Food and wine lovers are invited to savor new wines and cider releases paired with regional artisan cheeses during the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ annual Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour this weekend.
The self-guided tour includes tastings at eight Olympic Peninsula wineries from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Sunday.
Tickets — available online at www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org or at participating wineries — are $30 for tastings at all eight wineries, and entitle the holders to commemorative wine glasses.
Independently, each winery charges a $5 tasting fee.
“Washington is home to a number of award-winning cheesemakers, some of which are internationally renowned,” said Vicki Corson, president of the Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association.
Corson, who also is co-owner of Camaraderie Cellars, promised “a truly local culinary experience, with interesting pairings that provide an authentic sense of place.”
From PA to Chimacum
Participating wineries are Eaglemount Wine and Cider near Discovery Bay and FairWinds Winery in Port Townsend; Black Diamond Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, Harbinger Winery and Olympic Cellars in Port Angeles; Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum; and Wind Rose Cellars in Sequim.
Cheesemakers represented include Port Townsend’s Whiskey Hill Farm and Mt. Townsend Creamery, Willapa Hills Farmstead of Doty, Black Sheep Creamery of Chehalis, Backcountry Creamery of Tacoma and Golden Glen Creamery of Bow.
Participating wineries, and their special attractions, are:
■ Black Diamond Winery, 2976 Black Diamond Road, Port Angeles; 360-457-0748; www.blackdiamondwinery.com.
Black Diamond will serve Golden Glen Creamery cheese. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, which falls on Sunday, the winery will pair its Boysenberry wine with Golden Glen’s Queso con Salsa medium cheddar.
It also will serve Golden Glen’s medium cheddar and sweet basil cheddar with a selection of estate-grown wines.
■ Camaraderie Cellars, 334 Benson Road, Port Angeles; 360-417-3564; www.camaraderiecellars.com.
Camaraderie Cellars will serve bleu cheese and other varieties from Willapa Hills Cheese of Doty, west of Chehalis, paired with a spring wine lineup that includes Trinquer (white wine blend), a 2007 Merlot, a 2007 Triomphe (red wine blend) and the debut of the 2010 Tempranillo.
■ Eaglemount Wine & Cider, 2350 Eaglemount Road, Discovery Bay; 360-732-4084; www.eaglemountwinery.com.
Goat milk and Jersey cow milk cheeses from Whiskey Hill Goat Dairy will be paired with newly released red wines and a new cider.
■ FairWinds Winery, 1984 W. Hastings Ave., Port Townsend; 360-385-6899; www.fairwindswinery.com.
FairWinds Winery will combine classic cheeses with the release of its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Champeaux vineyards of the Horse Heaven Hills and its 2005 Merlot from Tom Judkins’ vineyards in Benton City.
Drawings for discounts on wine and merchandise are planned, wine will flow from the fountain, and winery personnel may be “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in top hats and tails.
■ Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 62 Barn Swallow Road, Chimacum; 360-732-4337; www.finnriver.com.
Cheeses from Mt. Townsend Creamery will be paired with new Habanero, Farmstead and Honey Meadow ciders.
Pane d’Amore cheese breadsticks warmed in the wood-fire oven will be available to nibble on while walking the fields.
■ Harbinger Winery, 2358 W. U.S. Highway 101, Port Angeles; 360-452-4262; www.harbingerwinery.com.
Harbinger Winery plans a “world cheese tour housed under one roof,” paired with Vibrant Viognier, Merlot or Blackberry Bliss.
Also served will be Toga’s Soup House’s NW focaccia, Smokey Blue & Bacon Mac & Cheese and Barhop Brewery’s IPA.
■ Olympic Cellars, 255410 U.S. Highway 101, Port Angeles; 360-452-0160; www.olympiccellars.com.
Golden Glen Creamery of Bow will provide samples of cheddars, while Renaissance of Port Angeles will offer cheeses from a variety of creameries.
French onion soup garnished with greyer cheese and fresh-baked local bread prepared by Dave Long of Oven Spoonful will be served.
The winery will release its Madeleine Angevine 2012, grown fewer than 10 miles from the winery.
“Just bottled in April, this stunning wine represents the 101 days of sunshine the Dungeness Valley was blessed with in 2012,” the winery said.
■ Wind Rose Cellars, 143 W. Washington St., Sequim; 360-358-5469; www.windrosecellars.com.
The winery will host Black Sheep Creamery from Chehalis, pairing its Pinot Grigio, Rosato, Bravo Rosso, Primitivo and Muscato with artisan sheep cheese.
Premium wines can be tasted for an additional $5.
For more information, visit www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org or email info@olympicpeninsulawineries.org.
