Seafood Wine Magazine 2020
Magazine highlighting Newport Oregon's largest event Magazine highlighting Newport Oregon's largest event
The Newport Seafood and Come join Newport’s biggest party The population of Newport is just over 10,000, but on the last full weekend in February every year it can swell to double that number. What brings people from far and wide to the coast in the throes of Oregon’s winter weather? The promise of fabulous food, plentiful drink, and the biggest party on the Oregon Coast. The annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is a four-day signature event with a festival atmosphere where more than 170 vendors, including purveyors of seafood, craftspeople, and over 80 Northwest wineries offer an abundance of culinary delights and beverages in a gigantic tent in South Beach, Newport adjacent to the Rogue brewery. For most visitors, the heart of the weekend is the opportunity to sample and purchase a wide range of top-notch Northwest wines. Associated with the event is the longest continuous wine competition in the Northwest, judged by a panel of five nationally known wine experts. As the Northwest has grown as a wine producing region, so has the competition. Each Seafood & Wine Festival wine vendor may enter up to three wines in the prestigious commercial competition. The judging for the competition happens before the festival so the winners can be announced and sold at the event. This year, 138 entries were received, and 97 medals were awarded (34 gold, 27 silver, and 36 bronze). One outstanding wine is given the prestigious Joseph H. Swafford Best in Show award. In 2020, that honor went to Spangler Vineyards for their 2015 Petite Verdot, Oregon. Joseph Swafford, a recently-retired local wine shop and restaurant owner, serves as the long-time judging coordinator. He has observed a dramatic increase in quality of wines in the competition, and in the Northwest over the decades. “I’ve watched Oregon winemakers struggle with the vagaries of the weather, learn what varieties of grapes do best in specific soil locations, and witnessed the successes that have brought world-wide attention to the resulting exquisite wines. We have much to be proud of from our Oregon and Northwest wines!” he reflected. Thomas “Mac” McLaren, a local sommelier who has judged the competition from its inception, agrees. He noted, “We’ve seen a particular improvement in the white wines entered in the competition, and we’re seeing some unusual white varietals as well.” 4
Wine Festival At the festival itself, attendees can purchase tastes, glasses, bottles, and cases of most wines, including the medal-winners. Paired with the excellent festival wines will be unparalleled seafood offerings. Newport is proud to be able to showcase the bounty of the Pacific that comes through its port every year. You’ll find crab, bay shrimp, oysters, salmon, albacore, and other local delicacies in abundance, as well as other types of food. The peak time for the entire event is Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, so to help with traffic flow, all Saturday tickets must be purchased online until 1pm, then they will be available at the door. Increased personnel and two entrances to the festival tent will also assist in moving people through at peak times. Festival organizers warn that you’ll still have to expect waits on Saturday, though. To avoid the lines, try coming at a different time (see Insider Tips on page 9). Parking at the event costs $5 and is somewhat limited. A better option is to take the free shuttle, which will be running frequently all over town throughout the event. Returning this year is a our special VIP entrance for guests holding special tickets including “Ruby Club Membership.” The Ruby Club provides guests entry through the new VIP entrance near the main entrance on all four nights and includes a host of other benefits. Even outside of the festival’s 50,000 foot tent there is plenty of fun to be found that weekend in Newport. The festival atmosphere spreads throughout the community, as many local businesses and organizations plan special events on the same weekend to take advantage of the crowds. Restaurants often have special menus and live music, shops will have wine sales featuring medal winners, and the local running club sponsors a 5K road race. Such a massive event requires the work of the entire Chamber of Commerce staff, an all-volunteer committee of two dozen, and hundreds of other volunteers who sign up to work the event. The generous sponsors make the event possible, and for the nineth year in a row, the festival’s presenting sponsor is Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Many of the volunteers perform their duties in exchange for a three-day pass to the event. A four-hour shift is all that is required, and out-of-towners are welcome. Check the event web site for details and to sign up. The primary purpose of the festival is to infuse a boost into the local economy at a time when it is ready for a boost. While revenues from festival admissions are reinvested in the community by the Chamber of Commerce, local organizations benefit as well. More than 20 local non-profit organizations participate as their annual fundraiser by providing services such as monitoring parking and cleaning up, and some have a booth that features one of the festival’s wineries and they ‘pour for proceeds.’ Bobbi Price, Festival Manager said, “It has been an honor to have such an integral role in the planning of the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. Over the last 10 years I have watched it grow and develop in wonderful ways. One thing that I am continually impressed by and very thankful for is the incredible amount of community support that surrounds this event. It wouldn’t be possible to execute without the local committee that works year-round and 300 volunteers that come together through the weekend to create a successful event.”There are many reasons why Newport’s Seafood and Wine Festival is “The Original and Still the Best”. Of course, the fun makes this event number one on the Oregon coast! 5
- Page 1 and 2: NEWPORT Seafood & Wine THE ORIGINAL
- Page 3: Seafood & Wine FESTIVAL SPONSORS 20
- Page 7 and 8: Listings & Sales on our Website www
- Page 9 and 10: 5 Insider Tips for Enjoying the New
- Page 11 and 12: FREE • TIRES • BRAKES • ALIGN
- Page 13 and 14: Newport Seafood and Wine Festival 2
- Page 15 and 16: COME A ND V ISI T T HE NE W A ND F
- Page 17 and 18: !□ 171 & 176 Seafood Gumbo by New
- Page 19 and 20: Spring Agate Beach Wayside Ocean Vi
- Page 21 and 22: RESORT WEDDINGS • GROUPS • REUN
- Page 23 and 24: Ruby Vip Club Festival to repeat la
- Page 25 and 26: To-do List What to see while you’
- Page 27 and 28: highlights from 2019 27
- Page 29 and 30: exclusive and platinum level sponor
- Page 31 and 32: MERRILL CELLARS Come Taste @ Booth
The Newport <strong>Seafood</strong> and<br />
Come join Newport’s biggest party<br />
The population of Newport is just over 10,000, but on the<br />
last full weekend in February every year it can swell to double<br />
that number. What brings people from far and wide to the coast<br />
in the throes of Oregon’s winter weather? The promise of fabulous<br />
food, plentiful drink, and the biggest party on the Oregon Coast.<br />
The annual Newport <strong>Seafood</strong> & <strong>Wine</strong> Festival is a four-day<br />
signature event with a festival atmosphere where more than 170<br />
vendors, including purveyors of seafood, craftspeople, and over<br />
80 Northwest wineries offer an abundance of culinary delights<br />
and beverages in a gigantic tent in South Beach, Newport adjacent<br />
to the Rogue brewery.<br />
For most visitors, the heart of the weekend is the opportunity<br />
to sample and purchase a wide range of top-notch Northwest<br />
wines. Associated with the event is the longest continuous wine<br />
competition in the Northwest, judged by a panel of five nationally<br />
known wine experts. As the Northwest has grown as a wine<br />
producing region, so has the competition. Each <strong>Seafood</strong> & <strong>Wine</strong><br />
Festival wine vendor may enter up to three wines in the prestigious<br />
commercial competition. The judging for the competition<br />
happens before the festival so the winners can be announced<br />
and sold at the event. This year, 138 entries were received, and<br />
97 medals were awarded (34 gold, 27 silver, and 36 bronze). One<br />
outstanding wine is given the prestigious Joseph H. Swafford<br />
Best in Show award. In <strong>2020</strong>, that honor went to Spangler<br />
Vineyards for their 2015 Petite Verdot, Oregon.<br />
Joseph Swafford, a recently-retired local wine shop and restaurant<br />
owner, serves as the long-time judging coordinator. He<br />
has observed a dramatic increase in quality of wines in the competition,<br />
and in the Northwest over the decades. “I’ve watched<br />
Oregon winemakers struggle with the vagaries of the weather,<br />
learn what varieties of grapes do best in specific soil locations,<br />
and witnessed the successes that have brought world-wide attention<br />
to the resulting exquisite wines. We have much to be proud<br />
of from our Oregon and Northwest wines!” he reflected.<br />
Thomas “Mac” McLaren, a local sommelier who has judged<br />
the competition from its inception, agrees. He noted, “We’ve seen<br />
a particular improvement in the white wines entered in the competition,<br />
and we’re seeing some unusual white varietals as well.”<br />
4
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