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This month, those looking for a classy change of pace on Saturday nights won’t need to drive too far.
Wawawai Canyon Winery, located along the side of the Moscow/Pullman Highway, will be hosting “A Month of Wines” tasting and concert series every Saturday evening during the month of March.
Each tasting and concert is free and open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m.
Those who attend can also buy wine by the glass for six dollars each. Local jazz, blues and folk artists will be performing throughout each evening.
“Last year, we released on the same days but this is a slightly different event,” said Christine Havens, co-winemaker and director of marketing at Wawawai Canyon Winery. “We haven’t done this before. People should really enjoy the experience, especially those who enjoy music.”
This year, the winery has also released a special wine that was produced in honor of UI’s Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival.
The 2005 Vintner’s Reserve Jazz Festival Cabernet Sauvignon was created through blending trials by the festival’s head of catering at the time, Jerry Curtis.
“He went through and told us what he was looking for, so we crafted a line they felt the festival needed for its special kind of experience,” Haven said. “After that, it went to tasting by Jazz Fest organizers.”
Three years after the line’s production, the Jazz Festival wine has finally been made
publicly available.
“It may be interesting,” said Jeffrey Evans of the acoustic swing and blues group, Porch Swing. “I’m a red wine fanatic, but this is a great idea, though. It’s a nice local color.”
March 8 started the month with the winery’s release of the Jazz Festival Cabernet Sauvignon to the music of folk and jazz solo artist, Ian Skavdahl.
The following Saturday, March 15, John Elwood and Sally Burkhart played along with British musician John Steele for the opening of the winery’s first estate wine, a 2007 Vineyard Estate Sauvignon Blanc.
This Saturday, the release of Volare, a blend of Viognier and Roussane, will be set to the sounds of Porch Swing.
The final tasting will be on March 29, where the Rachel Bade-McMurphy Quartet will perform their traditional and contemporary jazz to the release of the 2006 Walla Walla Valley Sangiovese.
“The acoustics of the barn are beautiful,” Havens said. “We have a remodeled room that used to be a dairy parlor and is now opened up to the back barn. People can sit and listen out there. We also heat the space. It’s very pleasant.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” said folk musician John Elwood before his performance on March 15. “It’s always enjoyable to play in variety of venues. We haven’t been to this place before, and we look forward to making new friends.”
Elwood said that an event like a wine tasting requires a “not too soft, not too loud” sound for what he regards as a “real nice big open space with a lot of wood.”
“We’re still getting acquainted with the music community to find what works best, whether it’s jazz, blues, classical or whatever,” Havens said. “We’ve liked everybody we’ve booked.”
Havens said that if the event continues to go well that they plan to do this for every future wine release.
The winery generally hosts a tasting event once every spring and fall.
She also noted the amount of UI students who typically attend their tastings.
“I have to say we’ve always really enjoyed the University of Idaho students,” Havens said. “I assumed we’d see more WSU but we usually see more from UI. I think the highway where we’re located is just well traversed by both.”
Havens also said that they frequently see students who have brought their parents along, looking for a weekend pastime.
“People bring their kids to see the concerts too, and we just make sure not to serve them. We check everybody’s ID’s,” Havens said. “We like it to feel like a family event.”
The Wawawai Canyon Winery tasting room and gallery is currently open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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