, "The Washington Wine Commission is responsible for the
promotion and development of the Washington wine industry…" Easy enough
to say, but what's the best way to turn people on to the beauty of
Washington wine? Fun events like Taste Washington are crowd pleasers,
but each group of potential wine lovers has a different need. Staffed
with many young people, the Commission's office had a vested interest in
reaching out to the 20-something crowd.
Photo: 20something 2007, courtesy of Team Photogenic
This younger generation of wine drinkers may be interested, but many
don't have the income level to attend expensive wine dinners and events.
Because they're just learning about wine, they need in-depth information
versus a quick tasting. The Commission's answer? An event called
20something, started last year as an adjunct to Taste Washington and
held in the West Club Lounge at the Qwest Field Event Center. The event
was limited to 50 wineries and 500 guests. It was so successful that
people were selling their tickets on Craig's List for up to three times
their face value. Kids!
It became evident that the need for the event was there and it
doesn't have to be tied into Taste Washington to garner interest. This
year, 20something will take place in February, followed by Taste
Washington in April. This earlier date also gives the 20-somethings the
opportunity to attend Taste Washington if they're so inclined.
While
20something is similar to Taste Washington in that it involves tasting
and pairing, the format allows quality time to be spent with winemakers,
owners and representatives. Many wineries bring their youngest tasting
room managers and employees to educate them on working events and
connect with the young attendees.
Photo courtesy of Team Photogenic
Guests mingle about, talking with each other. Winery-related people
walk around with their bottles and join the guests. This allows guests
to converse with wine experts for 15-20 minutes at a time, learning
about the winery, how the wine is made, terroir, etc. As they talk with
different winery staff, they learn about the differences in how the
wineries make their wine, whether they have their own vineyards or buy
their grapes and why they choose to remain a small producer or plan on
continuing growth.
This year, the event will be held on the second floor of the W Hotel.
The casual space fits with the relaxed format. Dress is business casual.
As Marketing Manager Madeline Dow explains, "Our industry is casual and
approachable. We expect a blend of people who want to dress up for the W
Hotel and those who are more casual. It's Seattle, after all."
Like last year, KEXP 90.3 DJ Darek Mazzone will be the DJ for the
event. Unlike last year, there will be no live band. "We found that to
be too disruptive—people are trying to talk about wine and it takes them
away from that," explains Madeline.
"Wineries really loved the event last year," says Madeline. "They're
eager to return." Count on 50+ wineries this year and 450 tickets. There
will be between 10-12 restaurants handing out light bites.
The future of this event looks bright. There will always be more
20-somethings coming into their wine drinking years. Size will be
controlled to allow access to the wine experts. The Commission is
thinking about doing more than one event per year and theme-ing them,
i.e., new releases or whites/rosés for summer. For those of us no longer
in our 20s, wouldn't a ticket to this event be a great gift for that
young wine drinker? It's good to be a mentor.
