Display one of these beautiful wine barrels in your home!

The Seattle Food and Wine Experience is proud to feature 10 wine barrels painted by local artists. The above pictures are a sampling of the works in progress which will be available through a silent auction at the event. All proceeds from the auction will benefit Heroes for the Homeless.

The contributing artists are:
Nicki Sucec
Colleen Lambert
Robin Harlow
Juanita Hagberg
Jeannie Burham
Holly Ives
Jennifer Kemp
Thomas Wikan
Christy Hansen
Juriaan Korbijn

These wine barrels will only be available at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience. Tickets to the event are on sale now.

Explore Sonoma County

Sonoma County is 30 miles north of San Francisco and borders the Pacific Ocean.

Sonoma County has more than one million acres of land.

Sonoma’s landscape is extremely varied with valleys, mountains, riverbeds, plains and benchlands making for 13 diverse wine regions.

Chardonnay is the county’s leading wine varietal with 16,000 acres dedicated to growing this grape.

Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is known for it’s soft Cabernet Sauvignons and the Russian River and Green Valley are known for complex Pinot Noirs.

There are more than 250 wineries in Sonoma County.

Sonoma County boasts a temperate year round climate.

Visitors to the area enjoy outdoor activities such as touring redwood forests, surfing and golfing.

Dining in Sonoma County means indulging in local produce, cheeses, olive oils, meats and seafood.

For more information on Sonoma County Wines visit:
http://www.sonomawine.com

For more information on travel to Sonoma County visit:
http://www.sonomacounty.com

Local Lingo - "Length"

There are certain terms that are commonly used when tasting wine that help others understand your subjective interpretation.

The term "length" refers to how long the flavor of a wine lingers in your mouth after tasted. Long in considered a positive descriptor and wines with length typically are considered higher quality.

Explore New Zealand

New Zealand was the last landmass on earth to be discovered, making it the youngest country in the world at just over a thousand years old.

New Zealand cuisine draws inspiration from the traditional kitchens of France and Italy, as well as the exotic dishes of Asia and the Pacific Rim.

Travelers to New Zealand enjoy pristine natural surroundings, unique wildlife and adventure activities.

New Zealand is home to the kiwi, a flightless bird about the size of a large hen, which is also the nickname for a New Zealander.

Kiwis (the people not the birds) drink almost 3 gallons of wine per person per year, which makes them 28th in the world for wine consumption.

They rank 33rd in wine production.

New Zealand is known for their exotic, vibrant intensely flavored Sauvignon blanc.

Several Sauvignon blancs from New Zealand will be available for tasting at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience.

Other popular varietals from New Zealand include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Wines, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The vineyards of New Zealand are the most southerly in the world.

For information about travel to New Zealand visit http://www.newzealand.com/travel/USA/

For more information about New Zealand wine visit http://www.nzwine.com/