Special Features of the Grand Tasting
The Events Center is rather large, and there are more than a dozen long tables packed full of vendors, as well as many other stations featuring specific food items. It’s wise to know what the highlights are and where to find them, so you don’t miss out on something special. Here are our favorite highlights of the event:
Oyster & Chowder Bar
Fresh Northwest oysters are being shucked on the spot at the Oyster & Chowder bar, put on by Aqua and El Gaucho, two top Seattle restaurants. Bowls of creamy clam chowder are served at the beginning of the line, and you just work your way around the bar, tasting briny and sweet oysters as they’re being shucked. The bar also includes white wines from various wineries, so we think this is a great place to start the day.Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
If you have an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card, you’ll be granted access to the Cardholder’s VIP Lounge where special wines and bites are being served under a gossamer tent. Get there early in the day, because food does run out. We always find some of the top bites of the day in the VIP tent, along with reserve wines we wouldn’t be able to try anywhere else.Dessert Bar
I always save the dessert bar for the end, but what a fantastic way to go out! There’s always a cupcake or two, decadent looking chocolate truffles, some ice cream… you name it. Plus there’s a table reserved just for the pouring of dessert wines.Stella Artois Cafe
About halfway through the event, you can find us standing in line at the Stella Artois Cafe. It’s refreshing to break up the food and wine overload with a cold beer. And the best part is that you get to keep the glass. They often have Stella, Leffe, Hoegaarden, and this year they also had Cidre. They all come in different styles of glasses and you can take home as many as you can drink/carry.Chef’s Stage
When you need a break from the eating and drinking, there’s a stage set up at the far end of the event center where you can sit and watch top chef’s give cooking demonstrations. The demos go on throughout the event, so there’s always something to watch. I have to confess, I’ve never actually taken the time to sit down, but the area is always packed with people, so there must be something great going on up there.Tips & Suggestions for a Successful Tasting Event

- Go on Sunday. We went only on Saturday at first, under the belief that vendors would run out of wine/food early and that they would have lost their initial enthusiasm by the second day, making it not so great. But we were wrong. Saturday can be very packed. There were, in my estimation, hundreds less people on Sunday. The booths and the aisles were not at all crowded. We could spend time talking to each vendor, learning about the wines and enjoy the food. On Saturday, we never could have done that. Too many people. So if you really want to enjoy yourself, go on Sunday.
- Get there early. The doors open right at 2pm, but the lines start forming at least 30 minutes before. While the line moves quickly, you’ll want to be one of the first through the door, because every minute is precious and there are no minutes to waste! Be in line by 1:30pm and you’re good to go.
- Plan to pour out a lot of wine. The winery reps all know that they are vying for your attention with 225 others, so they are not offended when you take a sip and pour the rest out. There are pour buckets at every booth for this reason. If you sip and pour, you’ll be able to make it through way more before palate fatigue and tipsiness set in.
- Look at the program in advance. With enough will power, you’ll be able to get through most, if not all, of the food offerings. You won’t, however, be able to get through even a 1/4 of the wine being poured. So the best thing to do is make a wine plan beforehand. We choose wineries we’ve not yet heard of, varietals we’re most interested in, and then if there’s time, we add in sips from our favorites. There are many ways you can choose to tackle the wine, just make sure you’ve chosen your path in advance.
- Ask about special wines. Wineries notoriously bring special wines with them, usually to pour for their colleagues, but if you ask nicely, they might let you try it as well. Doesn’t hurt to ask!
- Some vendors, like Total Wine, hand out free bags, glasses, magazines, etc. Although you’ll have to carry it around, it’s best to pick up these free gifts at the beginning because they go fast.
- Keep pace. I know it sounds regimental, but if you don’t keep a pretty good pace, you won’t stand a chance to making it all the way around. After each hour, we evaluate our progress and determine if we can slow down or if we need to speed up. Believe me, it’s the only way to get through it all.
- If you don’t want to feel like it’s a speed-eating competition, and you want to spend time talking with the wine makers and chefs, you absolutely must have a game plan. Circle the things you don’t want to miss in your program and only visit those booths. If you have time at the end, you can hit up additional booths. If you really want enough time to experience everything and maybe even catch a chef demonstration, you have to go both days.
- Don’t bring a lot of stuff with you. I don’t even take a jacket or a purse anymore. I take a small shoulder bag where I can stuff handouts and freebies. Everything else is extraneous and will just bog you down.
- They supply you with a plastic tray that has a slot to stow your wine glass. We take ours home with us and use them for other food/wine events we attend throughout the year. People at other events will be very jealous of your handy tray. (Extra hint: at the end of Sunday, they give away whatever trays are left).
Food & Wine Highlights from the Grand Tasting
Each year seems to have an unintentional food theme. One year, sliders and sandwiches were popular, the next it was tacos. Even with the popular items, there’s always a huge range of different foods to enjoy. Just temper your expectations, as it’s difficult to make a lot of food for a crowd and have it be really exceptional.Below are some photos of the food highlights from previous years.



CONCLUSION
The Taste Washington Grand Tasting event is always a good time and it’s well worth the ticket for a day of food and wine. Be prepared with a map and an empty stomach and we’re sure you’ll have a fantastic time.
Laura Lynch, creator and writer of Savored Journeys, is an avid world traveler, certified wine expert, and international food specialist. She has written about travel and food for over 20 years and has visited over 75 countries. Her work has been published in numerous guidebooks, websites, and magazines.
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