This weekend there will be two significant wine events in Washington state. In Walla Walla, the 12th annual Holiday Barrel Tasting will be held with over 50 wineries offering barrel tastes of upcoming releases on Saturday and Sunday. In Woodinville, the St. Nicholas Day Open House will be held with more than 30 wineries opening their doors to visitors on both days as well.

For those planning to attend either event, I wanted to highlight the wineries I have visited in the last six months that provided experiences that went beyond the bottle to connect me to the who, what and where of their wines. Each of the winery names below will link you directly to a review detailing my experience visiting their tasting room. Also, below the following list of wineries, you will find suggestions on how to plan for and get the most out of your winery visits.

Walla Walla Winery Recommendations:
Amavi Cellars
Basel Cellars
Dama Wines
Fort Walla Walla Cellars
Isenhower Cellars
Reininger
Whitman Cellars
Woodward Canyon

Woodinville Winery Recommendations:
Brian Carter Cellars
Covington Cellars
Novelty Hill-Januik Winery

Winery Tour Suggestions:
• Plan your route - before heading out for either event, take some time to look over a map of the area you'll be visiting. Check the hours the wineries will be open and map out a route you can take to lessen the amount of time spent in the car. Visit the winery's web site to see if this is a place you really want to visit in terms of wines and setting, as you may opt for a different stop.

• Eat a solid meal - be sure to have a good breakfast and a solid lunch during your tasting day. Granted, many wineries will serve food, but don't expect a full meal. With all of the walking, standing and driving you'll be doing, it's important to have a solid meal in your stomach. Even if you're spitting wine, you can still absorb a considerable amount of alcohol in your mouth.

• Drink water, spit wine - when I first started visiting wineries ten years ago, I drank whatever was put in front of me. In fact, I felt embarrassed spitting, as I didn't really know how it should be done. Realizing I could enjoy myself more by spitting, I took it upon myself to just do it and practice at each winery. Also, whether at the winery or in the car, I drink a lot of water.

I hope these recommendations and suggestions provide for an enjoyable and worthwhile visit during either event. Have a great time and please share your experiences with us at BeyondtheBottle.com!