Yaz’s Cheap Ass Wines and, WINE WALKS!
The Hilltop Wine Walk in Tacoma was truly a pleasant surprise. This was the third year of the event.
We had great weather for one. And who doesn’t like to get in those steps!
Having been recently to the Kent Wine Walk mid May I am able to really see that wine walks are the best cheap ass way to try some amazing wines!
At the Hilltop event, for 25.00 (if you purchased your ticket in advance) you get 10 tastes and a glass to take home. You also got some extra tickets for a raffle of pretty cool prizes and if you hit all of the ten spots and got your “passport” stamped then you got an additional raffle ticket for the drawing.
And who doesn’t like raffles!?
The surprise of this event was to be perfectly honest, the energy and the life in the wine walk area! I mean come on, it’s “Hilltop”. The Hilltop was once notorious for drug-related gang activity, most notably related to the infamous Hilltop Crips.
Neighborhood watch efforts, increased police presence, commercial real estate development efforts along Martin Luther King Way, the creation of the Alcohol Impact Area and rising real estate values in all areas adjoining downtown Tacoma have served to lower the amount of crime in Hilltop. The Hilltop now has less crime than many parts of the city!
The energy and friendliness of the business owners was delightful. The business and owners were eclectic, and historic. Like Bob’s BBQ. founded in 1948 using generational recipes and serving amazing sliders! Yes folks, there was FOOD!
I had the pleasure to meet and shake hand with the current matriarch who told me some of the history.
Another one to mention is the Scott Funeral Home. Yep. Did a wine tasting in a funeral home. It was literally the liveliest stop on the walk. The owner Coretta is the first African American embalmer, an advocate for promoting self-esteem in young women and the owner of Washington’s oldest African American funeral establishment!
Oh and, she knows how to throw a party. The food was amazing. Macaroni and cheese, meat balls, sandwiches, desserts WOW!
And then…there was candy. Yes, candy. Johnson’s Candy Company has been going strong for 95 years! The raspberry truffle was incredible.
I know I got off track here on the businesses and did not mention them all but the Wines were pretty amazing too!
Pro tips:
Sunscreen! Your gonna be outdoors.
Comfortable shoes makes it more pleasant on the feet.
Scope out parking before you go. That way if you are shopping too it’s not to far to put away your treasures.
So if you get a chance a wine walk is a cheap ass night out that can be a truly amazing time!
