Tony Rynders Announced as Panelist in 2017 NW Wine Encounter | Great Northwest Wine

The lineup for the second annual Northwest Wine Encounter is taking shape, with Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellar stepping up as one of the headliners.

The Northwest Wine Encounter is a weekend wine event at the stunning Semiahmoo Resort near the Canadian border north of Seattle. The second annual event take place April 28-30, 2017. The cost is $475 per person and includes:

Two nights in a beautifully renovated guestroom.
Friday night wine tasting followed by a beach bonfire (weather permitting)
Vintner hosted tasting seminars.
Saturday evening Gala Dinner with winemakers.
Resort fee for two nights.
15% off spa treatments and golf rounds during your stay.

Click to signup for the second annual Northwest Wine Encounter.

So far, the lineup looks like this:

• Chris Figgins, winemaker and president of Figgins Family Wineries, including Leonetti Cellar, Figgins Family Estate and Toil Oregon.
• David “Merf” Merfeld, winemaker for Northstar Winery, a Merlot-focused winery south of Walla Walla that is owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.
• Chris Upchurch, winemaker and partner for acclaimed DeLille Cellars in Woodinville, Wash. Upchurch also is the owner of Upchurch Vineyard on acclaimed Red Mountain in Eastern Washington.
• Tony Rynders, winemaker for Panther Creek Cellars in Dundee, Ore. Rynders also is owner of Tendril Wine Cellars in Gaston, Ore. Rynders was head winemaker for Domaine Serene for the better part of a decade after spending a few years working in the Washington wine industry.
• Doug Charles, owner of Compass Wines in Anacortes, Wash. Charles has been involved in the Washington wine industry as a retailer or restaurateur since 1978. He also owns ded.reckoning, a Washington wine label whose wines are made in the tradition of France’s negotiant businesses.
• Roy Breiman, celebrity chef and author. Breiman, culinary director for Cedarbrook Lodge near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, gained fame last year when he went up against famed chef Bobby Flay on national TV – and beat him on the Food Network show last year.
• Mike Sauer is the owner of famed Red Willow Vineyard in the western Yakima Valley. Sauer is perhaps best known for his work with David Lake, the longtime Washington winemaker and Master of Wine. In 1986, Sauer planted the first Syrah in Washington. The red Rhône grape has gone on to grow into Washington’s No. 3 red grape.

At least one more winemaker will be added to the lineup in the weeks to come.

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