A Can-Do Attitude - Canned Wine is a Highlight at the 2019 Seattle Wine & Food Experience

 I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE), in its second year (first for me, I missed it last year!) at Bell Harbor International Conference Center. I was eager to get back to this event, which has always been a favorite of mine. One aspect I had to get the hang of was how spread out it was around the building. The event was split between two floors of the building, and the second floor was split with a walk-way connecting another area that we didn’t even discover until much later into the event! Even though it was a bit confusing, it was kind of an adventure traveling to different areas for a variety of food and beverages!

Upcoming Event: Taste Washington 2017 - March 23rd to 26th - Various Locations

As we celebrate March as Taste Washington Wine Month, an annual month-long celebration of Washington State’s award winning wine industry, we get eager with anticipation of what’s coming up soon. Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event, celebrates its 20^th Anniversary in 2017 with four days of wine, culinary delights, and education. With so much packed into such a short period, it gets difficult to choose what to attend (or just opt for the Connoisseur pass and attend all of the signature events!). But I’m here to give you a little insight into what will be happening for this year’s multi-day event so you can make your choices with ease.

Another Year of Great Experiences at the Seattle Wine & Food Experience Grand Tasting

The 9^th year of the Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE) was a huge success, a three-day weekend extravaganza that wrapped up with the Grand Tasting at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. This year’s Grand Tasting was a blast. In Seattle Magazine’s first year at the helm, we saw a different layout and very diverse offerings in the world of wine, beer, cider and spirits. So many options, so little time… but may I present a few of the stops I made that stood out at this year’s Grand Tasting.

Upcoming Event: 2017 Seattle Wine and Food Experience Weekend - February 24th - 26th, 2017

2017 is off to a great start and what better way to kick off the year than to start talking about this year’s delectable food and wine events that are coming up. The 2017 Seattle Wine and Food Experience (SWFE) has grown this year into a 3-day festival, offering a full spectrum of Seattle’s culinary and craft beverage scene. Founded in 2009, SWFE has exploded into a premier event that is not to be missed. Under Seattle magazine’s new ownership, the footprint of the event is  growing to reach a wider audience and showcase the city through its incredible food and beverage scene. Each event “experience” is vastly different, so you can attend the one that fits your palate, or make a weekend of it and attend all three.

Upcoming Event: Taste Washington 2016 - March 31st - April 3rd - Various Locations

Taste Washington (Twitter: @TasteWashington), the nation’s largest single region food and wine event, is back in action from March 31^st to April 3^rd, 2016. As always, there are a multitude of events to please your palate, culminating with the Grand Taste on April 2^nd and 3^rd. Here is your one-stop shop for details on each of the various Taste Washington events and activities:

The 2016 Seattle Wine & Food Experience is Another Hit!

If you missed this year’s Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE), you missed out big! This year’s event was a hit, and guests left with extremely full bellies and a list of new wine, beer, cider and spirits favorites. I personally LOVED the food options at this year’s event. The restaurants certainly brought their A-game and the food offerings were simply delightful. I also discovered a new cidery and had the chance to try several offerings of my favorite type of beverage: sparkling wine/champagne! In case you missed my Instagram feed at the event (find me on Instagram: sipsandthecity), here are my favorites and finds from this year’s Seattle Wine & Food Experience.

Upcoming Event: The 2016 Seattle Wine & Food Experience - February 20th & 21st, 2016

Oh it’s a new year in Seattle and you know what that means?! The Seattle Wine & Food Experience (SWFE) is once again almost upon us! That’s right folks, the deliciousness of Jamie Peha’s signature annual event is just around the corner. In true SWFE fashion, this year’s event is bigger and better than ever with more than 200 vendors lining the aisles at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall on Sunday February 21^st from 12-5pm (VIP) and 1-5pm (GA). POP! Bubbles and Seafood also returns for its second year, this time held in the elegant McCaw Hall on Saturday evening February 20^th from 6-9pm.

Upcoming Event: 2015 Taste Washington - 3/26 to 3/29/2015 - Various Locations

We have kicked off March of 2015 and Washington Wine Month is in full effect! Who doesn’t love an entire month dedicated to the amazing wines that are produced from our great state? One of the best parts of Washington Wine Month is that it is capped off with Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single region wine and food event. Taste Washington is so much more than just the Grand Taste. This year’s 4-day extravaganza, held March 26^th through 29^th, includes several different events where you can sip some of the finest wines Washington’s many AVAs have to offer. So let’s a take a look see at all the fun, shall we?

The Tantalizing Tastes of Taste Washington 2014

Once again, Taste Washington lived up to its name as the biggest and best single region wine tasting event by bringing in 225+ wineries, 65+ restaurants and a whole lot of delicious fun down at CenturyLink FieldEvent Center. As I did last year, I mapped out my plan in advance. I went through the great event guide and picked out my “must get to” stops for both wineries and restaurants. Of course there were the big names like Betz and Doubleback on my list, but my main mission (as it was last year) was to try new things. When faced with an expansive room containing more wine choices than I would ever be able to try in a week let alone the short time I had that afternoon, I chose to seek out a few wineries I had never even heard of. I really love this approach, as it helps me expand my knowledge of Washington wines, AVAs and wineries and I don’t keep going back to what I know (disclaimer: of course I still had several from ones I already know and love, but that’s beside the point…). So I perused the event guide and picked out wineries that I had either A. heard of but never tried or B. never heard of and never tried. This proved to work out well for me, as I discovered a few gems throughout the afternoon that made me excited to see more from these wineries.

Upcoming Event: Seattle Weekly's 5th Annual Voracious Tasting & Food Awards - April 24th, 2014 - Paramount Theatre

Seattle is a wonderful place for food & wine events and there is another coming up that should not be missed. The Seattle Weekly's 5th Voracious Tasting & Food Awards is an annual event that I have had to miss for one reason or another the past few years. And I’m always seriously disappointed that I’m not there once I start reading all of the tweets and seeing the photos posted by attendees. Well, no more! This year I will be front and center at the tasting tables on Thursday April 24^th and you should be too! Come and indulge in an evening of unlimited bites and booze from some of Seattle's best restaurants, food trucks, specialty food artisans and mixologists while taking in the sights of the historic Paramount Theatre. This year's participants include Shanik, Tanaka San, Sky City, Collections Café, Pinxto, Rob Roy, Skillet, Blind Pig Bistro, Prima Bistro, La Bête, Poquitos, Plaka Estiatorio, Veraci Pizza, Contigo, Snout & Co., Jemil's Big Easy, Los Chilangos, Pie and more to be announced as the event nears.

Tickets are $50 for general admission (7:30pm) or go all out and spring for a $90 VIP ticket that gets you exclusive early 6pm access to the Paramount Theatre, private bar in the VIP Lounge and a VIP Swag bag. Tickets can be purchased here. This year’s event is sponsored by the Washington Beef Commission and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Beef Counts at Food Lifeline.

Feeling lucky? You can enter to win a pair of VIP tickets to this year’s event from Seattle Weekly here! 

So get your tickets today and I’ll enjoy some sips and samples with you at the 2014 Seattle Weekly Voracious Tasting & Food Awards on April 24^th!

Upcoming Event: Taste Washington 2014 - March 29th & 30th - CenturyLink Field Event Center

It’s Washington wine month once again (or #WAWineMonth to those of us Twitter savvy folk) and you know what that means: TASTE WASHINGTON IS NEAR! Every year, the month of March gives us a month-long celebration of Washington’s award winning wine industry. The month ends with the biggest and baddest wine event of the year. The 17^th annual Taste Washington (@TasteWashington) is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 65 Pacific Northwest restaurants. There are, in fact, so many wineries and restaurants at this event that if you don’t go in with a game plan you’re going to be wide eyed and overwhelmed trying to decide what to try next (trust me on this, map it out in advance, CenturyLink Field Event Center is a large facility!).

Upcoming Event: 2014 Seattle Wine & Food Experience - 2/23/14 - Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

The spring event season is upon us once again, with some of Washington’s best tasting events coming up over the next few months. Prime your pallet and work juuuust a little harder at the gym the next few weeks, because you will not want to miss the 2014 edition of the Seattle Wine & Food Experience (@SeattleWineFood), happening on Sunday February 23rd (12-5pm VIP, 1-5pm General Admission). The event is back in action at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, which has been its home for several years.

Upcoming Event: Taste Washington 2013 - March 23rd & 24th, 2013 - CenturyLink Field Events Center

 

We all love the classics. Classic movies, classic books, and even for some, classic(al) music. Well there’s a classic wine event that comes along every year during Washington Wine Month.  It’s true to form and always sure to please. Taste Washington (@TasteWashington), the nation’s largest single region food & wine event, is back in 2013 in its two-day format that was adopted in 2012. From the opinion of an attendee that has attended both formats, I really like it as a two-day event. It spaces out the guests and makes for a much more enjoyable tasting experience.  The 16^th annual Taste Washington features 225 Washington wineries and more than 65 Northwest restaurants. As in prior years, this year’s event is held at the CenturyLink Field Events Center (or better know to many of us as the “CLink”). Held this coming weekend, March 23^rd and 24^th, it kicks off with seminars on a variety of topics (there’s even a beer one!), and moves straight into the tasting.

Food, Photos, Wine & Fun: The 2013 Seattle Wine & Food Experience

This year’s Seattle Wine & Food Experience (@SeattleWineFood) has come and gone, but not without some great eats, great treats, and amazing beer, wine & spirits. Jamie Peha @TableTalkPeha and her team did an amazing job with the event this year, adding new elements in some areas, and changing things up in others. The room flowed well, the wine flowed well, and the restaurants kept the delicious bites coming. I will say right off the bat that the live music was probably the best I’ve heard at any tasting event. The guy just made you want to do a little dance along to the music every time you walked by. If you missed him (and I hope you didn’t), he was positioned at the front part of the Snoqualmie Casino (@SnoCasino) “Luxe Lounge”, which was a great addition to this year’s SWFE. So without further ado, here are some of my highlights (believe me, there were a lot, these are just the ones I happened to capture photos of) of the 2013 Seattle Wine & Food Experience.

Upcoming Event: 2013 Seattle Wine & Food Experience - 2/24/13 - Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

 

Much like a fine wine, the Seattle Wine & Food Experience (@SeattleWineFood) gets even better with age. Each vintage of the event gets better every year, as if event producer Jamie Peha (@tabletalkpeha) of Peha Promotions strives to out-do herself year after year. This will be my 4^th visit to the SWFE and I am just as excited for this year as I have been for previous years. This year the SWFE will be held on February 24^th, 2013 from 12-5pm at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (its home for the past several years). The 5^th annual SWFE will feature more than 100 wineries from around the globe plus local foods, beer, cider and craft spirits.

Sips on the Road: Bier Thirty, Part One

Karl and Ally at Stone

Celebrating the end of the day has long been accomplished with a nice cold beer, but for my very handsome boyfriend Karl’s 30^th birthday, he wanted to celebrate the end of a decade with beer, and so we did.  Twenty real life humans and one cardboard cutout gathered the morning of January 19^th and climbed our way in to our party bus to attempt a visit to five different San Diego breweries in seven hours.  Aside from that we were given only one other goal of not racking up a bill for Karl with the bus driver by keeping ourselves “together,” a goal I’m happy to report we accomplished.  In all the day was a complete success and the breweries were welcoming, the great part for me was I had only ever been to one in person having tried beers from only a few as well, so it was a day of firsts for me.

The breweries visited in order were Stone World Bistro and Gardens, Lost Abbey, Green Flash, Rough Draft and the original San Diego brewery, Mission Brewery.  Each is deserving of their own post so over the course of a few weeks I’ll post about each going in order of those visited.

Taste Washington 2012 - CenturyLink Events Center - Seattle, WA

Once again, Taste Washington proved that it reigns supreme as THE wine event in the state. While some were skeptical of this year’s new two-day format, the worries were unwarranted. Both the crowds and winemakers alike seemed to very much enjoy the new version of Taste Washington. Over two days this past weekend, over 4,000 glasses were used and an estimated 200,000 wine pours were given out to tasters. The seminars also had a big draw this year, with standing room only crowds in several of them. I took in the sips and bites on Sunday afternoon, and as always, came away with a few new favorites. I try to make it a goal to try as many new wines as possible, and I was excited to try a few brands I had previously never heard of. So what were my favorites? Read on!

Upcoming Event: Taste Washington 2012 - CenturyLink Field Events Center, Seattle

It's that time of year again folks, Taste Washington (@TasteWashington) is upon us once again! This event continues to set the standard for Washington wine events and this year, the Washington State Wine Commission has teamed up with Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) to put on the food and wine event of the year. Big changes this year: the event is TWO days instead of its traditional single day tasting format. Both the tasting and the seminars have been spaced between the two days. Previously, the seminars were all held on Saturday and the Grand Taste held Sunday, but this new format offers more time for tasting, and a better chance to sit on on one of the educational wine seminars.

So here's the scoop on the happenings:

Are You In It to Win It? A Seattle Wine & Food Experience Giveaway!

If you haven't yet heard all of the amazing things about the upcoming Seattle Wine & Food Experience, you've obviously been living under a rock (or, you just don't read my blog enough, I posted a great description of the event earlier this month..). This annual event is coming up in just a few short weeks and I've got a chance for you to win a pair of tickets to attend! So think VERY hard about who is worthy enough of attending the event by your side if you win and pay close attention to the details. It's very simple really:

#1. On Facebook? Head on over to the Seattle Wine & Food Experience page and click "like". This will give you updates on various restaurants, wineries, and contests related to the event! Stay in the know...

#2: On Twitter? Follow @SeattleWineFood for more updates and information tidbits.

#3: After you've gotten yourself fully connected to the event and learned about all it has to offer (because c'mon, you really have to want to go if you want to win these tickets!), post a comment on this post with the one thing you are most looking forward to at the event on 2/26.

See, isn't that easy?! This Friday 2/4/12, I'll gather all the names of those who commented and draw one lucky winner. Looking forward to seeing the responses.

Cheers and Good Luck!

2011: Let's Rewind that Wine...

So most people did their 2011 recap posts in the last week of 2011, or even last week (the first week of 2012). Well, I'm not most people and I decided to do mine in the SECOND week of 2012. Because I can. I remember how much fun I had last year re-capping my 2010 Sips & the City posts, and getting to look back on all the fun I had in 2010. Well, 2011 was no different! I had such an amazing year getting to know new people, attending events, learning about various aspects of wine making, and trying some spectacular new wines. And now, my blog is almost a toddler (yes, it will be 2 in March!). Time sure does fly, doesn't it? And now, without further ado.. sit back, relax and enjoy the ride: 2011 in review!