May has to be one of my favorite months of the year! I love seeing the trees bloom and even better…most wineries are releasing NEW WINE! So, as the old saying goes, April showers bring new may wine…or something like that. Thank you again for another outstanding month. It’s becoming quite common for the first post of the month to include the phrase, “Thank you for another record breaking month!” Once again, you have outdone yourselves. April was 20% better than 2011. Let’s keep the momentum going in May with First Friday, Spring Release Weekend, a parade, painting classes, music, the Quarterly Sip and several brand new releases!

May 3-6

• Thursday – We have TANGO. Come watch, come learn, come tango from 7-9pm. Selection of $5 glass pours and 15% off on select wines “to go.” Ever heard of Languedoc? No, not “long duck doc” from Pretty in Pink, Languedoc is a region in France. and Thursday is Languedoc day. Come down to nectar for a sip of THREE Languedoc wines.
• Friday – Enjoy First Friday with visiting Anelare Winery and the art of Kirsten Stobie. Nashville star musician Jenny Anne Mannan providing entertainment. 5 wineries, 40+ wines, 1 beautiful location. Open until 10pm. Anelare will be offering 15% off all wines and 25% off mix and match cases. Visit all the great downtown First Friday locations for a night of wine and art.
• Saturday / Sunday – The patio is open. Bloomies enjoy $5 glass pours and a special “deal” when visiting with their race number or t-shirt. Open Noon – 10pm Saturday and Noon – 5pm on Sunday.

May 9-13

• Wednesday – May is National Foster Child Month. Join “Shine a Light” on Wednesday 5/9 for an evening of awareness, fundraising, networking and wine. Only $10 5:30-8:00pm.
• Friday – Sunday: The Spokane Winery association’s annual Spring Release Weekend. Join the 24 SWA wineries at 19 tasting rooms across the city. Nectar will have samples of 8 wines and some amazing deals including 40% off bubbles from NW Cellars, 50% off Hiney Wine from Skylite Cellars and 65% off Terra Blanca’s Lot 1 Red Blend. Learn more and download the tasting map.

May 17-20

• Thursday – Thirsty Thursday is always a fun time at Nectar. Enjoy 1/2 price appetizer plates with the purchase of a bottle of wine.
• Friday – Music from acclaimed musician Daniel Mills (Son of Brad). Dave Matthews says, “Son of Brad is organized that’s a good thing.” Music starts at 6:30. Show up early, this one will be full.
• Saturday – The Annual Lilac Parade route goes right by Nectar. Reserve your window spot and enjoy the Torchlight Parade from the cozy spot at Nectar. We have 6 indoor tables and 4 outdoor tables (new for this year) available. Your $75 reservation ($60 for members) gets you a table for 4, bottle of wine and an appetizer plate of your choice. Visit the Eventbrite site to order. Use the discount code MEMBER if you are a Club Nectar or Quarterly Sip member.
• Sunday – Open 1-5pm

May 24-27

We’re releasing 5 new Terra Blanca wines. Enjoy the 08 Merlot, Cabernet and Onyx as well as new additions to the space, Botrytis Chenin Blanc (sweeeeet) and the Block 8 Syrah (uh-may-zing). Music Saturday from Rachel Bade McMurphy Jazz Trio from 6:30-9:30. Open Sunday 1-5pm for all your pre-BBQ Memorial Day wine needs.

The Spokane Winery Association is an alliance of Spokane-area wineries that work to promote regional wine products.  The Spokane Winery Association’s mission is to promote communication and interaction between the wineries of Spokane, to promote economic development through winery tourism and to increase the awareness and profile of the wineries in the Spokane area. Members of the alliance produce an eclectic blend of distinctly Washington wines ranging from intense, rich reds and crisp whites to complex blends.  For more information visit www.spokanewineries.net

Expand our food options. CHECK. Promote and expand our event space. CHECK. Promote and be known as a winery. Now…CHECK. We set out at the beginning of 2012 with three major goals. Each of these goals hopefully makes us a better destination and continues to help us better serve our amazing members and customers. We are excited to announce that four of our wineries are joining the Spokane Winery Association.

With a long history of promoting great wine, the SWA now boasts 24 members including 19 from Spokane, 2 from Walla Walla, and 1 each from Lake Chelan, Benton City, and Kirkland. Wine available in Spokane continues to be a delicious cross section of Washington terroir. The Spokane Winery Association promotes three major events annually, Spring Barrel Tasting (Mother’s Day Weekend), Holiday Wine Festival (weekend before Thanksgiving) and ValenWine Weekend (weekend before Valentine’s Day). Joining the association are Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards, Northwest Cellars, Skylite Cellars and Terra Blanc Estate Winery.

What does this mean? As the owner of Nectar, it means that we get to participate at a greater level in the major event weekends and it expands our visibility to attract new customers. For our existing and future customers you can now add us to your list of stops. For me, personally, I’m excited to be a part of an amazing wine scene that was an inspiration for Nectar to begin with. The passion and quality behind each bottle produced in Spokane is equal to the other great wine regions in the state. My goal has been and always will be to stand on the roof tops and shout it out until everyone else knows what I already know…Spokane rocks!

Visit the Spokane Winery Association web site to learn about all the local wineries. Download their tour map and plan a weekend trip or even an afternoon of wine.

************* MEDIA PRESS RELEASE *************

Nectar Tasting Room is pleased to announce that four of its wineries are joining the Spokane Winery Association. With a long history of promoting great wine, the SWA now boasts 24 members including 19 from Spokane, 2 from Walla Walla, and 1 each from Lake Chelan, Benton City, and Kirkland. Wine available in Spokane continues to be a delicious cross section of Washington terroir. “We are excited to continue the introduction of great wine to the Spokane wine community. Hard Row to Hoe, Northwest Cellars, Skylite Cellars and Terra Blanca are great additions to the Spokane Winery Association,” says Nectar Tasting Room owner Josh Wade. The Spokane Winery Association promotes three major events annually, Spring Barrel Tasting (Mother’s Day Weekend), Holiday Wine Festival (weekend before Thanksgiving) and ValenWine Weekend (weekend before Valentine’s Day). “Culinary experiences are a key component of the destination experience in Spokane, and wineries play a big part in that.  Our growing reputation as a prime destination for great food and wine depends on continuing to build opportunities for visitors to taste, buy and explore,” says Jeanna Hofmeister, Vice President at Visit Spokane.

Nectar Tasting Room is on the corner of Main & Stevens in Downtown Spokane. Five wineries, over forty wines, all in one beautiful location. Visit nectartastingroom.com for hours and information.

A lion and a lamb. March was to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. April showers are supposed to be in April. Well, instead, March was ferocious from beginning to end and we accumulated a record amount of rain for the month. For Nectar, March was an amazing month, in fact it was a record month and a whole 40% busier than March 2011. The first quarter has seen the expansion of our food menu and the addition of The Barrel Room. In the next few weeks you will see another major announcement that will complete our three major areas of focus for 2012.

March may have been full of mayhem but April will be EVENTful…meaning FULL of events. In fact, 14 events are on the books. Do you have an upcoming birthday party, graduation party, anniversary, rehearsal dinner, wedding reception or special occasion? VISIT HERE for info on how to book our beautiful space.

APRIL 4-7

• WEDNESDAY – Join us for the kick off of our Case for a Cause month benefiting Epicurean Delight (Inland Northwest Blood Center). For the month of April Nectar will donate $40 for every case purchased (mix and match) to the INBC. The kickoff event features complimentary tasting and live music with Stephanie Hatzinikolis. 6-8pm.
• THURSDAY – Tango Thursday returns. Dancers of all skill levels are welcome from 6-10pm. Come watch, come learn, come tango. A selection of $5 glass pours available
• FIRST FRIDAY – For First Friday we have a Hiney alert as Skylight Cellars joins us for the weekend. They bring with them their popular Hiney Wine (Walla Walla Red Blend) at only $16 a bottle, $80 a six-pack and $120 a case. Enjoy music from Rachel Bade-McMurphy Jazz Trio and “A Journey of Spokane in High Dynamic Range” from photographer Kent Henderson. Open until 10pm.
• SATURDAY – Come by for a pre-Easter wine tasting and get 20% off each of the specially selected Easter wines. Happy Easter from all your friends at Nectar Tasting Room.

APRIL 12-15

• FRIDAY – Music from Ron Criscione from 6:30-9:30
• Open Sunday 2-5pm

APRIL 19-22

• THURSDAY – Join us for Thirsty Thursday where you get 1/2 price appetizer plates when you buy a bottle (to enjoy) from 5-8pm.
• FRIDAY – Nectar was voted #3 Wine Bar in town. Come find out why. Stop by after work for a relaxing glass of wine, appetizer plate and music from Michael J. Dwyer 6:30-9:30
• SATURDAY – Do the Downtown Wine Walk with Arbor Crest, Cougar Crest, Nectar and Whitestone (only $10 to taste at all four). Music from Joe Caruso 6:30-9:30
• Open Sunday 2-5pm

APRIL 26-28

• THURSDAY – Inland NW Baby turns 2 and you’re invited to their birthday party. Nectar will be hosting INW Baby. Find out more information on how you can participate and help this great non-profit here.
• FRIDAY – Ken Davis returns for a fun night of classic rock and new covers. Music starts at 6:30.
• SATURDAY – Wanna Van Gogh and Merlot? Join this great painting class at Nectar from 1-4pm. Price is $40 and includes a wine tasting, painting supplies and a guided painting class. RSVP HERE
• Join us for The Final Sip from 9-10pm. Spokane’s best wine party where you get to try up to 8 of any wine still open at Nectar. Don’t let us dump it down the drain. That would be grape abuse.

On the radar. Don’t forget about the Spokane Winery Association’s annual Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend, May 11-13. Taste winery new releases, get special deals and in some cases taste wine straight from the barrel.

Painting is fun. Throw in a wine tasting and a group of friends and painting becomes a lifelong memory. Today we’re partnering with GROUPON and TIPSY MUSE to bring you eight two hour painting classes at Nectar Tasting Room.

What do you get for your GROUPON? You get an instructor with 16 years experience. You get a wine tasting to help loosen up your creativity. You get a guided class with all the supplies you need to create your masterpiece. What do you need? $20, a creative spirit, a free Sunday afternoon, and hopefully a few friends.

CHECK OUT THE GROUPON HERE (ends Saturday 3/31). Choose your date and painting. Better hurry, each class is limited to just 30 people.

April 22- Leopard Chair

April 29 – Treble Clef Symbol

May 6 – Purple Poppy Flower

May 20 – Coffee Cup

May 27 – Cupcake

June 3 – Owl

June 17 – Neutral Abstract

June 24 – Spokane Starry Night