February 24th to the 26th, 2017 is the weekend of the annual foodie event known as the Seattle Wine and Food Experience – this event, currently enjoying its ninth year, is also known as “the experience” or, quite simply, SWFE.

What’s more, this year SWFE enjoys a newly-expanded weekend that now features three events, taking place throughout the weekend:

  • The third annual POP! Bubbles & Seafood event on Friday, February 24th
  • The brand-new Comfort event (new to this year’s weekend-long event) on Saturday, February 25th
  • The ninth annual The Grand Tasting event on Sunday, February 26th.

Boasting some 300+ vendors from Seattle’s food and beverage scene, this event makes the perfect weekend outing. What’s more, Woodinville Wine Country will be represented. For example, at the POP! Bubbles & Seafood event, the 2015 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Chardonnay from Patterson Cellars – made with 100% Chardonnay grapes – will be there, along with some 40+ other bubbles.

John Patterson, winemaker-owner of Patterson Cellars, describes this wine of his this way:

“A sparkling Chardonnay from SageCliffe Vineyards, Ancient Lakes AVA. This sparkling wine has a great balance of acid and fruit notes of pear and apple, followed by flavors of lemon and biscuit, complete with an extra dry finish that represents a new world style.”

Sparkling wines go with pretty much any food you can imagine … but especially seafood (think oysters), which makes POP! Bubbles & Seafood such a perfect food-and-wine-pairing event.

Also, at The Grand Tasting, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner from W.T. Vintners will also be featured. Sourced with grapes from Underwood Mountain Vineyard in the Columbia Gorge, this white wine features luscious notes of melon and peach along with green hint of arugula and lemon balm, as well as additional notes of pepper and slate.

Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, winemaker-partner at W.T. Vintners, has this to say about Grüner Veltliner and its food-pairing capabilities:

“Grüner’s ability to complement spring flavors in unparalleled. It pairs well with the notoriously difficult asparagus, as well as pairs with seafood with great ease. Its bright fruit and crisp acidity really play beautifully with the Pacific Northwest’s bounty of the sea.”

So if you happen to be around for the SWFE weekend in Seattle, come on out and taste some wines from Woodinville.

It promises to be one terrific time!