Drink Local Wine Week is the second full week in October. This year, the wonderful event is taking place from Oct. 10 through Oct. 17. The week prompts everyone to explore and discover new As a blogger, I’m encouraged to write about my local wines.
What Is Drink Local Wine Week?
Drink Local Wine Week is a national annual event recruiting and encouraging bloggers and wine columnists to write about their local wines the second full week in October. According to National Day Calendar, the week “prompts everyone to explore and discover new wine experiences – the taste, the fragrance, and the food pairings.”
Bloggers like me are encouraged to focus on local wines.
My Challenge
The challenge for me is that I’m new to the Pacific Northwest. A month or so ago I took a great trip to Walla Walla and learned all about their wines.
Twenty or so years ago, I visited Willamette Valley, which is Oregon’s most important wine region. I need to revisit that region very soon.
I also visited a fantastic wine bar in Vancouver, WA named Niche Wine Bar. They’re an amazing local place, but unfortunately, they don’t focus on local wines.
The great news is that there are a bunch of wineries close to me on the Columbia Gorge. PDX Reader has an article that highlights seven wineries they recommend. They say that “the Columbia River Gorge is producing an impressively varied, exceptionally executed slate of wines. On a single trip, visitors may taste high-elevation pinot noir, dynamic Italian varietals, summery sparkling wines, and Alsatian-style whites, often made with estate-grown fruit. Here, a combination of youthful and daring winemakers, as well as meticulous and seasoned ones, make for an exciting, eclectic tasting trail from Cascade Locks to Lyle.”
In honor of Drink Local Wine Week, I will visit one of the seven wineries they recommend. Most of the ones they recommend are near Hood River, which I believe is a couple of hours from my house. The one that is closest is Buona Notte in Cascade Locks. “This winery specifically focuses on Italian varietals grown in the Columbia River Gorge and Columbia Valley, ranging from Underwood-grown sauvignon blanc to Dolcetto rosé with grapes from Hood River Valley’s Allegre Vineyard. A favorite of Dame’s Jane Smith, Buona Notte is the kind of place wine nerds love, offering distinctive expressions unlike many others found in the Columbia River Gorge.”
What will you be doing to enjoy this week of local wine drinking?
