11/21/08 Getting Ready for the Fete

Getting Ready for the Fete. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Each year the winemakers of the Pacific Northwest get the opportunity to show off their hard labor and we, the wine enjoying public are most grateful to taste wonderful reds and whites, sweet and dry and everywhere in between. The Walla Walla Wine Alliance's Executive Director, Elizabeth Martin-Calder says there is a great history behind tasting wines. MARTIN-CALDER: Winemaker's Fete really takes its roots from holiday barrel tasting and holiday barrel tasting started many years ago as a way for this community to thank the many members of not only the wine community but within our more general Walla Walla community. And so that was how holiday barrel tasting started and people got to come over and got to sample tastings out of the barrel. Over the years the event has grown. MARTIN-CALDER: Now we see thousands of people in our valley during that weekend. It's always the first weekend in December The event is a chance for you to purchase a table and sit down with friends and family to a wonderful meal. MARTIN-CALDER: We do it at the Marcus Whitman Hotel and so the dinner itself is quite a feast. It's a 5-course dinner and each winery then pares wines to compliment that dinner. And then we also have an opening reception with over 38 wineries throughout the general valley and everyone gets to sip some of their wines as well so by the time you're done you've probably at least experienced or had the opportunity to experience wines from close to 50 of the wineries here in the Valley. For more information on the barrel tasting visit wallawallawine.com That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.