5 Food & Wine Events Not to Miss

The summer is winding down, but the food scene is heating up again with that new-season vigor. Here are a few upcoming events that will make the departure of the summer bounty not nearly as depressing. 

Sunday, September 18: BLEND

Forty different Washington state wine producers are converging on the Bell Harbor International Conference Center for a showcase of any wine that falls into the category of a blend. The state will be represented by the likes of Cave B, Col Solare, Fidelitas, Columbia Winery and others. Their pours will be paired with bites from hospitality hot spots like the Salish Lodge & Spa, The Inn at Langley, Cave B Inn & Spa and Kenwood Inn & Spa, as well as oysters from Taylor Shellfish Farms. Tickets are $59 and can be picked up at columbiablend.com.

Friday, September 23: Clam Bake on the Lake

Who knows at this point what the weather gods have in store for us over the next couple of weeks, but Kirkland’s posh Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa on Carillon Point is planning on closing out the summer with a bang. Their first annual Clam Bake on the Lake, which features hams as well as clams as its star attractions, invites guests to dig into a traditional clam bake with mussels, sausage, seafood stews, Mac & Jack battered halibut cheeks and chips, a whole roasted pig and fresh beignets, plus live bluegrass music from the Renegade String Band. Tickets, $50 for adults and $25 for kids, include two drinks a person and proceeds benefit homeless and low income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities through Hopelink. Tickets available at clamsandhams.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, Sept. 24: Jazz Canvas

Buy yourself a bottle of Washington wine and then witness painter Leigh Metteer, Seattle saxaphonist Mark Taylor and the jazz-meets-art group Jazz Canvas at Sodo wine bar Urban Enoteca for a two-sided interactive improvisation, with artist and musicians playing off one another and creating an original piece as they go. This is the first time the Sodo newcomer has hosted this event and the staff says what they’ve seen of it during painter auditions was so fun to watch, they hope to do it a few times a year. Individual tickets are $30, or you can plunk down $200 for VIP front-row lounge seating for a group of up to five people. Tickets and information at urbanenoteca.com.

 Sunday, October 2: Parties That Cook

The interactive farm-to-table cooking class crew Parties That Cook is heading out to Willie Green’s Organic Farm in Monroe for an evening of cooking, eating and food education. The program includes a farm tour and hands-on meal preparation and a four-course dinner on the farm with wines from Queen Anne Hill’s Ward Johnson Winery, poured by winemaker Kurt Johnson himself. And the menu? Dishes like Summer Lamb Skewers with Mint Chimichurri, Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak with Herbed Breadcrumbs and Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp. $125; partiesthatcook.com

Saturday, October 8: Intentional Table’s An Artful Farm to Table Dinner

This is the inaugural event of locavore newcomer Intentional Table, launched by corporate defector and Wink Cupcakes founder Zoe-Ann Bartlett. The location and spotlight of this dinner is the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a group of flower farmers that recently opened their wholesale warehouse in the old Rainier Brewery in Georgetown. Author/florist Debra Prinzing and partner David Perry will also be in attendance offering a sneak peek at their new book, A Fresh Bouquet, which pays homage to the people in floral industry and their personal stories. Zephyr Paquette, longtime right hand to Tamara Murphy, is doing the cooking. $100; intentionaltable.com