Seattle Wine and Food Experience

SWFE 2015
imagine going to costco for samples and times that by at least 20. there are samples from various restaurants and there are some of everything to try. there was steak, seafood, ice cream, pasta, chocolate, and so many more. there were also a bunch of wineries and spirits too. i cared only for the food and didnt have room for any alcohol in me. but you can totally make a meal from everything there.
my favorites were the lobster salad from purple and truffle macaroon from fairmont hotel. it was non stop eating. i got in at 1pm and didnt stop until 230. i was trying to make a second round for everything but i couldnt stomach anything more.
is it worth the money? depends on how you eat. the foods, although in small quantity, used high quality ingredients. lobsters, steak, truffle. i had at least 5 servings of that lobster salad and so much more of everything else there. you will have to like to try everything and have a stomach that can handle it. even if not that, trying everything there is a great experience as well.

I throughly enjoyed myself here trying the Seattle Food and Wine Expo for the first time. The atmosphere is cramped with so many people and booths all vying for a space at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. You have to be a true food and wine fanatic to really enjoy it here as the tickets are quite pricey. For the four hours the expo was open we only stayed two and a half hours as I was stuffed with all the food options.
The food was tasty from all the places I tried and with so many options it was hard to nail down which was my favorite. The restaurants represented there ranged from Duke’s Chowder House, Palomino, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Salty’s and Anthony’s Homeport to name a few. Each served one specialty item and you can go back as many times as you want.
If you really want to try all the booze options, you would be drunk with all the different varieties of cider, wine, champagne and even hard liquor from all regions of the Northwest. I was surprised when I saw they had hard liquor to try and I got to sample quite a few. They had gin, whiskey and vodka. My favorite was the Cinnamon Whiskey. It was smooth and tasted very much like Cinnamon. The best wine I tasted was from Château St. Michelle with their Sweet Harvest Riesling. It was the best Riesling I had ever tasted.
Seating was very limited, but really there wasn’t much time to sit around unless you wanted to see some of the food demonstrations.
At the end of our time there we also had a chance to grab a few freebies which some of the stands were handing out. Our bag was quite full when we left and with it a great experience not to be missed if they have it again next year.

I have been to this event with my girlfriend for the last two years. And every year it gets better with vendors and participation.
This is a Sunday one day event, that is complete with all Local NW and some Norcal wineries, Local Distilleries, and some of the top local restaurants. All offering sips and nibbles.
I would recommend this to everyone who does enjoy food and wine pairings. Tickets each year range from $ 45 – 55 per person. Don’t miss out next year!

Foodies and Winos unite at #SWFE — If you consider yourself a foodie and you live in the Seattle area, you cannot miss this event and it only comes around once a year. The ticket price in 2013 is $ 55 and well worth it! This event is packed with exhibitors from the best wineries and restaurants that Seattle has to offer. Some of my favorites are making an appearance: Frost Doughnuts, Purple, Andaluca, The Capital Grill and Coho Café. I am really excited to see Rusty’s Famous Cheesecake, Cookie Box, Kind Snacks (OMG, they are amazing), Wow Chocolates and so many more.
With your entry you are given a SWFE wine glass, no cheezy plastic cups! I’ll finally have a set of four after this year :) Wineries are there to represent Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho with pours from several of their wines to taste. I’m not a fan of beer, but there are breweries there as well as the cider people, like Woodchuck Hard Cider (yum!).
Bring a bag to haul home all of the freebies that you will score! Every year I take the bus and never regret it. I leave full, happy and a bit tipsy. It is nice having a list of all of the places I want to try and the wines I want to drink. Four years in a row and I cannot imagine missing it!