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Join IECA Conference attendees to kick off the IECA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo with an experience of history, fun, soils, beer and wine! We'll travel to two of the area’s marque wineries and one brewery. This tour includes flights of wine (or beer depending on the stop) from all three locations and a special charcuterie board to enjoy. Everyone will join together at Maryhill Winery for a charcuterie board, wine tastings and special presentation regarding the importance of soil in relation to the production of wine at the Maryhill Winery. The tour will then divide into two groups for both groups to experience and taste at The Barrister Winery and The Iron Goat Beer Brewery.
Pick up and drop off for this event is at the Davenport Grand Hotel.
Tasting: Flight of Three Wines
Set on the first floor of the historic Chronicle Building in downtown Spokane, guests can enjoy our Red Mountain estate-produced wines and a rotating selection of local brews on tap. Sitting in the heart of downtown Spokane, we are the perfect setting for any occasion.
Tasting: Flight Beer
With humble beginnings in a locked shack hidden in the middle of the woods, Iron Goat has always kept a personal, hands-on approach to their beer. Constant experimentation with hop choices and seasonal ingredients has kept their passions strong. In an effort to ensure flavors are at their best, they constantly taste test the batches. Some days that’s all they do, because precisionishness is a priority. Iron Goat has crafted over 150 distinct beers keeping these values close, and their pint glasses closer.
Tasting: Flight of Four Wines & Charcuterie Board
Enjoy waterfront views in Spokane's premier Kendall Yards neighborhood. Responding to the growing demand for its wine in the Spokane area, Maryhill Winery has set roots in Spokane. During this stop the importance of soil and wines will be discussed.
The region is rich in volcanic history and the entire Columbia Valley has a basalt foundation because of this. Unusual volcanoes, called basalt floods, erupted in eastern Washington and Oregon 17-20 million years ago. Out of 270 lava flows that spread across the region, 21 poured through the Gorge forming layers of rock up to 2,000 feet deep. The Missoula floods played a huge part in the quality of the soil as well. The Missoula Floods refer to the cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington (check out the Opening Keynote for this year) and down the Columbia River Gorge at the end of the last ice age. The floods deposited glacial slackwater deposits over 1,000 feet above sea level. The Columbia River Gorge gets lots of wind, this produces loess; a loosely compacted yellowish-gray deposit formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Wind-deposited fine sand and silt derived from ice-age flood deposits. It is the consistency of powdered sugar with very low water-holding potential.
Additional registration is required - the cost is $90 per person and includes a bus tour to two wineries and a brewery with flight tasting and a charcuterie board. Paid guests are welcome with paid conference attendees. The bus will pick up attendees from the Davenport Grand Hotel at 12:30 PM and return to the hotel at 4:30 PM.
