Here Are A Few Tips to Consider When Attending a Wine Festival

Can’t get enough of Washington wines? Then consider attending Taste Washington, the state’s premiere food and wine tasting event at Century Link Field Event Center in Seattle.

This year’s Grand Tasting has expanded from one to two days on March 31 and April 1 and over 200 Washington wineries are scheduled to attend.

Also featured will be a number of food and wine-related exhibitors as well as dozens of Northwest restaurants that offer bites for noshing during your wine tasting.

I’ve attended this event for several years and found that it’s easy to get caught up in the sensory overload of sounds, tastes, and aromas. Should you plan to attend, let me offer a few suggestions to help maximize your enjoyment:

• Don’t try to do too much, too soon. If you start drinking every full sample you’re poured you won’t make it past the first hour.

Pace yourself and you’ll cover more territory. I usually select one wine per winery and try just a sip or two. I also focus on white wines during the first half of the event, red wines in the latter half. Also remember that tasting and spitting is not only acceptable, it’s practical.

• Eat some food. Most restaurant stations are sprinkled between the wineries, allowing you to grab a nibble and absorb some alcohol intake without missing a beat from your wine tasting agenda.

And while many wine festivals provide just a smattering of breads and cheeses, Taste Washington offers a much wider variety of superbly prepared food samples such as oysters, grilled steak, pastas, and Asian cuisine.

• Exercise wine tasting etiquette. Nothing bothers me more than a person or two who park in front of the wine bar, monopolize a conversion with whoever is serving, and insist on trying every wine in sight.

Use a little common sense and respect your fellow wine tasters by taking a sample and stepping to the side. You can still chat with the server while allowing others to have a taste and keep things moving behind you.

• Have fun! And with great food and Washington wine, how could you not?

General admission to the Grand Tasting runs from 2 to 5 pm each day with VIP access from 1 to 5 pm. One and two day passes are available at a cost of $75 and $99, respectively, for general admission and $125 and $140 for the VIP option. Tickets can be purchased at tastewashington.org.