Thanksgiving in Wine Country

If ever there was a holiday built upon tradition, it is Thanksgiving. For generations, family and friends have gathered annually to give thanks for their collective blessings. Each year, a grand meal is painstakingly planned, then labored over in kitchens across the country. Finally, after many hours, a table is set and loved ones dine together on a feast of flavors, which is claimed to be unsurpassed by any meal prepared in family memory. And then they watch football.

This year, if you are looking for an alternative to leftover turkey sandwiches and rousing discussions about lawn-care maintenance with your in-laws, the answer may be closer than you think.

During the Thanksgiving in Wine Country weekend, wineries throughout the Yakima Valley offer an opportunity to experience the art of careful food and wine pairings. The popular weekend, Nov. 27-29, allows local chefs and vintners to flaunt their sommelier skills as they pair custom dishes with homegrown local wines. The annual event has become a Northwest holiday tradition, and wine lovers come from near and far to taste new vintages being premiered alongside their perfect culinary match.

Dishes such as Thurston Wolfe winery’s pumpkin bread pudding and Severino Cellar’s crème of roasted Portobello mushroom and chipotle pepper soup will be served to guests with wine pairings and a lesson on why the two work well together. The winemakers will be on hand at most wineries to offer suggestions and answer questions about their craft, as well as to celebrate the season with fellow wine aficionados. “It’s kind of our last big hurrah before we close for the winter,” says John Claar Whitelatch of Claar Cellars in Zillah. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The sip and swirl event requires little more than a wine glass in hand to attend. However, for special treatment, tasters will want to invest in a Premier Pass. The $35 pass ($30 in advance) includes a commemorative 15 oz. wine glass and allows the holder access to benefits unavailable to the general public, such as library tastings (wines that are not available for purchase), behind-the-scenes tours and waived tasting fees.

The doors to the 16 wineries located along the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail will also be open over the Thanksgiving weekend. A pass is not required to attend their Thanksgiving in Wine Country Rattlesnake Hills Style event. However, an optional $10 Passport may be purchased, which allows additional discounts as well as an invitation to the annual “Snake in the Glass” Passport Party after visiting 10 wineries along the trail. Passports never expire and can be purchased in addition to a logo wine glass at any of the wineries along the Rattlesnake Hills trail or at the Yakima Valley Visitors Center.

Thanksgiving in Wine Country is well attended, with most wineries reporting several hundred visitors by weekend’s end. Tasting rooms fill up quickly, so be sure to pack a little patience with your designated goblet.

“You don’t have to be overly ambitious,” says Anders Swathes of Gilbert Cellars in Yakima, where live music is scheduled in addition to wine tastings.  He suggests choosing a few wineries to attend, adding with a laugh, “But we’re always a good place to end up.”

No matter which wineries end up on your itinerary, Thanksgiving in Wine Country weekend offers the Valley’s best combinations:  good food, good wine and good company – even if your in-laws tag along.

For detailed information regarding participating winery events and a downloadable map contact:

Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail

509-965-4521

888-375-RHWT

www.rattlesnakehill.com

Wine Yakima Valley

509-965-5201

www.wineyakimavalley.org