Wine tasting tour offers treat for Peninsula palates

The Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association will hold its annual Spring Barrel Tasting Tour on Saturday, May 24 through Monday, May 26.

Seven wineries located in Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Optional tickets are available online or at any of the wineries for $20, which entitles ticket-holders to a commemorative wine glass and complimentary tastings at all seven wineries.

To order tickets, call 800-785-5495 or click on www. olympicpeninsulawineries.org.

Participating: are:

Black Diamond Winery, 2976 Black Diamond Road, Port Angeles — The 2007 syrah, the estate bottled ridge white, pinot noir and a variety of fruit wines will be sampled.

Phone 360-457-0748, or http://home. wavecable.com/~bdwinery/.

Camaraderie Cellars, 334 Benson Road, Port Angeles — Barrel tasting will include some of Washington’s wines featured in a recent seminar at Taste Washington in Seattle. The tasting bar will showcase recent gold medal winning wines: 2004 cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and grâce.

Phone 360-417-3564, or www.camaraderiecellars.com.

FairWinds Winery, 1984 W. Hastings Ave., Port Townsend — Taste port in waiting, the winery’s next “Port O’ Call” to be bottled. Visitors can sample fireweed mead and 2004 cabernet sauvignon straight from oak barrels.

Continuous tours of the winery and winemaking operations will be conducted.

There will also be a demonstration of wine barrel construction and an explanation of the barrel’s role in the winemaking process.

Phone 360-385-6899, or www.fairwindswinery.com.

Harbinger Winery, 2358 W. U.S. Highway 101, Port Angeles — Sample the 2006 cabernet franc, which will be blended and bottled this summer.

Several new releases will also be presented, including the 2007 bone dry lemberger, the 2007 rattlesnake hills viognier and blackberry bliss.

Harbinger’s 2006 el jefe, a rhone blend of grenache, mourvedre and syrah, will be released.

Phone 360-452-4262, or www.harbingerwinery.com /index.html.

Lost Mountain Winery, 3174 Lost Mountain Road, Sequim — The winery’s 2005 merlot will be sampled from the barrel.

A 2007 pinot grigio and 2006 distinguished dago red will be released.

Phone 360-683-5229, or www.lostmountain.com.

Olympic Cellars, 255410 U.S. Highway 101, Port Angeles — Two 2007 cabernets franc — one from Bacchus Vineyard and one from Boushey Vineyard — will be served straight from the barrel

The Working Girl fifth anniversary wine, gracefully aging red, will be unveiled.

Phone 360-452-0160, or www.olympiccellars.com.

Sorensen Cellars, 274 S. Otto St., Port Townsend — Winemaker Richard Sorensen will introduce his 2004 red mountain merlot.

Light appetizers will be served.

Phone 360-379-6416, or www.sorensencellars.com.