New July Dates and Featured Varietal Announced for 8th Annual Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine
Walla Walla Valley wineries will honor Syrah in July 2020 with tastings, educational events and intimate winemaker dinners.
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Walla Walla Valley’s signature wine event, Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine – The World of Syrah, is slated for July 16-18, 2020. Celebrate showcases a different wine varietal each year, comparing and sharing the similarities and differences of the Walla Walla Valley with other leading wine regions around the world. The 2020 event will focus on celebrating Syrah, the second most widely grown grape variety in the wine region.
“Walla Walla Valley Syrah has earned a world-class reputation for delivering a premium, terroir driven wine experience,” says Robert Hansen, Executive Director of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. “We look forward to honoring this distinguished varietal and there is no better time to meet face-to-face with winemakers who are pushing the boundaries of Walla Walla Valley Syrah than during Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine.”
Despite the change in date, the three-day event line-up will remain relatively unchanged from 2019’s World of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Celebrate event series will commence on Thursday afternoon with a kick-off talk that will explore the historical and cultural significance of Syrah, followed by Vintage Pour, an exclusive library tasting. Vintage Pour will feature vintages aged for ten years and longer from over 40 Walla Walla Valley wineries.
On Friday, guests will be treated to a global wine panel where winemakers from around the globe join Walla Walla Valley winemakers to engage guests with a lively discussion on acclaimed Syrah growing regions paired with samples of each panelist’s wine. The Wine Panel Presentations and Tastings is an immersive experience that demonstrates how wines vary among the world’s leading regions. As Friday’s events culminate with the Syrah Grand Tasting, the largest organized tasting event of the year in the Walla Walla Valley with roughly 50 wineries pouring their latest Syrah releases, white wines and rosés.
To conclude the Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine – The World of Syrah event series, guests can reserve a seat at the table with winemakers at Saturday’s Collaborative Winemaker Dinner Series. Ticket holders experience an exclusive evening in the Walla Walla Valley as winemakers and chefs come together to create intimate food and wine experiences at locations throughout the region.
“The enthusiasm surrounding Syrah continues to grow, and we are excited to welcome wine fans to the Walla Walla Valley to celebrate with us next July,” says Hansen.
More event details, including participating wineries, event speakers and dinner locations will be announced in 2020.
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Schedule at a Glance
Thursday, July 16, 2020
World of Syrah: Kick-Off Event at Gesa Power House Theatre | 2:30-4:00 p.m.
Vintage Pour at CAVU Cellars | 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Friday, July 17, 2020
Wine Panel Presentations and Tastings at Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center | 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Syrah Grand Wine Tasting at Valdemar Estates | 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Collaborative Winemaker dinner series throughout the Walla Walla Valley | 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Visit www.CelebrateWallaWalla.com to sign up for event updates. Tickets go on sale December 2019.
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About Celebrate Walla Walla Valley
Formed by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance in 2013, Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine is the region’s signature wine event held annually. The event series is structured to showcase a different wine varietal each year, historically focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. Over the course of three days, the events demonstrate how wines can vary among the world’s leading regions resulting from different growing conditions, winemaking styles, and vineyards through special tastings of rare vintage wines, educational seminars, and one-of-a-kind winemaker dinners.
About the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance
The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is a nonprofit wine industry membership organization whose primary mission is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media and trade interested in learning more about the Valley’s wine industry.
Media Contacts:
Liz Knapke
Marketing Manager, Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance
[email protected] | (509) 526-3117 office
Shelby Pryor
Marketing Assistant, Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance
[email protected] | (509) 526-3117 office
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