Meet Top Winemakers and Chefs at Northwest Wine Encounter in Bellingham, June 1 - 3, 2018

Plan now to be in Bellingham for the third-annual Northwest Wine Encounter, June 1 - 3, 2018 at the Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel and Conference Center. The weekend includes a wine-tasting event, four interactive presentations with tastings led by top winemakers and a gala dinner featuring the culinary offerings of Whatcom County chefs paired with some of the Northwest’s finest wines. “We are pleased to sponsor the Northwest Wine Encounter, which has such an excellent reputation among wine enthusiasts,” said John Burns, General Manager of Four Points Bellingham. “Our B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar chefs look forward to participating in the gala dinner and serving our guests throughout a wonderful weekend.” “Northwest Wine Encounter is for people who enjoy the region’s finest wines and want to learn more from acclaimed winemakers,” said Suresh Rao of DS Vintners, organizer of the event. All of the Northwest Wine Encounter events will be presented at Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel & Conference Center. Reservations for Northwest Wine Encounter may be made through May 10 by calling Four Points Bellingham at (360) 671-1011. A trio of famed Walla Walla Valley producers, led by Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge Winery and Seven Hills Vineyard, will present the tastings. McKibben is Managing Partner of Pepper Bridge Winery in Walla Walla and a partner at Seven Hills Vineyard. In 2002, he and his son, Shane, established Les Collines Vineyard. Two years, later, their group purchased 2,000 acres to create the SeVein project. Last year, McKibben received the Washington Winegrowers Lifetime Achievement Award. McKibben will be joined in Bellingham by:

• Serge Laville, Winemaker for Spring Valley Vineyard of Walla Walla, where its 111 acres of grapevines include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
• David Blair, Co-Partner of Walla Walla’s Dunham Cellars, renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Stephen Reustle of Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyard in Roseburg, Ore., the 2017 Northwest Winery of the Year.
• Earl and Carrie Sullivan, Owners and Winemakers of Telaya Wine Co., in Garden City, Idaho, the 2016 Idaho Winery of the Year and acclaimed for its flagship Syrah-based blend, Turas.

The June 2 gala dinner is a collaborative effort among Whatcom County chefs, including Gio d’Aquino and Jacob Hodgson of B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar; Culinary Instructor Michael Baldwin and Brian McDonald of Bellingham Technical College, and Justin Hawkinson of Crave Catering in Bellingham. The five-course dinner features local roasted lamb loin and lavender-spiced duck breast, plus spiced rum-poached pear for dessert. All five courses will be paired with wines from the participating wineries. Attendees may choose from multiple options, including:

• All of the tastings, interactive presentations and the gala dinner, plus two nights lodging (double occupancy) and two breakfasts at Four Points Bellingham, for $399.
• Admission to all interactive presentations led by guest winemakers and the gala dinner for $199.
• Attendance only to presentations, $100
• Gala dinner only, $110.

Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel & Conference Center, is a full-service property that recently was completely renovated by Providence Hospitality Partners. It is located at 714 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham, just off Interstate 5 at Exit 253. Four Points by Sheraton is a brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, part of Marriott International. The hotel offers 132 guest rooms and two restaurants: B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar, named Best New Restaurant in Bellingham Alive magazine’s Best of the Northwest 2017, and Chinuk, serving Northwest-inspired cuisine from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Four Points Bellingham also features an indoor pool, a fitness area and 14,000 square feet of meeting-room space. For more information, call (360) 671-1011 or (888) 671-1011 or visit www.FourPointsBellingham.com.