Toast the Harbor 2012

Having just been to Hoptoberfest at the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino, and having won at the silent auction, I am more than excited that Toast the Harbor will be coming so soon to the same location.  With the pairing of wine, food, entertainment, and free gifts, Toast the Harbor should be a one-stop for an evening of fun!

The event takes place on Saturday, November 3rd from 2:00pm-9:00pm with Tickets available at the door, from any Aberdeen Lions Club member or at a number or local business including; Aberdeen Honda, Harbor Drug, GL Kluh, Frames-N-Things, Journey Travel, Quinault Beach Resort, Flying Cats & the Sipping Serendipity Wine Shoppe in Ocean Shores.

Toast the Harbor is an event that has been sponsored by the Aberdeen Lions Club for the past 8 years.  As for this blogger, who was not all that familiar with Aberdeen Lions, I did a little research. 

This event is and has been their major fundraiser for the past 8 years. Check out their website to see what the organization supports and how they help our local communities.  It was an eye-opening read. 

This weekends event is certainly a foodies paradise, with samples of cuisine from local Ocean Shores eatery Half Moon Bay, The Orieol in Hoquiam, Northshore Grill, Engs Egg Rolls, and QBR. With vendors from Harbor shoes in Aberdeen, How Charming, and Blissful Wonders there will be plenty of swag to buy and win. 

In addition to the food (I know that it is hard to imagine something better that delectibale goodies and savory treats) several wineries and breweries will be giving samples of beer and wine.  The 2012 Toast the Harbor wineries and breweries that are participating this year are as follows: the Bateaux Cellars out of Toledo, WA, Frenchman Hills Winery, Okanogan Estates, our very own Westport Winery, Dicks Brewery, Local Westport Brewary, and new local distillers Wishkah River Distillery.

Included in your ticket is live music that will play throughout the event and a silent auction with over 100 items to bid on from gift baskets to art to wine that has been donated from the participating wineries.

Presale tickets $12.00

Tickets are $15.00 at the door

Tickets include a commemorative wine glass, 5 sampling tickets, a tote bag & the wine festival program

Wine at the Beach Festival

Luuuuucy!  You got some 'splaining to do!

Your First Crush is important.  You remember how old you were, where you were, and what you were doing when you first fell in love.  First Crushes make an impression, not only in love but in wine!  The aptly named first crush can be defined as the first press, the noun crush refers to the harvest. The verb crush refers to breaking the de-stemmed grape skins before press. 

However you define it, The Crush Me, Squeeze Me, Make Me Wine (at the Beach) Festival is happening this Sunday, October 7 from 11am to 4pm, and is shaping up to be just as memorable as your own first crush.

Come out to experience a (pardon the pun) grape-stomping good time.  There will be soup, music, and the Lucy and Ethyl look-alike contest open to men, women, children and dogs.  Yes, you can fulfill the fantasy that every I Love Lucy fan dreams about by tying your hair up in a cute little bandanna, wearing your long flowing skirt in a way that reminds me slightly of a large adult diaper (sorry but it does!) and stopping the seeds our of fresh vine grapes to dye your toes purple.  I personally would love to dress my friends little puppy in a lucy-look-a-like costume!

More importantly if you find your way out to the Westport Winery this weekend you will get the chance to learn about wine making form berry to bottle by picking, crushing, sipping and stomping the silly out of the grapes.  (too much sipping and you might be silly as well)

Visit the Winery's event home page at westportwinery.org  or call at 360- 648-2224 .
Westport Winery, Corner of SR105 & South Arbor Road, halfway between Westport and Aberdeen.

Salmon Tales in Westport

I know it may seem as if we have been writing lots of  'fishy tales' lately, however if you live at the beach in Westport, you understand that Salmon is the word of the month in September!

When you mention the Pacific Northwest to "muggles", the first thing that may come to mind is the Salmon that runs in our rivers for most of the fall, and if you are looking for the hub of this activity, look no further than Westport this weekend.  The Salmon Tales event takes place this weekend on Saturday, September 22.

What sounds most intriguing to this writer, besides the amazing Smoked Salmon Derby (as this girl loves to eat) is the Charter Boat Bingo that gives players 14 chances to win Charter Fishing Boat trips.  My husband went out last spring on a Westport Charter Trip and loved it!

Westport Brewing Company will be hosting a Beer Garden on the Maritime Museum, but why wait for Saturday?  The WBC is open to the public daily and you can samples their beers today if you want!  While you enjoy that beer on Saturday, make sure you listen for the sounds of 'Catch of the Day'.

Local Magazine Horns and Hooks has an excellent write up on the event that was published on August 29th.  Check it out here!

Remember that you can also participate in the Boat Basin Salmon Derby until late into October, so if you head out to Westport for Salmon Tales take your fishing rob and reel in the big one.

Celebrating Mom, Harbor Style

"Mom!"
"Moooooooom..."
"Mo-OM!"
"MOMMY!"

It was always the first word off my lips when I was in need. So easy to say and so many ways to say it. Whether it was insistent, whiny, impatient or frantic, the word Mom summoned the fixer of all things as a child. Ok, I'll admit, as an adult as well. Even though I'm 28, married and a mother myself, my mom is still my superwoman. There is no one on this planet I love, trust and idolize as much as her. I bet you feel the same way about your Mom, and I'm going to assume that you've tasked yourself with honoring her this Mother's Day with some spectacular day of events this coming Sunday.

No? Uh oh. First, before you earn yourself a motheresque tsk-tsk when you show up at 5pm on Sunday with a box of drugstore chocolates and a handful of wilted dandelions, pick up a real gift. There's still time! Fresh out of inspiration? Greater Grays Harbor, Inc offers a number of suggestions on their Mother's Day blog post that are local and memorable.

Secondly, if you aren't a culinary connoisseur yourself, make reservations at a local restaurant to wow (mom upside down) Mom's palate with an array of deliciously indulgent only-once-a-year-foods like quiche, mimosas and more. I would list the wonderful options here for you.... if businesses in Grays Harbor had websites. From memory, I recall Bridges has done a Mother's Day brunch for many years, the Shilo Inn & Suites in Ocean Shores does one, Wesport Winery is definitely doing a Fete de Meres and some local restaurants like Amore and Mallard's will probably have lovely dinner offerings.

Thirdly, and lastly, celebrate other local mom's! Visit The Daily World's Mother's Day Photo Contest page and vote on your favorite candid snapshot of other Harborite moms in their moments of glory and goofiness with their family.

You know your mom better than you think you do - find something fun and special to do with her this Mother's Day to show her how much you care and appreciate her. We wouldn't be here without our mothers - be sure to say thank you!

Wine, Dine & Shop All in One Place: Westport Winery

Six years of marriage? That's a cause for celebration! As someone who always thought she was too independent to settle down and start a family, every wedding anniversary is a delightful notch in my proverbial belt of marriage. This last Friday my husband and I decided to spend our celebration for two at the Westport Winery, one of my favorite local places. 

Outside of the Winery, by the gardens. 

I promise I'm grimacing at my finicky phone, and not the fabulous company.

Every time I go to the Winery, I remember how much I love it. This was our first time eating dinner there, and the food was simply devine! In fact, I ate it all before I remembered that I should have taken pictures for this blog. Call me impatient. Really, the food was just too incredible to stop eating. And when I did stop eating, it was to drink delicious wine, not reach for the camera.

There's also a lunch menu. This patio seating
will be perfect for Saturdays in the summer.

As far as selections go, my husband and I are both steak fans when we're eating out. My husband had the Prime Rib and I had the Garlic Tenderloin, both served with sesame sauteed broccoli and mashed potatoes. As we both took our first bites, I looked up and it was like looking in the mirror- the savory pleasure I felt was mimicked in the expression on his face. My husband's first words, I believe, were a declaration of his new favorite restaurant. We've been on the search for a new favorite local restaurant ever since Saginaw's in Elma closed up shop (which is a shame - it really was a fantastic restaurant and I hope the proprietors will pop up elsewhere for us to enjoy again), so imagine how ideal it is for me, wine lover, to have this little culinary jewel right in the middle of my favorite winery. Someone pencil me in a standing reservation, please.

Speaking of wine, I paired my dinner with a glass of Fleur de Lis Pinot Gris then a glass of Bordello Blonde. My husband opted for Elk River Reisling (I suspect due to the elk we spotted on the way out). All were delicious, but my favorite still stands at the Fleur de Lis. Pinot Gris and I are just meant for each other. After dinner and a delectable dessert of 4-layer coconut cake, we stepped over into the gift shop & tasting area. I love the selection of local products & goodies! From chocolate to canned vegetables to cook books and wine accessories, the gift shop is categorized by color and makes for a fun shopping experience. Makes me want to throw a wine party. 

 

Some of the fun, Washington-specific goodies for sale at the Winery.

I also did a tasting to get some more Westport Wines under my belt. For $5 you can taste 5 wines. The fee is even waived if you buy a bottle! And since I was definitely going to buy myself a bottle of Fleur De Lis Pinot Gris, I took advantage.

Wine tasting station & by-the-bottle purchases 

in an elegant color coordinated display.

Overall, it was the perfect backdrop for our anniversary celebration. If you're looking for a place with good atmosphere, great food & wine and a true local touch to celebrate a special occasion or take a hot date, this is the place. It's romantic and sophisticated without forgetting where you're at. You don't escape Grays Harbor at the Westport Winery, you just get to see the classier side. Cheers!

Evening twilight at Westport Winery.