Real.Good.Wine 2011
Posted by Real.Good.Wine! (Read the highlights!)
This past week I had a great time attending a fun wine event for a worthy cause. The best part was that I stumbled upon a few delicious wines while raising money for Wounded Warriors!
Twenty-five winemakers from Woodinville, Washington worked together to sponsor the Third Annual Winemaker Olympic Festival. The event was somewhat intimate, but the energy was buzzing and the sun was shining (a rarity this summer!). As my friends and I entered the outdoor space, we were handed a commemorative wine glass, a voucher for the gourmet food trucks and ten wine sampling tickets to wash it all down with. The event was centered on an Olympic theme, complete with a Parade of Wineries, a torch lighting relay and wine-related sporting events. I thoroughly enjoyed watching typically stuffy wine professionals make fools of themselves playing carnival-style games for charity. So a’tasting we went!
On such a hot evening, we tried some fantastically crisp whites that paired perfectly with the sunshine. (Two Vintners was a highlight for both white and red…check out this earlier post about their Zinfandel). However, the best wine of the evening was the Obelisco Estate red blend. The spicy nose led to a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and finished with hints of cocoa. It was so delicious, in fact, I used two tickets so I could have a little extra wine to enjoy!
I look forward to next year’s Olympic Festival and I plan to bring even more friends with me to support the Wounded Warriors project. I only hope that the event planners will rethink the price of entry to encourage an even larger attendance in the years ahead. In the meantime, I plan to pick up a few bottles of the Obelisco and I hope you will too!