Olympic wine tour set

Sip and savor the flavors of fall, enjoy seasonal activities and marvel at nature’s vibrant palate during the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ Harvest Wine Tour, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 9-11.

Eight artisan wineries located in the peninsula towns of Chimacum, Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles will pair new and current wine releases with locally grown and prepared cuisine that celebrates the season, from pumpkin soup to hearty stews to miniature caramel apple hand-pies. Visitors can vote for their favorite of the “wine scarecrows” that greet them at each venue, explore an onsite local marketplace, experience a winemaker dinner, enjoy an evening of jazz music and more!

“Fall is spectacular on the Olympic Peninsula,” says Wineries Association president Vicki Corson. “The long Veterans Day Weekend is a great opportunity to get away, taste some fantastic new wines and discover delicious new pairings for your holiday table.”

In the spirit of fun, the Harvest Wine Tour is BYOG (Bring Your Own Glass)! “We all have a favorite wine glass that brings back fond memories or just makes the wine taste a little better,” explains Corson. “The tour is an opportunity to show off that glass and spark some interesting conversation. But no worries – we’ve got you covered if you forget!”

Advance tickets for the self-guided tour are available online for $30. Independently, each winery charges a $5 tasting fee. Children are permitted in the tasting rooms, however visitors must be 21 years old to purchase a ticket and participate in wine tasting. Tour-goers who get their ticket stamped at all eight wineries are eligible to enter a drawing for a wine-themed gift basket.

Wineries on tour include Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum; FairWinds Winery, Port Townsend; Eaglemount Wine & Cider, Port Townsend; Wind Rose Cellars, Sequim; Olympic Cellars, Port Angeles; Camaraderie Cellars, Port Angeles; Harbinger Winery, Port Angeles; and Black Diamond Winery, Port Angeles.

Nourish in Sequim will host a Winemaker Dinner beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, featuring wines and ciders from Harbinger Winery, Finnriver Farm and Camaraderie Cellars.

The dinner is specially priced at $60 per person for Wine Tour ticketholders; $70 per person for non-ticketholders. A full flight of the featured wines, specially paired to accompany each course, is an additional $15 per person.

Required reservations can be made online through Friday, Nov. 8. Seating is limited.

For more information, visit www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org.