I was at this year’s TOW, faithfully spitting from start to finish. I’ve been to the event since 2002 or 2003. Can’t remember which.
I don’t have hard numbers on the number of wineries that have poured in previous years compared to this year, but when I was making a list of recommendations it did seem like there were a number that I was looking for that I did not see. Quilceda Creek was the most noticeable one for me, others I noticed were Grand Reve and Cadence. I noticed because these are wineries I like to direct people towards. I was disappointed to see that Quilceda wasn’t pouring the Red Wine as I think this is a good opportunity for people to check out their wines that will otherwise not have the ability to. Can’t blame Grand Reve for not being there. Their production is microscopic. Still, I wish they were. I did notice that K was pouring a limited selection of wines and left early. Seems a shame as they can clearly afford to pour as much wine as they want.
I personally saw a lot (as in a LOT) less drunk people this year than I have seen in previous years. I also saw a good deal of alcohol enforcement people later on in the event. There has been an increased emphasis on this in recent years and clearly this is something that should continue in order to make the event better for all concerned. It didn’t seem anywhere near as insanely crowded as, say, three years ago. I was not planning to be there for the whole time, thinking I would leave when the event either got too crowded or I saw too many crazy drunk folks. Neither happened so I stuck around until the end (and did see a staggering person or two at that point).
I think of Taste Washington in several ways. First, it is a celebration of Washington wine. It’s the largest opportunity to taste a lot of different wines to see what the wineries are all about. From a consumer perspective, it’s a no brainer. I always check out a lot of different wineries that I might not have the opportunity to taste and always discover new wines and wineries. Money well spent in my mind (although I should add that I now receive free admittance for speaking at the seminars).
From a winery perspective, I look at it as brand building. You get out in front of consumers, people get to see your face, your brand. For people who know the winery, it allows you to reconnect with them. For folks you don’t, it gives you a chance to check them out without paying for the price of a bottle. Realistically, when I was solely on the consumer side I would spend weeks going over the list of wineries and wines (literally). I still spend a lot of time doing it frankly. I think there is a lot of value in this for wineries, and watching the continued conversation on Twitter and Facebook about specific wines, I think it can be helpful.
I would suspect that perhaps the large number of people at the event and the number of drunk people at the end has made some wineries decide not to participate. I would also think that perhaps the economy has something to do with it. Wineries can pour an almost limitless amount of wine at this event. That becomes costly, as is the cost of participating. It would be worth reaching out to people who have participated in past years and did not this year to find out what that was all about. I will try to do so. I should also say too that the event goes from 12:30-7, including the trade section. This is a long, long time for wineries, especially small ones who don’t have a lot of volunteer help.
Kudos to Gramercy Cellars not only for being there for the whole event (many wineries stuck around I should add) but also for encouraging other wineries to do the same on Twitter. They also poured their reserve Syrah which they made a measly 75 cases of (yes, it’s delicious). I should also say that at Taste Tulalip which is similarly long, Bob Betz was there pouring from beginning to end (as was Grand Reve). Not sure why Betz ran out of wine this time around but I have heard a whole lot of people talking about the 2009 Cote Patriarche subsequently. Made a lot of impressions.
I hope that it continues to be a successful event for exciting people about specific wineries and Washington wine more generally. If there are reasons why wineries are deciding not to participate they need to be addressed. I think it’s critical to have the state’s best and brightest out in front of consumers continuing to keep them excited about Washington wine.