I'm sure everyone is writing similar summary posts on their respective blogs, so I'll keep this brief. Aside from seeing some good friends, meeting new friends, and trying a lot of wine here are some of my highlight moments:
- Pre-conference Willamette Valley shenanigans
- Arriving at a mini-party immediately after arriving at the host hotel and not 10 minutes later getting a visit from a staff person to tell us (read: Thea) to quiet down. [<3 you T!]
- Taco truck luncheon
- Live wine blogging - whites on Friday, reds on Saturday
- Exploring downtown Walla Walla tasting rooms via the Walla Walla Walkabout on Friday night
- Chocolate truffle buffet at Fort Walla Walla Cellars paired with Syrah
- One of the best domestic Sauvignon Blancs I've had from Substance Wines
- A gorgeous lunch and view at Waters Winery on a bus tour of the area
- Roasted asparagus at dinner Saturday night - my one criticism was that hardly any of the meals were coordinated to cater to vegetarian or vegan diets
- Army Worm "wine" - I probably don't need to say anything more
- Oscar Quevedo's family Ports
- Getting. "professional" tour of the Marcus & Narcissa Whitman art gallery
- Meg Houston Maker's 24 Theses on more effective writing
- Amazing food and wine pairing lunch on Sunday afternoon hosted by Click Wine Group
- Learning that the 2011 conference will be in Charlottesville, VA, which might mean a trip to DC to see my friend Libby!
- A fantastic car ride back to Portland
I'll endeavor to go through and post tasting notes for the wines I took notes on in the next few days, but for now here is the list of some of my top local favorites.
Sweet Valley
Sleight of Hand
Forgeron Cellars
Otis Kenyon
Long Shadow
Waters Winery
Substance Wines
Fort Walla Walla Cellars
Great to see everyone this year. Thank you to all the great donors, sponsors, and organizers. And a huge thank you to the Marcus Whitman Hotel. We had a fabulous conference - looking forward to 2011!
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