Welcome to a Virtual Taste Washington!

As we all know, Taste Washington, the country’s largest single region wine event, was cancelled this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This weekend, we’ll be bringing you a taste of Taste Washington by posting information about some of the wineries that were planning to participate. This information was requested and collated by the Washington State Wine Commission, and is being shared in partnership with their ‘A Taste of (Taste) Washington’ digital showcase on various social media channels (InstagramFacebookTwitterNew Epicenter site).

Wineries were asked: 1) How would you describe Washington wine in one word? You will see that word at the beginning of most of the posts below. 2) What makes you / your wine unique? They were also asked about promotional programs they were running. Below are some of their responses. This is not a comprehensive list of all wineries that were planning to participate. Just a taste. More to follow throughout the weekend.

Sunday night we’ll also be doing a ‘Virtual Grand Tasting’ on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram, drinking wines from 2020 Taste participants (see list here) starting at 6:30pm Pacific. Join us!

LUKE Columbia Valley Wines

BOLD. Just east of Seattle in the Columbia Valley sits the Wahluke Slope AVA, home of LUKE Columbia Valley and some of the most exciting wines coming out of Washington State.  We believe the hallmark of Washington wines is a generosity of fruit, an upfront opulent character that creates balanced wines with big bold flavors.  This is the brand promise of LUKE.

Mark Ryan

Premium. Our dedication to producing the highest quality wines is uncompromising. We are authentic, intentional, and approachable. We are a handful of people working to create the best wine possible – this mission remains unchanged since 1999. Every vintage, we create wines that represent our style – bold, elegant, balanced – and embody authentic varietal character. We are serious about our winemaking and we’re serious about those who come to imbibe with us, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We welcome all to our wine club, tasting rooms and to our family of wines

Maryhill

Balance: a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. Visiting Maryhill is an experience. Whether you visit our flagship winery in Goldendale, or our urban satellite tasting rooms in Spokane, Vancouver or Woodinville, you’ll find beautiful scenery, frequent live music and special events, food menus featuring small plates and charcuterie, and an expansive selection of award-winning wines.  Maryhill Winery has been honored with more than 3,000 awards since its first vintage in 2001, including being named 2015 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest and the 2014 Winery of the Year at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Winemaker Richard Batchelor has earned the Winemaker of the Year award three times at the Indy International Wine Competition, including in 2013, 2018 and 2019.  For nearly 20 years we have crafted wine with passion, patience and balance. We’re proud to continue that story

Matthews Winery

Farm-to-Table (technically 3, does that count?). About us: Matthews is a family owned and operated winery in Woodinville, WA. We take our inspiration from the great wine blending techniques of Bordeaux and from the exceptional fruit that our state is producing. Since 1992, Matthews has crafted red blends from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, and white wines exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. We also strongly value the Farm-to-Table movement, our community and bringing people together over food + wine.

:Nota Bene

Real. We are a small artisan winery in the South Seattle neighborhood of South Park. We have been making wine for the last 19 vintages in the same warehouse location in an ever-changing urban location. While the wines come to life in the city where our customer base thrives, we source all of our grapes in the beautiful vineyards of Eastern Washington. This is real beauty on a grand scale. The wines are made in a small scale, but with a community of assistants that are especially valued during harvest and bottling. Friends help friends make wine and friends share wine together. That’s why we think our wine is real because it’s made in a small way with a style that says it’s :Nota Bene. Year after year our wines can look and taste alike, yet expressing the real beauty of Washington State and the new vintage that’s unfolding. We have participated in Taste Washington every year since our first release in 2004 and so missed the awesome spectacle of everyone’s displayed wines and foods. Seeing old friends and tasting their wines is always a treat for us. We are sad this couldn’t happen but look forward to when we can join in with the next great Taste.

Patterson

Diverse. One of the many things we pride ourselves on here at Patterson Cellars is our wide variety of wines we offer! From bold reds, like our popular Syrah and refreshing whites of Melange Blanc, to our luscious dessert wines like Lake Harvest Roussanne and of course our sparkling wines.  There is something to please everyone’s palate. We even make four different Rosés! For those who want to take their tasting to the next level, we offer unique, signature Wine & Food Experiences! As for Taste WA, John Patterson is always excited for this annual event, and looks forward to sharing one of our sparkling wines and debuting the first pours of our Rosé for the season! We are looking forward to seeing everyone there in 2021!

Pepper Bridge

Distinguished. Pepper Bridge Winery produces Bordeaux-style wines from its mature estate vineyards. The family ownership of Norm McKibben, Ray Goff and Jean-François Pellet are trailblazers in the wine community. Winemaker Jean-François Pellet blends his unique viticultural and winemaking skills with science and art to create distinctive, terroir-driven wines with a focus on quality and commitment to sustainability. Using traditional winemaking techniques, 100% French oak and 100% estate fruit from the Walla Walla Valley AVA, Pepper Bridge wines are collectibles that showcase complexity, structure and balance. Combining old-world philosophy with modern innovation, the brand has become an industry leader in crafting ultra-premium wines. In these difficult times, and because we are not allowed to entertain in our tasting rooms, we are offering $10 flat rate shipping on any order through April 2020 and complimentary shipping on 6 or more bottles.

Prospice Wines

Limitless. Prospice is the shared vision of two friends who, in changing careers, wanted to make balanced and elegant wines that celebrate vineyard sites and the grapes they produce. “Prospice” is from the Latin for “look to the future,” and represents the inherently optimistic, forward-looking nature of wine and winemaking, while the Etruscan characters in our logo serve as an homage to wine’s rich history and traditions.  We take a no-compromises approach to sourcing the best fruit we can from growers and sites that excite us, and let the wines we craft tell the story of Washington state’s marvelous terroir. Until further notice, we are offering $15 flat rate ground shipping on all orders, and shipping is included on all orders over $400.

Purple Star

Support. Communal. Delicious. Kyle and I started the winery together in 2008.  It has been our dream to build up a family business in which we could work and grow side by side with our 3 children.  We opened with one wine, our Purple Star Syrah.  Over the years we have added many varietals and three different brands all focusing on the amazing quality and variety of grapes grown in Washington State.  We have been so impressed with how the industry has grown and the relationships we’ve built with our neighbors and community.

Quilceda Creek

Unparalleled. Our state is often compared to great regions of the world and is regularly described as having both new-world and old-world qualities. There is no one box that Washington wines can be placed into. It is a region that truly is like no other. Quilceda Creek dates back to 1978, when we became the 12th bonded winery in Washington State. Our roots go much deeper than that, though. With familial ties to our Director of Winemaking’s Great Uncle, Andre Tchelistcheff, winemaking has run in the Golitzin family for generations. We have been singularly focused on the production of World-Class Cabernet Sauvignon, and pioneers of not only Washington wines, but pioneers in innovative winemaking techniques. Our wines are a great representation of the terroir in which the fruit is grown, and we strive for consistency in quality with each and every vintage we produce.

Randolph Cellars

Crave. Randolph Cellars is a fully operating winery and tasting room in Historic Downtown Snohomish with a river view patio. All of our wine is crafted just below the tasting room in our cellar with grapes grown in Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain. Come visit us and see that there is more than antiques in Snohomish these days.