Say sayonara to the winter blues and get your spring on while attending these area wine events.

Spring is a lovely time of year to taste wine. Wait. I stand corrected. Any time of year is a lovely time to taste wine, especially here in the Northwest. But spring tasting is an excellent opportunity to taste and experience some of the new releases on the market.

There is an array of popular wine events happening this month that I wouldn’t want you to miss out on so head on out and enjoy some of the best wines Washington State has to offer at one – or more – of these events.

Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour | Saturday, April 14 – Sunday, April 15 | Olympic Peninsula | The Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ invite you to the Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour to sip wine and nibble on artisan cheeses, all while taking in the sights of the scenic Olympic Peninsula. New wine releases and ciders will be paired with a variety of cheeses crafted by local artisan creameries.

Passport to Woodinville | Saturday, April 21 – Sunday April 22 | Woodinville | Located just 30 minutes from Seattle, Woodinville is home to some of the most superb wineries in our state. Sample through an array of new and current releases at this annual event. Tickets are available for Saturday & Sunday or Sunday only purchase but with over 35 wineries participating, one may need two days to safely makes the rounds.

Chelan Nouveau | Saturday, April 21 – Sunday April 22 & Saturday, April 28 – Sunday April 29 | Chelan Valley | A white and rose’ lovers haven, this unique event runs the last two weekends of April and features wineries of the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association. These boutique wineries will celebrate the release of “nouveau” – that’s “new” for those of us non-French speaking people – white and rose’ wines.  

Yakima Spring Barrel | Friday, April 27 – Sunday April 29 | Yakima Valley | A plethora of award- winning Yakima Valley wineries will participate in this annual event. Many of the wineries offer special event discounts, food and cheese pairings, live music and more. Premier passes offer perks at roughly 40 wineries. And what’s better than wine tasting through Yakima? A mobile application that makes touring through the valley even easier. A QR code for the application is located here.  

Mt Rainier Wine & Brew Festival | Saturday, April 28 2 – 8 p.m. |Ashford | Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and spend the day tasting wine and micro-brews on the “Road to Paradise.” This spring wine festival offers a variety of good finds from boutique Washington producers. Plenty of dining and lodging options are available for those who want to make a weekend of the fun.