A Night of Ballads at Olalla Vineyard
This last week has been one of the first prolonged weeks of sun and warmth so far this year! And it coincided perfectly with a host of fantastic outdoor live music events. Friday night took us up to Olalla Vineyard and Winery (just north of Gig Harbor) for another night of alluring music by Billy Stoops and Leanne Trevalyan.
They had originally planned to hold the event indoors, but the gorgeous weather convinced them otherwise. So, it was an intimate evening out in the vineyard (as the tickets sold were for the smaller indoor space).
But, the extra space just left room for us to dance! Granted, we were back in the grass. Just like the prior night at Cockrell Hard Cider’s, that isn’t the easiest ground to dance on… But yet we still danced!
The bugs seemed out to get us a little bit, but thankfully the tiki torches they had set up helped! And as the sun set over the vineyard, it was actually nice to enjoy a bit of a chill considering the weekend was likely to be in the 90s!
With the intimate setting, we reveled in the ability to simply relax in the vineyard to the music. It isn’t every music event where the attendees are all truly enjoying the opportunity to listen to live music, so an intimate gathering of folks all there for the entertainers was a unique treat!
We tried a variety of the Olalla Wine’s throughout the evening (and even brought a bottle home). We started by talking to their wine expert at the bar and describing the bold warm red wines we enjoy. After hearing our preference, she suggested the merlot to our surprise. Merlots can be good, but they are a tossup. After a taste though, we were hooked and walked away with a glass… Over the course of the evening, we enjoyed the sauvignon blanc, the red blend, the merlot, and their cab sauv. All were fantastic and we enjoyed each glass! My (Zeek) favorite was the Kilted Scotsman cab sauv. It was an exquisite and complex cab sauv, savory and smoky from grapes out of Horse Haven Hills. Unfortunately, they had just run out of their last bottle of tempranillo, or else we would have tasted that too! Overall, it was the perfect pairing for a warm summer eve’s live music event in a vineyard. Truly, with that combination, how can you go wrong?
And this isn’t necessarily a product review post, but we have to give a shout out to the camp chair we are using. This love seat style camp chair is so convenient for nights like tonight. It doesn’t take up as much room, and it is one less thing to keep track of as 2 chairs in 1. You never forget one or have someone move one of your chairs if you walk away. We took it to Sunbanks, and it comes with us as we go to outdoor events in the summer. It is such a good option if you regularly use a couple camp chairs!
Of course, we got in some more dancing too!
We also spent some time with some folks we’ve run into before. Turns out Kim and Ted were attendees at Sunbanks despite the fact we hadn’t met them there. We ran into them at a previous Billy and Leanne show a few weeks ago and learned all four of us were at the festival! It was great to catch up with them again at Olalla!
Yet another great summer evening! Olalla is truly a unique and gorgeous property with multiple tasting rooms and of course the outdoor vineyard and concert area. Unfortunately, they are lacking some local support to keep hosting outdoor music events and are one of the last live music locations in the mid Kitsap area. So, get out there, purchase some wine, and be sure to show your support for this fantastic location! Their commitment to the community is so deep that they pick a charity each month to give part of their proceeds to. This month they are helping foster kids with the costs of enjoying a great prom! So go show your support to this great vineyard that supports not only live music but other community organizations as well!
