SEATTLE –Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event, redefines the farm-to-table concept with the addition of an exciting new hands-on dining experience called Taste Washington on the Farm. This series of lunches brings wine and food lovers to local farms to meet the people who grow and produce the gourmet, artisanal products for which the Pacific Northwest is known. Lunches will take place Friday, March 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guests will meet farmers, get their boots dirty and enjoy a delicious menu paired with Washington State wine. Three lunch experiences are available:
Experience #1 – Cheese bliss at Kurtwood Farms on Vashon Island
Host and featured chef: Kurt Timmermeister of Kurtwood Farms, a pioneer of the artisanal cheese movement in the Northwest
Winery: Chris Camarda of Andrew Will, a Vashon Island winery that specializes in single vineyard designates and red blends and is one of the pioneers of Washington State wine
Special guests: Robin Pollard of Pollard Coffee, a Vashon Island microroaster; Laura Cherry of Dragon’s Head Cider, also on Vashon Island, home to 1,500 cider fruit trees
Experience #2 – Exploring the lush Snohomish Valley at Willie Greens Organic
Host: Jeff Miller of Willie Greens Organic, a Monroe-based family farm that produces more than 50 varieties of vegetables and berries
Featured chef: Sam Crannell of Lloyd Martin, an award-winning restaurant in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood
Winery: Robert Ramsay of Robert Ramsay Cellars, a Woodinville-based boutique winery focusing on Rhone varieties such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre
Special guest: Dan Albert of Farmbox Greens, a year-round urban grow operation that produces tasty, highly nutritious microgreens for consumers and commercial kitchens
Experience #3 – A Deep Dive into Oyster Growing at Taylor Shellfish on Samish Bay
Host: Marcelle Taylor of Taylor Shellfish, a family-run company credited with starting the bivalve revolution in the 1980s
Featured chef: The Taylor Shellfish culinary team from their Seattle oyster bars will be on hand to shuck and serve lunch
Winery: Kevin and Julie Cedergreen of Cedergreen Cellars, a family-run winery is a family winery that was started in 2002
Special guests: Trap Landry of Britt’s Pickles, who will talk about good-for-your-gut fermented foods and the art of natural fermentation
Tickets are $165 per person and include luxury transportation by Evergreen Escapes, departing from the Washington State Convention Center at 10 a.m. and returning around 4 p.m. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. For more information or to purchase tickets, visithttp://tastewashington.org/taste-washington-on-the-farm/.
Taste Washington on the Farm is part of Taste Washington weekend, a four-day extravaganza that takes place March 26-29, at various venues throughout Seattle. Other weekend activities include the signature Grand Tasting with more than 225 Washington State wineries and food from more than 70 top Pacific Northwest restaurants; a series of educational seminars on wine and cider led by the country’s top sommeliers and beverage writers; the Red & White Party, an elegant, upscale evening with Washington State’s celebrated wineries pouring special selections from large-format bottles; and The New Vintage, an upbeat event targeting the next generation of wine lovers.
To buy tickets or learn more, visit www.tastewashington.org. Taste Washington is produced by Visit Seattle in partnership with Washington State Wine.
