March Wine Holidays 2025
March has several full month happenings. We celebrate Taste Washington, Arizona Wine Month & Georgia Wine Month.
Other than that, the holidays are a bit scarce, with Mulled Wine Day, International Riesling Day and World Vermouth Day (which we add in here since it is a wine based spirit)
Read on for the details of the celebrations below!
Taste Washington
Washington dips into two months to celebrate their wines. In August, they celebrate WAugust, and in March they celebrate Taste Washington!
This event is highlighted by a series of events in Seattle from March 13th to 17th.
It is a perfect time to explore both the wine and food scene of Washington!
Interested in Washington Wines? We’ve visited quite a bit! Here are some highlights.
- The Scenic Route Caprio Cellars in Walla Walla Washington
- Washington Merlots from L’Ecole No. 41 paired with Fig and Shallot stuffed pork loin
- Mike Sauer and the stories of Washington’s Legendary Red Willow Vineyard
- Hedges Family Estate – Red Mountain Washington – the history
- The Scenic Route Visiting Rioja in Washington and dinner at a gas station in Walla Walla
- Elephant Mountain in Yakima Valley Washington
March is Arizona Wine Month
In 2023 the Governor of Arizona declared March, Arizona Wine Month.
The state has several AVAs including:
Sonoita/Elgin AVA in Southern Arizona is an area south of Tucson. The region is high altitude sitting between 4,500 and 5,200 feet above sea level! It was the first AVA in the state.
Verde Valley AVA in Northern Arizona is about 2 hours north of Phoenix and sits at 3,000-5,500 feet above sea level! This AVA takes in the towns of Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Jerome and Sedona.
Willcox AVA sits in southeastern Arizon. Here they grow the greater part of the fruit in the state, with larger vineyards. This is an expansive AVA taking in the counties of Cochiese and Graham and the areas of Willcox, Kansas Settlement, Pearce and Turkey Creek.
Outside of the AVAs there are a few wineries around Chino Valley, Kingman, Portal, Williams and Young.
Georgia Wine Month
The Governor of Georgia in 2024 declared March Georgia Wine Month.
I’ll be honest. I don’t know if this is a recurring event or not, but…we all likely know so little about Georgia wines. Let’s take the opportunity to dig in!
If you are a wine buff, when you see Georgia, you might think of the Country, but we are talking about the state in the southeast of the United States.
The Dahlonega Plateau AVA is getting a bit of attention. Located in the Northern foothills of the Georgias Piedmont, the area had about 110 acres of vines planted, with eight commercial vineyards and seven wineries.
Here, you have rolling hills and broad valleys that soak in the sunshine and have a long growing season.
There is one other AVA, Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, but it is shared with North Carolina. This AVA averages 2,000 feet in elevation, with most of the vineyards sitting on the valley floor. There are less than 100 acres planted to vines. The region tends to be humid but the altitude tempers the humidity and gives a great diurnal shift for the grapes (that’s the swing between daytime and nighttime temperatures). You will likely find Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon here and some French-American hybrid grapes like Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin.
March 3rd- Mulled Wine Day #MulledWineDay
Mulled wine – it makes you think cozy winter thoughts, right? This warm beverage dates back at least to the Roman Empire, but likely earlier with the Ancient Greeks. It began as warmed wine with honey, spices, and perhaps dried fruits added. The Ancient Romans called it “Conditum Paradoxum,” which translates roughly to “surprise spiced wine” or “marvelously seasoned wine.” You can find the recipe by Apicius (it was the first in his collection of recipes) here: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/1*.html
Or find a more updated recipe at “Eat History” here: https://www.historicalcookingclasses.com/roman-wine-conditum-paradoxum/
Hippocrates, Pliny the Elder, and even Cleopatra enjoyed this beverage. The Egyptians called it the elixir of the afterlife.
Traditions in different countries evolved differently, depending on the region’s wines, but typically, the wine is warmed with sugar or honey, spices, & fruits.
Check out our post from last year Celebrate Mulled Wine Day!
March 13th is International Riesling Day #RieslingDay
Wines of Germany created this wine holiday in 2019! March 13th is now officially known as the official birthday of Riesling. The date is not arbitrary. The first recorded invoice for the Riesling grape that has been found was dated March 13th, 1435. So that will make Riesling 590 years old this year.
Riesling is often thought of as a sweet wine, and it can be, but it is also made in a dry style. The searing acidity of these wines make them perfect for food pairings!
Here are a few articles we have written on Riesling, many with delicious pairings!
- Celebrate International Riesling Day 2024
- Art of Earth Organic Riesling from Rheinhessen and pairings
- Day 8 Germany – Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling
- Jim Barry Wines – 3 Generations making Clare Valley Riesling
- Trisaetum Coast Range Riesling
- Bonny Doon 2018 Riesling to Live
- Finger Lakes Riesling and Alsation Salmon
- Lowe Wine – 2015 Nullo Mountain Riesling
World Vermouth Day – #WorldVermouthDay March 21st, 2025
Yes, Vermouth is wine. Fortified and aromatized wine. Aromatized…wait, that sounds too air freshenery! Here’s the deal.
First – Vermouth is a fortified wine. That means a wine where higher alcoholic spirits are added.
Second – Vermouth also has botanicals. Which can be florals, fruits, or spices added for flavors and aromas.
The history?
I have read that it can be traced back to China in the Neolithic period, 8,000 years ago. The Romans enjoyed a similar beverage in the 16th century.
Made in both sweet and dry styles, you’ll find it used in several famous cocktails, including The Manhattan, the Martini, and the Negroni.
Here are a couple of articles for the history of Vermouth and recipes for several of the most popular cocktails that include this fortified wine.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
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