Taste Washington 2021 Wraps Up with a Plan to Resume in Person Next Year
Taste Washington and Taste Washington Wine Month kept the spirit of the annual wine and food festival alive in 2021 by offering an array of monthlong programs centered around wineries, restaurants, and hotels. While this year’s weekly themes pivoted from the usual large wine and food tasting event—excitement is high for next year’s festival, already scheduled for March 17-20.
Taste Washington 2021 will be one to remember, as it was a moment in time when there was no limit on the number of wineries and restaurants that could participate. The format allowed new Washington wineries and pop-up restaurants to easily join in no matter their size or location, alongside long-time festival participants. The weekly themes allowed many wine and food partners to flex their creative muscles and engage with consumers across all platforms. Wineries and restaurants offered creative pairings each week highlighting Washington’s iconic varieties with unique cuisines, like Bopbox’s Bulgogi paired with a Savage Grace Syrah, Walla Walla’s Passatempo’s Baked Lasagna paired with a Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tom Douglas’ Serious Takeout Alaska and Cod Chowder with a Cote Bonneville Chardonnay.
“This year’s fresh format taught us a lot, and we hope to carry through those learnings and creative momentum into next year,” said Ali Daniels, SVP and CMO of Visit Seattle. “Because we know there’s no replacement for the power of in-person gatherings, we are excited to invite festival-goers from around the globe back to Seattle next March.”
“This year provided a great opportunity to bring Taste Washington to consumers across the entire state in a safe way,” added Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission. “In keeping the spirit of the festival alive, excitement is heightened for next year, when we can all gather in Seattle together again under one roof.”
The Taste Washington team is thankful to all wineries, restaurants, hotels, and sponsors that participated in Taste Washington To Go, Taste Washington At Home, Getaways, and Monthlong Promotions. This festival would not have been possible without the support of Alaska Airlines and Whole Foods Market. As part of the monthly promotions available this year, weekly giveaways were gifted to lucky winners, with grand prize sweepstakes at the end of the month. More than 1,900 entries were received for the final sweepstakes.
In addition to the monthlong activities, Taste Washington encouraged donations to Big Table and FareStart as they support the hospitality industry hit hard during Covid-19. While this year’s festival has ended, donations to those organizations are still encouraged as their work continues and their impact is ongoing.
Follow along by visiting the Taste Washington website for all 2022 programming details and announcements.
