A weekend of beer AND wine! Need I say more? Fall has arrived, but the sunshine has decided to hang out for another week. Wineries are busy harvesting their grapes and you can be part of the buzz. Check out all the events below and stay tuned weekly for the event update!

All Weekend  

Take a tour of the local wineries. Most are open. Visit this link for hours, reviews, wine recommendations, videos and more. http://drinknectar.com/spokane-wine-tour/ 

Crush Rush 2010: The Spokane Winery Association invites you to join the CRUSH RUSH. Join the fun with a wine scavenger hunt across all 17 Spokane association wineries. The hunt continues through October 17. Details available at Spokane Wine Magazine >> http://bit.ly/clIAGB

Spokane Oktoberfest: 20 Washington wineries pouring 50 outstanding brews all in the Riverfront Park Central Meadow.

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

Friday, September 24

Cathedral Wine Festival – Enjoy hors d’oeuvres while tasting over 30 wines from Europe and the Western United States. 7-10 PM Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, 1115 W. Riverside Ave. $50, $35 65 and older. (509) 358-4290.

Wine Styles – TGIF Wine tasting, 4-5 different red and white wines, LIVE MUSIC and lots of fun! 6pm. $10 / $7.50 for Club Members 8801 N Indian Trail Rd

Rocket Market – South American Exploration. This is my kind of expedition! Enjoy nine wines that are big on value and light on price; 7pm. 343.2253; $16 726 E 43rd Ave.

Vino Wine Shop: A special tasting with award winning Maison Bleue Winery 3:00-5:30pm; 222 S. Washington – Maison Bleue Family Winery may be the most compelling new producer uncovered in my 2010 trip to Washington.” – Jay Miller

Davenport Hotel: Live music from 8pm – midnight

Left Bank Wine Bar: Live music with Robert Dwyer starting at 8pm, no cover –60 wines by the glass and a wonderfully eclectic atmosphere – 108 N Washington.

Bottles on Argonne: Enjoy a tasting through California’s Steel Wines. With 40 years of winemaking experience, the Steel family has a rich heritage for good wine. 5-8pm; 3319 N. Argonne Rd

Saturday, September 25

Liberty Lake Wine Cellars: LLWC releases Heritage, their first Reserve Red Wine. This luscious blend of 2007 Syrah and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was hand-crafted from the best barrels of each wine. With plenty of dark fruit flavors and a hint of spice, this is the perfect wine for fall. 1018 S. Garry Rd

Valley Fest Taste of the Valley: This fun event is only $30 and includes dinner, music, wine and beer, it’s all part of the weekend long annual Valley Fest, a celebration in the valley that includes a parade, entertainment, wine/beer garden, a fun run, classic car show and more. < DrinkNectar is a proud sponsor.

WineStyles: Chili Cookoff! All you mean chefs out there- bring a Crock Pot of your best homemade chili! A panel of judges determines who takes home a special prize package with Cougar Football tickets, and a basket of goodies valued at $200 dollars! Bring 10 items for First Harvest Food Bank and receive a special gift. 6-9pm; 8801 N Indian Trail Rd

Back of The Boat Book Signing: Support local authors Bonnie Clark and William Maltese as they sign their great food and wine pairing book at Aunties Bookstore from 1-3pm; 402 W. Main Ave

Vino Wine: September wine of the month club selections 2-4:30; 222 S. Washington

Rocket Market: Saturday drop in tasting from 4-7pm: Join winery rep Allan Williams from Jones of Washington as he pours through some of their great wines. 726 E. 43^rd Ave

Rocket Market: Live music at 7pm with crowd favorite Sam Endress– High energy pop rock & soul music are the hallmarks of a Sam Endress performance. Get in here and see for yourself, you will like him or we’ll give you your money back. 726 E. 43^rd Ave

Huckleberry’s Bistro: Meet Joe and Rebecca Gunselman from Robert Karl Cellars. Enjoy five wines for $5 from 2-4PM

Left Bank Wine Bar – Live music. While you’re there ask Jen or Lauren to make you a special wine flight. They’ll surprise your taste buds. 108 N. Washington

Sunday, September 26

Get out to a winery! – Always a handful of Spokane wineries open. Enjoy! Trezzi, Townshend, Lone Canary, Mountain Dome, Latah Creek, Arbor Crest, Knipprath and Caterina are open.

Arbor Crest Summer Concert Series – The summer concert series comes to an end with a high energy delight from Hot Club of Spokane! Swing’s the thing with these 7 talented musicians! Try a sultry Cabernet with the sounds of this group! Come early, the weather looks great and the place will be packed. $5; 4:30-9:00pm

Wine Radar

• Riedel Glassware Comparative Demonstration – Open to the public, you’ll be led by family & company representative Maximilian Riedel through a comparative tasting, PLUS you’ll take home 4 “Vinum XL” glasses valued at $122.00. The event is a sit down style tasting which compares Riedel glassware to more conventional restaurant wine glasses lasting approximately 1 ½ hours. – Call Vino! – 838-1229; $65 at the Spokane Club
• Next Friday is First Friday! Always a fun event!
• Latah Creeks Annual Oktoberfest – October 1-3 from 8AM- 5PM with wine specials, events, and more. Always a fun time. Mike and Ellena put on a fantastic shindig.
• March of Dimes Signature Chef – Enjoy an intimate dinner with local celebrity chefs and wine. This elegant evening includes one of a kind auction items that benefit the local March of Dimes efforts to help save babies from pre-mature birth. October 2, 6-10pm at the Lincoln Center, $100 < DrinkNectar is a proud sponsor.
• Epicurean Delight (Nov 12) – One of the signature events of the year. More than 1000 people enjoyed last years event to benefit the Inland Northwest Blood Center. Enjoy fine dining, wine and microbrews at the Spokane Convention Center
• Cork & Keg (Nov 13) – Mirabeau Park Hotel; $45 http://www.spokanecorkandkeg.com/
• Save the date for Spokane Winery Association Holiday Wine Festival (Nov 19-21)