Wine Appreciation Month

We appreciate wine every day but did you know that there are specific Governor-proclaimed months that bring even more diversity of selection and value to you the consumer?! Washington, Idaho and now Oregon all celebrate their status as wine states during their respective State Wine Month promotions. Mark your calendars and get your shopping bags ready so you can stock up your cellar during the following months: March is hailed as Washington Wine Month, May has now been proclaimed as Oregon Wine Month and June is claimed by Idaho. Washington State also claims August as Washington Wine Month with promotions in the month tied more closely with the Auction of Washington Wines event. And not to leave our friends to the south out, California celebrates wine month in September.

While Washington has been celebrating wine months for a number of years, Idaho has been officially recognizing it since 2009. Oregon will celebrate wine month this spring after Governor John Kitzhaber signed an official proclamation last week. Although this is not the first time there has been a Govenor-proclaimed Oregon Wine Month, this May will be the first time in several decades it has been officially recognized.

So what’s the big deal? Why do we need specific months to celebrate the wine regions in our state? For one, it’s a big economic driver for the state. According to Oregon Govenor John Kitzhaber, Oregon Wine Month will bring in $2.7 billion annually to the state’s economy.

For the consumer it is a wonderful time to discover or re-discover the wines of their home state. There really is something to this hometown pride, after all. Many restaurants, grocery markets with dedicated wine areas, retail stores and wineries offer special events, tastings and promotions in observation of this dedicated month. This is definitely the time to restock your home wine cellars, host a wine tasting party or buy gifts of wine. You will also see some crossover in other states depending on the retail and restaurant partners on board; meaning not only is it Oregon Wine Month during May but in Washington state as well.

We will do our best to alert you to special tastings and promotions right here on the TableTalk Blog so stay tuned as we get closer to spring and get ready to celebrate wine…for months on end!

Generally larger tasting events are held along with wine month promotions to kick-up the celebration a notch and give folks the opportunity to meet producers up close, learn more about the region and be able to taste a huge selection of wines. It’s going to be a busy couple of months!

Cool Events That Celebrate Wine Month(s):

Taste Washington – March 31 & April 1
For more than a decade, Taste Washington has been the go-to event for Washington wine lovers. This year the event’s main feature, the Grand Tasting featuring 200 wineries, will be split into two days allowing consumers to pick which day works for them or purchase a weekend pass to enjoy wines more leisurely. You can go crazy buying wine in March and cap off the month by attending Taste Washington.

Unwine’d, Celebrate Oregon Wine – April 29
The kick off to Oregon Wine Month is the first annual Unwine’d, Celebrate Oregon wine, featuring more than 100 wineries and a dozen area restaurants. Make a weekend of it and take the train to Portland to discover some new and old Oregon wine favorites at this event. Be prepared to learn there is whole lot more to Oregon than just Pinot Noir. Learning is so much fun.

Savor Idaho – June 10
Taste the best of Idaho at the fourth annual Savor Idaho on June 10. Organized by the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission, Savor Idaho is the premier food and wine event in the state. Held at Boise Botanical Garden, it’s a fun afternoon tasting through some of Idaho’s 40+ wineries.

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