This is one of my favorite wine festivals, primarily because it features several good wineries from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. Last year 83 wineries were represented at the festival. The picture below was the plaque awarded to last year’s best of show winner, the 2002 Merlot from Lost River Winery in Mazama, Washington.

The festival will be held at the Red Lion Inn in Pasco on Saturday, November 12 from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. Cost is $45 and with there likely to be over 200 wines to sample, I really feel that you get a lot of bang for your buck at this event. I haven’t missed this one for the last 20 years and my friends and I always have a great time attending.

The best way to get information and order tickets is to go online to www.tricitieswinefestival.com. Book a room at the Red Lion while you’re at it, and you won’t have to worry about driving after the festival. Call the hotel directly for the special $77 room rate (if you try to book it online they’ll ding you for a higher rate). Reservations can be made by phoning (509) 547-0701.

One evening not too long ago there was a knock on my door. Two young women from a party across the street didn’t have a corkscrew and needed help opening a bottle of wine. I examined the bottle, which appeared to be something large, sweet and pink from a winery based in Modesto, California. I rolled my eyes, popped the cork and sent them on their way.

But then I started thinking about my own early wine tasting experiences. I cut my teeth on such gems as Blue Nun, Boone’s Farm and Spanada. A venture into Hearty Burgundy during my college years was so traumatic, it kept me away from red wines for another 10 years.

The point I’d like to make is this; when you’re learning how to swim, you don’t immediately jump off the diving board into the deep end. You get your feet wet in the kiddie pool and work your way up from there. Wine tasting is very similar. You don’t start out by drinking big, bold Cabernets. Your early preferences are usually sweeter, lighter white wines. Then one day you get adventurous and try a Chardonnay, perhaps with food. The light bulb illuminates, and you’re on your way to discovering wines.

So the next time a young or inexperienced wine drinker orders a white Zinfandel, don’t scoff at them. Chances are they’re just exploring new wines and testing the waters. It may be sweet, pink and cheap, but it’s a start.

This event has been sold out!

Here’s a perfect opportunity to see how important (and enjoyable) it is to have a good food/wine pairing for the optimal dining experience. I’ve chosen five premium Northwest wines and Bistecca Chef Marc Eilberg will design and prepare a five-course meal around those selections.

Featured wines will include; San Juan Vineyards Semillon/Chardonnay, Goose Ridge Chardonnay, Maryhill Zinfandel, Kiona Cabernet and Eola Hills Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Cost generally will be $38 per person with tax and gratuity extra. I think this a steal…I mean, really, where are you going to find a 5-course dinner and wines for this price? The dinner will get underway at 6:30 and wraps up around 9:00pm.

Bistecca Restaurant is located at 4156 Meridian Street in Bellingham near the Holiday Inn. Phone (360) 647-1060 for reservations.

When visiting Northwest wineries you’re never certain what you might find. From large, antiseptic corporate venues to rustic mom and pop operations, Washington truly has them all.

Last summer I came across Paradisos del Sol winery, located near Zillah, which is about a 15 minute drive east of Yakima. This has to be one of the most unpretentious wineries I’ve encountered. The tasting room is actually part of winemaker Paul Vandenberg’s house and is surrounded by orchards and gardens, with dogs, cats and chickens casually roaming about the premises.

Once inside, you’re treated to samples of homemade artichoke and crab dip along with current releases of red and white wines. My favorite, which I recently opened, was the Lot 2 Paradisos del Sol Red (about $18), a blend of Lemberger and Cabernet. The wine displays a tinge of bright cherry for starters and then plenty of spicy berry flavors - notably blackberry and raspberry - followed by a soft finish. The Cabernet gives the wine a bit of structure without being obtrusive.

In addition to the laid back atmosphere, one of the things that impressed me about the winery was their concern for the environment. Farming is done using natural methods with no synthetic pesticides and all of the wines are bottled in clear glass, which is 100 percent recyclable.

I wasn’t able to find Paradisos del Sol wines locally, but they can be ordered online at www.paradisosdelsol.com or by phoning (509) 829-9000. Better yet, pay the winery a visit. You’ll find it to be a unique and relaxing experience.

After spending time chatting with Eastern Washington winemakers over the past several weeks the word on the 2005 harvest appears to be good. Of course we really won’t know the final verdict until everything is in the bottle and we start drinking the wines in another two to three years. But overall, everyone appears to be pleased with the quality of this years harvest.

The key to 2005 was a combination of warm days, cool evenings and minimal amounts of rain in the critical months of September and October. This scenario is one of the reasons why Washington continues to produce wines that rival those of other premiere grape growing regions from around the world.

I think Casey McClellan, winemaker for Walla Walla’s Seven Hils Winery sums it up nicely when he says, “Look for the 2005 wines as they are released; they will be worth waiting for and worth collecting for your cellar to enjoy in years to come.”