Corks & Forks: A Premier Wine Tasting Event

wine tasting event
Stottle Winery and Madsen Family Cellars are two local wineries that have poured samples at the Corks & Forks event since its inception in 2012 at the Red Lion Hotel Olympia.
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wine tasting event
Guests at the Red Lion Hotel Olympia’s Corks & Forks event enjoy live music and dancing out on the lawn.

Olympia’s Red Lion Hotel has become the destination for the summer’s premier food and wine event. Dubbed Corks & Forks, the event offers tastings from local wineries, food samplings, entertainment, and hilltop views overlooking Capitol Lake. Community members, hotel guests, wine enthusiasts and gourmands are all welcomed to attend.

“Corks & Forks started as a simple occasion for community members to come together to network and celebrate. The first event in May 2012 was so well attended with such positive feedback encouraging us to host more events that we decided to continue Corks & Forks twice a year, typically in early June and late summer. Everyone recognized that this was the beginning of something special. Our community members and guests clearly appreciated and enjoyed the venue to gather,” explains Jeff Bowe, Director of Sales at Red Lion Hotel Olympia.

The inaugural Corks & Forks hosted approximately fifty attendees. However, word spread throughout the community as an event for professional groups to network, friends to gather, and wine groups to meet. Last summer’s Corks & Forks hosted over 200 people who enjoyed heavy appetizers, local wines, and music on the outdoor lawn area, poolside as well as in the interior restaurant. As the event continues to grow, Bowe hopes to also be able to bring in local breweries and distilleries.

wine tasting event
Beautiful summer evenings in Olympia bring friends and community groups together to sip local wines and partake in scrumptious food.

Guest Kyla Cavanagh is enthused about the upcoming Corks & Forks event. “I always have such a wonderful time attending Red Lion’s food and wine events. Their chef expertly pairs a delicious menu to enhance the flavors of the wines available. Not only do you get a taste and learn about many different types of wine, you are also able to purchase your favorites at discounted prices,” she explains.

The next event will be held on Thursday, June 4 and is inspired by the upcoming 2015 U.S. Open Golf Championship located at Chambers Bay. The Grip It & Sip It themed festivities will include a chipping green and putt-putt golf in addition to the customary wine tasting, heavy appetizers, music and dancing. Bowe comments, “Having such a prominent professional golf championship hosted in our area is such a unique opportunity for our region. We want to celebrate this boon for our community.”

Stottle Winery and Madsen Family Cellars have been two of the local wineries featured at the Corks & Forks event since its inception. Both wineries will be present at the Grip It & Sip It event pouring their best samples. Full bottles of wine will also be available to purchase at special prices. In fact, the Red Lion Hotel Olympia has created a charitable giving program in which one dollar from every bottle of wine purchased goes to support a designated local non-profit.

wine tasting event
Stottle Winery and Madsen Family Cellars are two local wineries that have poured samples at the Corks & Forks event since its inception in 2012 at the Red Lion Hotel Olympia.

“My wife and I attended this event for the first time last year and we are hooked,” says Brian King. “The venue, food, wine and drinks were fantastic and Red Lion did an incredible job insuring our time was enjoyable and well spent. We will definitely be back and can’t wait to see what they have in store this year.”

As the Corks & Forks event has grown in community participation, Bowe saw it as an opportunity to develop partnerships and support local causes. Last May the Red Lion Hotel Olympia partnered with Operation Home Front Of Pacific Northwest and was able to donate $200 to the non-profit to help local service men and women who have been injured and are returning home. For the Grip It & Sip It event, the Red Lion Hotel Olympia has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County. Now that attendance has grown and participants are aware of the charitable giving component, both organizations anticipate an increase of support going toward this non-profit.

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The Red Lion Hotel Olympia sits hilltop overlooking Olympia’s Capitol Lake.

Reservations are encouraged for the upcoming Grip It & Sip It event as well as future Corks & Forks occasions however tickets may also be purchased at the door. The event is open to the public. The cost is only $18 per person and includes the wine tasting from local wineries, food sampling, entertainment, music and dancing. Attendees can RSVP to OlympiaSales@redlion.com. Visit the Red Lion Hotel Olympia’s website or Facebook page for the most up to date information.

Corks & Forks Premie Wine Tasting Events

Red Lion Hotel Olympia

2300 Evergreen Park Drive SW

Olympia, WA 98502

360-252-0977

 

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