PORT ANGELES — The 2012 Red Wine & Chocolate Tour was busy, with plenty of local visitors, according to winery owners and operators who participated in the event.
“It’s been very busy,” said Dave Shellington, cellar master at Harbinger Winery in Port Angeles.
Shellington estimated that at least 800 people had been though Harbinger during the five-day, two-weekend wine tour.
The tour ended Monday at 5 p.m.
Final sales and exact numbers were not available, but Shellington said that this year was considerably better than last year.
People were still arriving at wineries at 3 p.m. Monday afternoon, the final day of the tour.
“It’s been going great,” said Sharon Adams, owner of Black Diamond Winery in Port Angeles.
“We have a group of 12 we are expecting this afternoon,” Adams said.
Sales were best Saturday, she said.
This year there were more local visitors than usual, and there has been a steady stream of visitors throughout the event, she said.
The self-guided tour offered tasting rooms at eight wineries and cideries, and offered visitors chocolate truffles, Italian-style red wines, apple brandy, raspberry wines and even a cascading chocolate fountain.
The tour included■ Black Diamond Winery, Harbinger Winery, Olympic Cellars and Camaraderie Cellars, all of Port Angeles; Wind Rose Cellars of Sequim;■ FairWinds Winery and Eaglemount Winery of Port Townsend; and Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
