Since its inception in 1998, Taste Washington has attracted wineries from boutique producers such as Trothe (fewer than 300 cases of tightly allocated boutique wines annually) to Chateau Ste. Michelle, which produces more than 3 million cases a year. 

Now the largest single region consumer wine event in the country, it will celebrate its 25th birthday (minus two pandemic-induced cancellations) this week with several days of wine events and entertainment, climaxing with the Grand Tasting on Saturday and Sunday at Lumen Field Event Center. Weekend festivities kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday with Pacific Standard — a seafood and wine-centric party — at the Admiral House in Magnolia.  

The New Vintage takes center stage at The Sanctuary Grand Ballroom at the Lotte Hotel Seattle from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday, featuring a walkaround tasting and cocktails by Erik Hakkinen of Roquette. Food is from local chefs including Stuart Lane of Spinasse, Melissa Miranda of Musang, Kilig and Wild Cats Catering, Trinh and Thai Nguyen of Ba Sa on Bainbridge and Ramie on Capitol Hill, and Tina Fahnbulleh of Gold Coast Ghal Kitchen. Festivities also include wine seminars on Saturday morning at King Street Ballroom, and the casual No Frills Monday evening at Withinsodo.  

The highlight is the two-day Grand Tasting, featuring more than 200 wineries and 75 food vendors. Many are new or newish to Taste Washington.  

Take Woodinville’s Samā Cellars, participating in its first Taste Washington. Founder and winemaker Chaitanya “Chaz” Bangur is looking to raise the profile of his 1,500-case production winery. “For a new winery, getting your name out there is important,” he says.

Samā Cellars winemaker Chaitanya “Chaz” Bangur

Other winemakers such as Kerry Shiels of Cote Bonneville and Chris Peterson of Avennia, Lydian, Liminal and Passing Time have been coming to Taste Washington for more than 20 years.  

“As much as people in Washington take it for granted, they assume that we have a bustling wine industry, but we are still young,” Shiels says. “In the global scheme of things, we are still small. We are still evolving. It is important to support (Taste Washington) for the good of the Washington wine industry.”  

Kerry Shiels of Cote Bonneville

Shiels’ Cabernet Sauvignon will be featured during Saturday’s King Cabernet seminar, which highlights some of the most collectable and age-worthy wines made in the state. Shiels will also host a winemaker dinner at Palisade on Thursday evening, independent of Taste Washington festivities 

Peterson’s wines will be featured during both days of the Grand Tasting, including the Bordeaux-style blend Gravura and the single vineyard Syrah, Arnaut, made with fruit from Boushey Vineyards.  

Some restaurants and food producers are also participating for the first time. Veteran chef-turned-salumi-producer Seamus Platt is bringing his Norcino cured meats. He is one of only four salumi producers in the state.  

“Honestly, the opportunity to get that much visibility in an industry that is adjacent to mine was a great opportunity,” Platt says. “I am going to be the only salumi producer. They are expecting 8,000 to 10,000 people a day. That is just bonkers.”  

Seamus Platt of  Norcino Salumi will be at Taste Washington for the first time.

Here are some recommendations:  

• Patterson Cellars is one of only a handful of wineries that will pour at Pacific Standard, the New Vintage and both days of the Grand Tasting. Look for the Grenache Blanc and the bright and layered red Grenache.  
• Pollard Vineyard produces an expressive merlot from its estate that will redefine any preconceived notion that the film Sideways may have given consumers. Owner Robin Pollard will pour both a Merlot and a Bordeaux-style blend.  
• Sage Rat is among the most exciting wineries to come on the scene in the last five years. Its carbonic Nebbiolo is an expressive, low alcohol, native ferment made with the varietal that thrives in Italy’s Piedmont region but is only grown in tiny quantities in the state.  
• Succession Wines founder and winemaker Brock Lindsay died tragically during a 2023 accident, but his legacy lives on in wines such as a Pinot Noir made with grapes from the Antoine Creek Vineyard, which Lindsay also managed. This silky light red wine is made in tiny amounts. Taste Washington may be one of the few opportunities to try it.  
• Hoquetus Wine Co. winemaker Robert Gomez will pour a dry Riesling from the Les Collines Vineyard. This versatile and food-friendly wine is as generous on the palate as it is long on the finish. Gomez will also pour a single vineyard Syrah from Francisca’s Vineyard and a Cabernet Franc aged in amphora.  
• Grosgrain Vineyards will pour a Ribolla Gialla from its estate vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. It is a native varietal to Italy that is very rare in the United States. Taste Washington might be one of the few places consumers can try this special wine.  
• Winemaker Mike Berghan has quietly been making solid, focused and ageable wines in a corner of the Walla Walla Valley for decades with a focus on estate-grown fruit. Look for the beguiling and versatile Estate Rosé or the value-priced Stateline Red, a bold and seductive blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo and Malbec that overdelivers for $25 a bottle.  
• Wautoma Springs wines range from a crisp Albariño from JMST Vineyard to a robust Malbec from Conner Lee Vineyard crafted by winemaker Jessica Munnell.