-poached pear for dessert. All courses will be paired with wines from the event’s participating wineries.
Throughout the weekend, the following presentations will be hosted by MC Andy Perdue, wine columnist for the Seattle Times, and editor/publisher of Great Northwest Wine:
- Multiple Expressions from Walla Walla’s Pepper Bridge Winery: Taste the subtle differences in one of Walla Walla Valley’s iconic vineyards
- The Ascendance of Syrah, Washington State’s rising gem
- A Taste of Spring Valley Vineyard, Wine Spectator Top 100 Choice
- Wine Speed Dating: Talk with each of the event’s panelists one-on-one
- A Family Affair: Discover the advantages and challenges of including parents and children in the winemaking world
We had the pleasure of attending the first two Northwest Wine Encounters, so we can personally attest to the experiences awaiting you this year.
Reservations can be made through May 10 by calling Four Points Bellingham at (360) 671-1011. For more information, please contact srao@dsvintners.com or (650) 270-8791.
Cheers!
Margot and Dave