Downtown Spokane
Fertile Fields
If your group includes wine enthusiasts, the Spokane area has plenty of wineries and tasting rooms to give them a sample of the region’s grape harvest.
“One of the things that we promote is the vibrant downtown wine-tasting rooms in Spokane,” Robinson said. “There are about 20 wineries around the Spokane area.”
Groups can get a quick overview of the area’s wine scene at a variety of tasting rooms in the city center. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars has a primary location 11 miles outside of town, but offers tastings and wine for sale in its downtown tasting room. Barrister Winery was founded by a pair of local attorneys who turned their winemaking hobby into a business and opened a tasting room in a 100-year-old brick building downtown.
For epicureans, the most memorable part of a visit to Spokane may be spending time in the farmland that surrounds the city. Among the best places to sample local produce is Green Bluff Growers, where farmers cooperate on a menu of fruits, vegetables and visitor activities.
“Green Bluff is an area about 15 minutes north of here with a lot of growers,” Robinson said. “You can go from shop to shop and farm to farm. There are apples, pumpkins, cherries and berries. They have an homage to a different vegetable or fruit every week.”
Groups that visit Green Bluff can take a ride on the tractor-pulled Fruit Loop Express to see orchards up close and pick their own produce. The area also has several wineries, among them the Townshend Winery and the Arbor Crest Wine Cellars.
Three restaurants in the area make great stops for groups who want to dine on fresh local food while overlooking the scenic vistas of the valley.
Visit Spokane
509-624-1341
www.visitspokane.com
