Wine and Culinary Fireworks at N. Oregon Coast's Savor Cannon Beach Fest

Published 10/01/23 at 4:57 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – In terms of wine and fine foods, it's a rager. Savor Cannon Beach Wine & Culinary Festival is a party for the senses, coming up in the north Oregon coast town in various, staggered events from October 12 and 27.

Spanning two weeks at different locations, the 2023 Savor Cannon Beach Wine & Culinary Festival plays host to nine delectable events involving food and wine. You'll discover premium wine tasting experiences; engage in learning opportunities for wine enthusiasts; and there's a limited-seating seafood and wine pairing.

The north Oregon coast burgh of Cannon Beach swirls with the heady aromas of extraordinary wines and food, culminating in an exclusive after-hours private event in local galleries, featuring guest wineries and innovative small bite pairings.

Among the culinary and vinious fireworks are an opportunity to taste a flight of 10-year-old reds, exclusive samples of some of the Northwest's most celebrated winemakers and from those found at this year's 2023 Savor Northwest Wine Awards – held at Cannon Beach. Educational programs are also on tap at this high-profile north coast event, creating experiences where you test your palate and wine knowledge as you learn to asses wines as a professional sommelier. Among those experiences are blind tastings with Old World French wines and their Northwest equivalents, challenging you to identify which is which.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: savorcannonbeach.com

Thursday, Oct. 12 | 4-5pm | Premium Wine Program
10-Year-Old Reds
This is a pre-dinner wine tasting at Bistro Restaurant where you will taste six Northwest red wines, all 10 year and older vintages, that have scored 90+ point reviews. It is an opportunity for a discussion about the age-ability of Northwest red wines. You'll taste top-rated Northwest red wines of different varietals including a Bordeaux-style blend, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and Pinot Noir from the 2010 through 2013 vintages. The tasting will conclude with a tasting of a 20-year-old Northwest ruby port and then you can sit down for dinner at the Bistro to complete your evening. Price: $75 per person includes the wine tasting, one $25 (non-refundable) credit toward dinner at the Bistro, a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass and a 5:15pm dinner reservation. Location: Bistro Restaurant (263 N Hemlock St)

Friday, Oct 13 | 5:30-6:45pm | Wine Experience
Premium Wines from Long Shadows
What happens when you give some of the world’s top winemakers access to the best fruit in Washington State? The answer is Long Shadows, one of the most celebrated wineries in Walla Walla. Long Shadows was the vision of Allen Shoup who founded Long Shadows in 2002 after a distinguished 20-year career leading Chateau Ste. Michelle and its affiliate wineries to international prominence. The concept was to become partners with some of the world’s most top winemakers who would make Washington wines from the varietals they are renowned for mastering. Now, 20-years and countless 90+ point wines later, you will taste six of Long Shadows’ current vintage wines including their premium reds: Pedestal (Merlot by Michel Rolland, Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol), Feather (Cabernet Sauvignon by Randy Dunn, Dunn Vineyard, Napa Valley), Saggi (Super-Tuscan by Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, Tenute Folonari, Tuscany) and Chester-Kidder (Red Blend by Long Shadows’ head winemaker Gilles Nicault). The winemakers joined Long Shadows as co-owners of their wine, not as consultants. Today, Long Shadows' original team of celebrated vintners is no longer directly involved in production, but the signature style of each winemaker can be tasted in each glass of Long Shadows wine as Gilles maintains the original winemakers’ long-standing methods and techniques. The tasting also includes Long Shadows’ Poets Leap Riesling and Julia’s Dazzle Rose (Pinot Gris). Price: $75 (Includes a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass). Location: The Wine Shack (124 N. Hemlock).

Saturday, Oct 14 | 5:30-6:45pm | Premium Wine Program
Best of Brian Carter Cellars Red Wines
An amazing line-up of Washington wines from Woodinville’s Brian Carter Cellars will be served at this after-hours event at Icefire Glassworks where you can visit with resident glass artists Jim Kingwell and Suzanne Kindland as you taste a hand-picked selection of Brian Carter’s award-winning red wines. Carter has been part of the Washington wine scene since 1980 when there were just 16 wineries. Twice touted as “Winemaker of the Year” by Washington Magazine, he is the only three-time recipient of the Pacific Northwest Enological Society’s Grand Prize. After attending the University of California-Davis School of Enology, Brian honed his winemaking skill with stints at esteemed California wineries Mount Eden Vineyard and Chateau Montelena before returning to the Northwest. He is passionate about creating traditional European-style blends using Washington State grapes and this tasting will include four of his wine blends and three wines from his premium “One” series; single varietals that represent exceptional vintages from some of the very best vineyards in Washington State. We’ll reach back into our cellar to start with a 2010 vintage of his Solesce Bordeaux-style red blend (92 points in Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate) and finish with his Opulento, a port style red made with traditional Portugese varietals. Price: $75 (Includes a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass). Location: ICEFIRE GLASSWORKS (116 E Gower)

Thursday, Oct. 19 | 4-5pm | Premium Wine Program
Savor Northwest 2023 Best of Class Wines
This is a pre-dinner wine tasting at Bistro Restaurant where you will taste six of the top wines from the 2023 Savor Northwest Wine Awards competition including two white wines and four red wines, each a Best of Class winner. White wines a Washington Albarino and Chardonnay; while red wines include the Best of Class Cabernet Franc dominant Bordeaux blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and red blend. Price: $75 per person includes the wine tasting, one $25 (non-refundable) credit toward dinner at the Bistro, a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass and a 5:15pm dinner reservation. Location: Bistro Restaurant (263 N Hemlock St).

Friday, Oct 20 | 5:30-6:45pm | Wine Experience
Old World Reds Versus Northwest Reds?
Can you tell an Old-World wine from wines of the Northwest? In this program, you will blind taste three pairs of wines including a French wine and its Northwest equivalent including wines of Bordeaux, Rhone and Burgundy. This is a great program for discussion of terroir and winemaking styles. Price: $75 (Includes a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass). Location: The Wine Shack (124 N. Hemlock).

Saturday, Oct 21 | 5:30-7:30pm | Wine, Food & Art Walk
Arts Night Out | Wineries & Small Bite Pairings
This after-hours event will feature five downtown Cannon Beach locations, each hosting one of our favorite Oregon wineries and small bite pairings with a focus on Cannon Beach’s visual arts scene. In this mini-wine walk, you’ll be able to sample 10 small bite pairings with dozens of choices in wines. Participating wineries include Sokol Blosser, Chris James Cellars, D’Anu Wines, Bluebird Hill Cellars and Cannon Beach’s own Puffin Wines. Price: $125 includes souvenir wine glass. Location: Check-in and pick up a glass at Sandpiper Square (172 N Hemlock), then visit Jeffrey Hull Gallery, Bronze Coast Gallery, Archimedes Gallery, DragonFire Gallery and The Wine Shack for tastings and different small bite pairings at each location. Limited to only 125 participants.

Sunday, October 22 | 5pm | Wine Dinner
Seafood & Wine Pairing Dinner with Sokol Blosser
Learn about great wine pairings for seafood in this evening of small plates served with wines from Oregon wine pioneer Sokol Blosser. Seasons Cafe chef/owner Doug Brown will present a tasting menu including four savory small plate seafood dishes featuring wine pairings from Oregon wine pioneer Sokol Blosser. Price: $150 including wine, tax and gratuity. Location: Seasons Cafe (255 N. Hemlock Street). Limited to only 16 participants

Thursday, Oct. 26 | 4-5pm | Premium Wine Program
Savor Northwest 2023 Gold Medal Pinot Noirs
This wine tasting includes six of the top Pinot Noirs from the 2023 Savor Northwest Wine Awards. In addition to four top scoring Willamette Valley wines, this tasting will include Pinot Noirs from Puget Sound and Southern Oregon as well. The Best of Class Pinot Noir is included in this lineup. Will it be your favorite too? Price: $75 per person includes the wine tasting, one $25 (non-refundable) credit toward dinner, a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass and a 5:15pm dinner reservation. Location: To be announced.

Friday, Oct 27 | 5:30-6:45pm | Wine Experience
Taste Like a Sommelier: A Blind Tasting Challenge
In this educational program, you’ll blind taste three white wines and three red wines and be challenged to correctly identify the varietal. Price: $60 (Includes a Savor Cannon Beach souvenir wine glass). Location: The Wine Shack (124 N. Hemlock).

Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

STAYING HERE

The Wayside Inn

Schooner’s Cove Inn

Beachcomber Vacation Homes.  Numerous vacation rentals in the Cannon Beach area, including Falcon Cove and Arch Cape. Depending on the home, you may find amenities and luxuries such as a barbecue, claw foot tub, a ship's ladder. 115 Sunset Blvd. Cannon Beach, Oregon. 855-219-4758. 503-436-4500. Website.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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