There are a myriad of reasons a festival is not possible in 2022. Among them, Visit
Seattle, which has owned and operated the event for the past 10 years, will be stepping
back from an ownership role of Taste Washington. This is due to many factors,
including the devastating effects of the pandemic on Washington’s hospitality industry.
“Though Visit Seattle will no longer have an ownership role in Taste Washington, we will
continue to be involved as an advisor, sponsor and advocate moving forward,” said Ali
Daniels, Senior Vice President of Visit Seattle. “It’s been an honor to partner with the
Washington State Wine Commission to grow Taste Washington into the nation’s largest
single-region food and wine festival.”
In addition to this ownership change, the festival is not possible due to the limited
bandwidth of previous event production partners, the large financial risk given the
current uncertainties and challenges, the recent, severe impacts on the food and
beverage industries, and a general lack of staffing availability in our communities.
The Washington State Wine Commission, which launched Taste Washington in 1998
and continues to own the trademark, is actively searching for a new event owner and
operator.
The industry will continue to celebrate Wine Month in March 2022 with
meaningful ways for both trade and consumers to engage with Washington wine.
“We are fully committed to bringing back the Taste Washington festival in 2023,” said
Steve Warner, President of the Washington State Wine Commission. “This gives us a
chance to reimagine the event we all know and love, to relaunch it better than ever.”
More details will be released as available at tastewashington.org.
About Washington State Wine Commission:
The Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC) represents every licensed winery and wine
grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSWC provides a marketing
platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate
greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments
based on grape and wine sales, WSWC is a state government agency, established by the
legislature in 1987. To learn more, visit washingtonwine.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Heather Bradshaw | hbradshaw@washingtonwine.org | (206) 495-5844
Averyl (Dunn) Mooney | admooney@washingtonwine.org | (206) 295-5763