Savor the San Juans at home! Enjoy the farm-fresh flavors of the Islands from the comfort of your kitchen

||| FROM AMY NESLER FOR SJ VISITORS BUREAU |||

Fall is the season we celebrate the food, farm, and film culture our Islands are known for. This year COVID has changed the way we do things, so we are bringing Savor the San Juans right into your home. Take virtual farm tours, order wine ahead, and do virtual tastings, take cooking classes, and screen film festivals from the comfort of your living room. Or, Islanders, make it a staycation before cold weather kicks in. Hop over to a neighboring island and take advantage of Savor dining and lodging specials. Or visit the farms, restaurants, and wineries featured in the virtual tours in person!

Love the Wine You’re With

Taste Sparkling wines with Shaun and Amy Salamida of Madrone Cellars and Cider. Visit the tasting room at bucolic Lopez Vineyards, the first organic vineyard and winery in Washington State, where Maggie Niland and Brent Charnley will offer you a taste of their estate-grown, award-winning white wines, and more. Join owner and Sommelier Cole Sisson, from Doe Bay Wine Company, for food and wine tasting 101 featuring his acclaimed Orcas Project. A list of wines being tasted or similar wines will be provided when you sign up for the sessions.

Have Fun in the Kitchen and Frolic on the Farm

Heavenly chocolate chip scones anyone? Learn how to bake them with Chef Amanda Zimlich at Otters Pond B&B.  Explore the organic gardens and meet the animals with Lydia Miller at Pebble Cove Farm where a farm stay can put you front and center with the flora and fauna. Learn about hemp production at OrcaSong Farm, make a vanilla pound cake with salted almond icing with Edenwild B&B and learn how to cook an island specialty at Coho Restaurant. And so much more…

October Virtual Events

• Week 1, Farm Tour Week, peek beyond the barn doors, Oct. 5 at Buck Bay Shellfish; Oct. 7 at Orca Song Farm; Oct. 9 at Pebble Cove Farm.
• Week 2, Fall Food Week, with recipes and cooking classes, Oct. 12 at Otters Pond B&B; Oct. 14 at Edenwild B&B; Oct. 16 at Coho Restaurant. T
• Week 3, Virtual Film Festival Week (Oct. 19 – 23) with films offered by both the Friday Harbor Film Festival and the Orcas Island Film Festival. Over 30 films and shorts offered with live steaming of Q & A at the Friday Harbor Festival. Orcas Festival offers award-winning films on demand. Featured films include the Oscar-nominated foreign film Out Stealing Horses and Our Mothers along with comedies like My Dog Stupid and On a Magical Night.  
• Week 4, Wine Tasting Week, Oct 26 with Madrone Cellars & Ciders; Oct. 28 with Lopez Vineyards; Oct 30 with Doe Bay Wine Company.

For more information, and to register for these events, www.visitsanjuans.com/savor.

Make your autumn bright, learn and tour the San Juan Islands with a moveable feast for the senses.