Spokane! Are you ready for wine! St. Patrick’s Day is over, it’s time to celebrate the NCAA tournament in town with a more civil drink. Whether you’re in town for the 2010 NCAA Basketball games or you’ve lived here for 162 years, it’s time to check out the wine scene. What, you don’t think wine and basketball go together? Think again. This is your one stop resource for all the wine happenings across the Inland Empire we call Spokane!

All Weekend

Spokane Tasting Room Tour – Most Spokane tasting rooms are open. Check out this tasting room map for contact information, hours of operation and video reviews.

Enjoy great local wine at The Davenport, Left Bank Wine Bar, Niko’s Wine Bar

Friday 3/19

Grande Ronde and March Madness

Bring some snacks and enjoy a glass of wine as you watch Gonzaga go against Florida State on the big screen at Grande Ronde. Game time is 4:10

Whitestone Winery – March Madness and Music

Live music by Heather O’Brien No cover charge! Wine tasting,chocolate tasting, appetizers! 6-9pm at 111 S. Cedar in Downtown Spokane

Left Bank Wine Bar – The Female Acoustic Takeover. Colleen Rice and Karrie Oneill take over Left Bank Wine Bar on March 19th from 8-11pm! Come down and enjoy fine wine from Left Banks large selection and listen to two of Spokanes female musicians! 8-11pm

Rocket Market – $10 and Under Wine Tastings

You asked “are there any decent wines for ten bucks?” and we answered…we’ll pop the tops on 8 excellent value wines all around the $10 mark. Reservations requested. 8 wines – cheese & labrea bread. $20 plus tax

Knipprath Cellars Seasonal Release

Knipprath releases their new 2008 Rousanne, 2007 Tempranillo, and their “Pink” Port Rose! (Tasting room open Noon – 5pm)

Saturday 3/20

Left Bank Wine Bar – Live Music from 7-10pm 

Wine Extravaganza 2010 – 3-7pm at the resort plaza shops and throughout downtown Coeur d’Alene. Tickets are $15 and include a free wine glass and 15 wineries pouring up to 100 different wines. Ticket call 208.765.4000 (ext 21)

For Local Wine Event information in Spokane and other cities, check out LocalWineEvents.com

Special next week!!

Winemakers Diner with Caterina Winery: Santé Restaurant is having a Caterina Winery winemaker dinner on Monday, March 22! 7 wonderful courses paired with 7 wines from owner and winemaker, Don Townshend. Call 315.4613 to reserve your place.

Argentine Tango Tuesdays at Lone Canary 3/23 – Marianna Seney of Simply Dance Studio! No prior experience or partner required! Lesson is from 6:30 to 7:15 pm, open dance until 9. Lesson is $10.00/person, which includes open dance. Cost is $5.00 for open dance only.

National #WAMerlot Taste and Tweet 3/25  – Join one of 8 local wineries (Barrister, Lone Canary, Liberty Lake, Grande Ronde, Latah Creek, Townshend, Whitestone, and Robert Karl) OR host your own gathering OR taste along from the comfort of your own home. If you’re on Twitter, join the conversation by tagging your tweets with #WAMerlot. This is the wine SOCIAL event of the year!