Taste Washington Reported Record Attendance

Last month’s Taste Washington was one for the record books.  Organization officials say a record-breaking 8,479 visitors attended the 22nd annual event in Seattle.  The four day event allowed visitors to sample food from a variety of chefs across the Emerald City, and taste wine from across the state.  The 2019 festival featured more than 240 Washington wineries.

Voted one of USA Today’s 10-Best Wine Festivals, Taste Washington spans four days and is the nation’s largest single-region wine and food festival.

“Taste Washington continues to grow each year because it represents the best of what makes this state so unique – from the cold waters of the Pacific to the lush vineyards of Eastern Washington,” Senior Vice President & CMO of Visit Seattle Ali Daniels said.  “At Taste Washington, visitors, chefs, winemakers and food and wine lovers can experience the diversity we have to offer in one place, making March one of the best times to visit Seattle.”

“Throughout the Taste Washington festival, there’s an energy that’s absolutely contagious,” President of Washington State Wine Steve Warner said. “It’s quite simply the best place to get a pulse on the Pacific Northwest’s exciting food and wine scene.”

This year’s Taste Washington introduced new events and venues prompting tickets to sell out early. At the new Canlis Wine Dinner, guests dove into the iconic restaurant’s storied wine cellar with Wine Director Nelson Daquip. At The New Vintage, held at Seattle’s The Sanctuary, wine and food lovers wound their way through an epicurean adventure with culinary icons and some of Washington’s most acclaimed winemakers. James Beard Award-winning Chef Edouardo Jordan also hosted the first-ever Lexus Late Night at his restaurant Salare. This year’s second annual Sunday Brunch featured a special bi-coastal menu with Seattle Chef Tom Douglas and Boston Chef Ana Sortun in celebration of the Mariners’ opening weekend at T-Mobile Park against the Boston Red Sox.

Returning favorites included the sixth annual Red & White Party hosted at AQUA by El Gaucho Thursday, Taste Washington On the Farm which offered two distinctive experiences at Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center and Falls City Farms on Friday, and Saturday and Sunday morning which featured Washington Wine Seminars presented by Wine Spectator at Four Seasons Hotel Seattle.

Capping the weekend’s festivities, the Taste Washington Grand Tasting featured 242 wineries and 71 restaurants and boasted record attendance with 6,997 people attending over Saturday and Sunday afternoons at CenturyLink Field Event Center. Alderbrook Resort & Spa took home the coveted Best Bite trophy as voted by attendees for their Parmesan Pouffe with house-cured Bresaola, which utilized simple flavors and locally made ingredients to showcase the style of food found at the resort.

For those looking forward to next year’s event, the 23^rd Taste Washington, which will occur March 19-22, 2020.  Tickets will go on sale later this year.

Taste Washington by the numbers:

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