by Tilar J. Mazzeo | photo by Rebecca Olson –
June, of course, is the beginning of lavender season, and one of my favourite quick getaways is just over the Strait to the Olympic Peninsula to learn about the best new wine and dine spots from my cousins, who (truth in disclosure here) run Lavender Connection (www.lavenderconnection.com), one of the two dozen or more lavender farms in Sequim, a few minutes of country driving from Port Angeles.
You’re undoubtedly aware of the popular Sequim Lavender Festival, which in 2023 is slated for the weekend of July 21 to 22, and while you can certainly join in the fun then, Doug and Rebecca’s inside recommendation is that you plan on any other weekend this summer. Lavender country during the festival is wall-to-wall, but the farms are opening for the season June 1, and June is the best time to go if you want to learn about essential oil distillation at your leisure.
If you go to the “other” Peninsula this summer, what are the newest hotspots? Well, I’ve got for you here the local, insider’s scoop.
But the first thing to remember is that the Olympic National Park has some amazing hiking, and just like here on the Island, summer reservations fill up quickly. If you’re planning to make a wilderness (or groomed trail) adventure part of your getaway, you want to get cracking. Reservations are already open and filling up (www.recreation.gov/permits/4098362).
The second thing to remember? Get a ferry reservation. The Coho Ferry runs from downtown Victoria to Port Angeles, but, just like you’re not going to leave the ferry to Tsawwassen to chance on Canada Day weekend, you want a confirmed ticket in both directions. (On your return, get your vehicle in the ferry lineup and nip over to Pho New Saigon (www.phonewsaigonpa.com) for a great, inexpensive bowl of pho.)
Once you’ve got your coming-and-going logistics in place, it’s time to think about some entertainment. The best new Port Angeles secret of 2023? Drum roll, please! You do not want to miss heading down to the “HarBar” – the Harbinger Winery’s Wine Bar, which opened this winter. This place is tough to find on social media, so the address is: 401 East Front Street (also Highway 101). If you’re not familiar with Port Angeles, that’s up on the bluff, which means, if you’re on foot, a climb. Once you make it to the bluff, you can enjoy Harbinger’s Washington State wines (they source fruit from across the state), local beers and wines, and amazing ocean views back home toward Victoria.
While you’re in Port Angeles, the other local tradition is a visit to Camaraderie Cellars (www.camaraderiecellars.com). They are a small, family-owned and long-established craft production, also sourcing fruit from around the state, located a few miles outside Port Angeles. You want to call or email (360-417-3564; info@camdraderiecellars.com) to make sure they can host you for a tasting and tour, but, after some spirited debate, we agreed this won our “best wine” award for the season.
As on the Saanich Peninsula, the Olympic Peninsula is more suited to growing and ripening white wines and ciders. If you’re tasting Sequim (or Victoria) cabernet sauvignon, that fruit is coming from somewhere drier and warmer. What does flourish on the Olympic Peninsula is apples, and there is also a thriving craft hard-cider scene. If I had to pick just one place to visit, it would be Finnriver Farm and Cidery (www.finnriver.com).
They are located a bit further afield, on beautiful conservation farmland in Chimacum (about 45 minutes from Port Angeles), but this place has it all: great cider (my favourite is the “Farmstead,” a community-sourced cider made from over 50 locally grown apple varieties), an orchard where you can laze away a summer afternoon, live music, rotating food trucks and lawn games. Be sure to check out their website: Wednesdays are BYO picnic days, and events fill up quickly. Tastings ($20 per person) during the busy summer season generally need a reservation.
There’s just one downside to all this, of course. You can only bring back, duty free, a small quantity of wine or cider, so you’ll have some hard decisions to make out there while you’re tasting.
