December, 2009

During the first week in December, my wife and I flew into the state of Washington to visit some of the wineries in the Columbia Valley. And, true to form, as with most of my visits to the wine country, the Washington folks were fantastic. In all instances, the winery hospitality staff members were knowledgeable, friendly, and hospitable.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington state’s Founding Winery, with some of the oldest and most acclaimed vineyards in the Columbia Valley. Ste. Michelle Vintners planted its first vines at Cold Creek Vineyard in Eastern Washington in 1972. Cold Creek remains one of the oldest and most renowned vineyards in the state. Chateaus Ste. Michelle now own more than 3,500 prime vineyard acres in the Columbia Valley. They built the Chateau in Woodinville in 1976 because of the close proximity to the major market of Seattle... Often, it is difficult for large wineries to give you the great hospitality and warm touch to the consumer while traveling down the wine road. But, boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise? My daughter, Brooke, took a couple days off as a Kroger produce buyer to join us for the wine travels... she and my wife really enjoyed the gift shop. These folks were not only extremely friendly but I was captivated for over an hour of the historical and anecdotal information supplied by the hospitality staff. A must stop for the wine traveler in Washington.

Right across from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville is Columbia Winery, Washington’s first premium winery, producing distinctive Washington wines since 1962. My favorite wine was the 2004 Otis Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yakima Valley.

When I am on my "wine travel' road, I always want a place for lunch which is informal but also good. So, I always will ask the locals of the place to eat in their area. We sure were impressed with the Texan Smokehouse BBQ minutes away from the two wineries just visited in Woodinville... My suggestion is the BBQ pulled pork sandwich...

Unfortunately, I only had a cold December day starting in the Queen Ann District in Seattle to spend a day in the Columbia Valley. I figured to travel to the far eastern side of the Red Mountain area in Yakima and then head back. I knew there would only be a few to visit but I am returning this summer for the rest... The ride over the Cascades in Washington is spectacular and be careful of your speed- I also didn't realize the highway was patrolled by airplanes...

One of my first stops was Barnard Griffin in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. Rob Griffin had won a SFCWC Pink Sweepstake a few years ago with his Rose of Sangiovese a few years ago and consistently wins gold medals with his wines... Really friendly hospitality in the tasting room!

One of the premier new AVA areas in the Columbia Valley is the Bordeaux rich Red Mountain Area. As you can tell from the pictures, it was extremely cold in December while visiting this area. While the cold definitely was not good for the California Golden Bears (the WU devoured them the following day as I sat frozen in Husky Stadium); the cold weather is ideal for these Bordeaux varietal grapes as it puts them into a deep dormancy.
 

To protect the grapes form spring frost, many Red Mountain vineyards incorporate large wine machines or sprinkler systems to protect grapes. Other well known wineries in the Red Mountain/Yakima Valley.

Boy, it is something to get a happy smile, warm conversation, and a gourmet appetizer to enjoy with the first tasting of Chardonnay... Terra Blanco rolled out the hospitality in grand form. I had an enjoyable conversation with owner and winemaker Keith Pilgrim of his winery and the Red Mountain viticulture area. A textbook example of what winery hospitality is about...

As I am edging east back to Seattle from the Red Mountain Area, I do have a chance to visit a few Yakima Valley wineries. Too few to visit but looking forward to my visit back this summer to visit the other tremendous wineries of Washington... The wine travels of Bob Fraser will never end...