We've selected a handfull of value-focused wines, with a few themed ones thrown in! Come taste some Dracula's Blood, or how about Zinzilla, a Monster of a Wine! Special case discounts, glass pours all day, club members taste complimentary!

It's WALLA WALLA VINTNERS time!!!  One of our very favorite winemakers, Gordy Venneri, will be at the shop this Saturday, Oct. 27th from 1 - 6 p.m.  Gordy is considered family around here, and his wines are so consistent year after year... from the first sip, you'll be amazed by the flavor and smooth profile all of his wines possess.  His friendly demeanor is contagious, as is his passion for producing high quality wines.  One of the originals in the Walla Walla Valley and a veteran in the Washington wine industry, we're proud to host Gordy for an afternoon of wine tasting, story telling fun!  Don't miss this one!  Special 20% case discounts offered on all featured Walla Walla Vintners wines... mixed cases ok!  Glass pours available... good times unlimited!!!!!  CLUB MEMBERS TASTE COMPLIMENTARY!!!

Arts Alive is one of the largest art festivals in Western Washington, featuring local and regional artists, a beautiful showing at Maple Hall, and multiple art galleries featuring live art... not to mention restaurant specials and more.  To help celebrate this festive weekend, we'll be presenting the Wines of Northern Italy that we recently discovered on our club tour, which took us through Alba, Asti, Barolo, into Amarone country in Verona and up into the Dolomite mountains for some truly exceptional Pinot Grigio.  A sneak preview of the wines will be available for tasting on, Friday, Nov. 2nd from 4 - 8 p.m.  Then on Saturday, Nov. 3rd we'll be tasting the wines from 1 - 6 p.m. with our favorite Italian wine importer Erin and her husband Rich on hand to tell the stories of the winemakers and families behind each wine, and their travels throughout Italy.  Information and slide shows on the 2014 Tours will be available, so come help celebrate Arts Alive Weekend with some amazing Italian wines at Hellams Vineyard!!!

GOT PORT?!!?!  We certainly do!!!  A hugely popular tasting, come experience Port wines from the past 4 decades and see how they evolve over time.  On Saturday, Nov. 10th from 1 - 6 p.m.  Port Guru Harvey will join us and wax poetically about the virtues of all things Port... from the aged tawnies to ruby, vintage, late bottled vintage... even white Port, Harvey is "da man" when it comes to the nuts and bolts of Port wine.  Paired will be our favorite with a good aged tawny... roasted almonds and English Stilton cheese. We might even have the Three Century Tawny for sale... a wonderful holiday gift!   20% case discounts, mixed ok....!  Come grab a glass of Port and some cheese!!!

Join us at the November Club Social on Sunday, Nov. 11th, 6 p.m. at Chuck & Pat Hoover's home in Anacortes!  Club Socials are all about the food, wine and FUN!  All you need to do is bring a side dish/appetizer for 25, and the shop provides the wine!  Please RSVP by sending e-mail or calling the wine shop... thanks and hope to see you there!

On Friday, Nov. 16th at 6 p.m. we're offering a special "How To Make Sushi" class!  Come sit at the bar, taste and roll your own sushi from the expert ladies from Epicurean Inspirations!  Each person will get 12 pieces of sushi paired with 3 different wines, yakisoba soup, salmon poke, green tea sorbet and more!  All students will receive recipes and materials are provided.  Cost is $50 per person + tax... RSVP is required so make yours today by calling the shop at 360.466.1758

We're looking forward to the return of Gamache Vintners for an afternoon of tasting fun!  Brothers Roger & Bob Gamache make wines grown from their estate vineyard in the lower Yakima Valley.  The Gamache family has farmed for several generations, dating back over 100 years when the original French families settled from Yakima to the lower valley.  Upon arriving these European immigrants planted hops and wine grapes, and through the years supplied crops to brew masters and winemakers.  The Gamache brothers decided to give winemaking a try over 10 years ago, and the result are wines with intense character and full of flavor.  Come meet Roger Gamache, and hear first hand from a grower-winemaker what it takes to produce award winning boutique Washington wines.  Tasting complimentary for club members; 20% case discounts available, mixed cases ok.  Glass pours of featured wines available all day.

Our annual 2-day blind tasting pits Washington vs. California wines, and it's a blast!  This year the competition will be Merlot; we select 3 each from Washington and California, bag 'em up and you get to taste and rate them accordingly!  The bottles selected are in the $40 - 60/bottle range, and the wine must be dominant with Merlot.  Grab a rating score sheet, make your notes and score each wine based upon your expert palate!  This is a fantastic post-Thanksgiving tasting, so after walking off your Turkey feast come on by for some wine tasting fun!  Cost is $10 per person; $5 for club members.  20% case discounts available on all featured wines, mix and match ok!  Glass pours of all featured Merlot available all day!   Tasting days:  Friday, Nov. 23rd & Saturday, Nov. 24th, 1 - 6 p.m. each day.

Cold, winter days calls for a fire, snuggly blanket, a good book, comfort food and big, rich warm red wines!  We've selected a handful of big Aussie reds for your winter tasting pleasure, with a few 'stickies' or dessert wines as the Aussies call them.  These chewy, full bodied reds feature Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon... sometimes blended together to create a wine full of rich, ripe black fruits.  Come on out and taste through the lineup, grab a glass pour and enjoy the cozy warmth of the wine shop!