Port Angeles, WA – The New Year signals the start of a major transition at Olympic Cellars that will see owner/operator and “Chief Working Girl” Kathy Charlton move behind the scenes into a consulting role as co-owner Lisa Martin takes the helm. Charlton, who over the past decade has driven the winery’s evolution from near bankruptcy to profitability, including the launch of the award-winning Working Girl® wine series, now a national brand, is “retiring” to a new business venture, though she will remain a owner/investor in the winery.
Editors Note: Click here to read the in-depth story and tour Olympic Cellars as published in the Spring 2012 issue of Tasting Room Magazine.
“THE PAST TEN YEARS have been quite a ride,” says Charlton. “It all began with a failing winery, a dilapidated century-old dairy barn, and a lot of big ideas. Together with a tenacious ‘We Can Do It’ attitude, we made the winery what it is today – and had a hell of a lot of fun along the way! And in the process we completely redefined what it means to be a Working Girl!”
During 2013, Olympic Cellars will commemorate the “Best Of” the past 10 years, bringing back favorite events, activities and wines.
The year long retro-celebration will kick off during the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ annual Red Wine & Chocolate Tour, February 9-10 and 16-18, President’s Day Weekend. Olympic Cellars will be open from 11-5pm during both event weekends.
Cashmere and Pounding Hearts – the “Best Of” Red Wine & Chocolate
Over the years, Olympic Cellars has hosted a number of creative activities and served some fantastic culinary pairings during the Red Wine & Chocolate Tour. This year, the winery is bringing back some old favorites with a twist.
Visitors loved Olympic Cellars’ Cashmere, Cabernet & Chocolate theme during the 2008 tour. Those who purchased a specially priced wine selection during the event received a red cashmere scarf in honor of American Heart Month (February).
“American Heart Month is supported all over the country by women wearing red,” says Charlton. “Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States. We want to alert women to this fact and encourage them to live heart-healthy lives, which may include red wine in moderation.”
Cashmere scarves are back in 2013, this time in red and a selection of other colors, and will once again be available to those who purchase a specially priced wine selection during both Red Wine & Chocolate weekends.
Olympic Cellars supports Olympic Medical Center Foundation’s annual “Red, Set, Go” Heart Luncheon, which inspires women to become more educated about heart health and benefits patients with heart disease issues.
In 2009, Olympic Cellars got hearts pounding during the Red Wine & Chocolate tour with Master Coppersmith Walter Massey of Port Townsend. Massey will return this year help visitors pound-out a copper heart for someone special, which he will inscribe with a special message.
Perfect Pairings
The winery will release its 2009 Syrah, rich, spicy and full-bodied, for the tour. It will be paired with vegetarian Chocolate Chili Molé, a “Best Of” from 2009.
“Chocolate bark” produced by local Master Chocolatier Yvonne Yokota was introduced at Olympic Cellars during the 2010 tour, and has become a Red Wine & Chocolate tradition. The bark melts in the mouth, melding with the wine and enabling one to fully experience each paring.This year’s selected pairings will feature a new twist. The chocolate bark varieties will incorporate cherries, almonds, sea salt and orange, highlighting the different flavors in four paired wines.
A selection of red and white wines will be available in addition to the paired varieties for guests to taste and create their own pairings. Which wine pairs best with the chocolate popcorn (á la Cinerama Movie Theater) that is available at the tasting bar? Come and decide for yourself!
There will be a drawing in the winery Gathering Room for a gift basket featuring all things warm and red – food and drink to warm the winner on a cold winter day!
Click here to purchase tickets online for the 2013 Red Wine & Chocolate Tour. Tickets are also available at the door at each participating winery.
For more information, contact Olympic Cellars at 360-452-0160, info@olympiccellars.com.
About Olympic Cellars
Olympic Cellars is a boutique winery housed in an historic century-old barn between Port Angeles and Sequim on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The winery annually produces approximately 3,500 cases of hand-crafted wines on site, including the premium Olympic Cellars™label, the Working Girl® series, and the Dungeness® artist series. Olympic Cellars is strongly committed to supporting the physical and emotional well-being of women through its Charity of Choice and 2X Success initiatives.
Find out more about Olympic Cellars and its upcoming events by visiting the winery’s website at www.olympiccellars.com, or by calling 360-452-0160.