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tricityherald.com / Lifestyles / Food

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Wednesday, Feb. 06, 2008

Next weekend big for wine enthusiasts

By Loretto J. Hulse, Herald staff writer

Are your February weekends already scheduled? If Presidents' Day weekend, Feb. 16-17, is free, you might want to invite your Valentine to go wine touring, especially if you're partial to rich red wines and chocolate treats.

You have a choice of four areas to visit: Yakima Valley, the Rattlesnake Hills, the North Cascades and Maryhill Winery in The Gorge.

Yakima Valley

In addition to their normal tasting lineup, 52 wineries will be offering a special pairing of a chocolate treat with one of their remarkable red wines Feb. 16-17. Take your own glasses and be prepared to pay for tasting at some wineries.

For more fun, wine and food tastings and other perks not offered to the public, buy an event ticket for the Yakima Valley tasting. They can be purchased in advance at www.wineyakimavalley.org for $20 or at the wineries during the weekend for $25. Each ticket comes with a glass for tasting. Wineries will be open during normal tasting room hours, generally from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One winery, Oakwood Cellars in Benton City, also will be open Feb. 18.

Terra Blanca Winery, also in Benton City, will hold a winemaker's dinner Feb.16 in honor of the winery's 15th anniversary. The multi-course, Northwest-inspired meal will be prepared by Leo's Blue Moon of Kennewick. Cost for the dinner is $115 per person. To purchase tickets, contact Terra Blanca's event coordinator, Nicole Rowland, via e-mail at nrowland@terrablanca.com or call 509-588-6082, ext. 110.

To see what's offered at each Yakima Valley winery during the weekend, go to www.wineyakimavalley.org or call 509-965-5201 or 800-258-7270.

Rattlesnake Hills

The 16 wineries in the Rattlesnake Hills outside Yakima will feature rich chocolate goodies paired with a red wine or port Feb. 16-18.

They also will be sampling a wide variety of luscious red wines and crisp, fruity whites. Some wineries will charge a tasting fee for certain wines.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Take along a glass, purchase one at your first stop or buy a "Passport" for $5 and you'll receive a glass, discounts on purchases and complimentary reserve tastings not available to other tasters. Visit 10 wineries over the three days and you'll be invited to the group's annual Snake in the Glass summer party.

For more information, go to www.rattlesnakehills.com or call 888-375-7498.

North Cascades

Twenty-five wineries in the Chelan, Leavenworth, Wenatchee and the Quincy area will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a pairing of a chocolate delight with a complimentary red wine on Feb. 13-17. Hours vary between wineries but generally are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For information on which wineries will be participating, what they're offering and directions, go to www.columbiacascadewines.com or call 509-782-0708.

Maryhill Winery

Maryhill Winery employees will be pouring samples of its award-winning wines plus offering tastings of both red and white vintages paired with chocolates on Feb. 16-17.

On Feb. 16, visitors can enjoy live music from the Ben Macy Trio, a young Portland group with a distinctive style of West coast jazz. The featured musician Feb. 17 is Maryhill pianist Sandee Marshall.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

For more information, go to www.maryhillwinery.com or call 877-627-9445.

*Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com

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