| Washington State Wine Country | | | | By: Ron Kapon | << back  Page 2 of 3 next >> |
Wineries visited- YAKIMA AREA-
Bonair Winery- Started 1985- 5,000 case production- In house art gallery- Chardonnay, Cabernet and Honey Mead. Look for Bung, the 12 year old Australian Shepherd.
Silver Lake Winery- Started 1989- 40,000 cases- Customers can buy shares in the winery- Try Claret, off-dry Riesling and their sparkling wine.
Portteus Vineyards- Began in 1984- 8,500 cases- First all estate-bottled winery in Washington (60 acres of vineyards) - Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve & off-dry Zinfandel.
Apex Cellars- Art Deco winery started in 1988- 30,000 cases- Late Harvest Riesling & Syrah. Brian Carter has been making wine for 25 years & is the only three time winner of the Northwest Enological Society wine judging.
Hogue Cellars- Founded 1982- 580,000 cases- Since 2001 owned by Vincor (Inniskillin- Canada & RH Phillips- California). Try the Fume Blanc & Riesling. Next year will be bottled using screw tops, a first for Washington State
Kestrel Vintners- 1995 founded- 12,000 cases- Very unusual Chardonnay Ice Wine, also “old vines”(30 years old) line of wines (Merlot & Cabernet).
Snoqualmie Vineyards- 100,000 cases- started in 1984 but winery facility is only 1 ½ years old- Owned by same company as Chateau Ste. Michelle (see Woodinville section below)- Cabernet/Merlot blend and Reserve Syrah.
TRI-CITIES AREA-
Hedges Cellars- 65,000 cases- Bordeaux style blends of 100% estate grown Cabernet & Merlot have been their hallmark since 1987 (sourced from Red Mountain fruit) - Their chateau styled winery features 4 VIP themed rooms.
Kiona Vineyards Winery- Started in 1980- 25,000 cases- unusual Austrian variety Lemberger & Chenin Blanc Ice wine grabbed me.
Terra Blanca Winery- (available in 2005 in NY/NJ)- 25,000 cases- begun in 1993- Winery dug deep into Red Mountain with panoramic view- Does large custom crush business- Syrah & botrytis-affected dessert wines.
Bookwalter Winery- Begun in 1983- 12,000 cases- Opened Washington’s first wine lounge & patio bar- Merlot & Cabernet- well known winemaker Zelma Long is their consultant.
Barnard Griffin- Began in 1983- 60,000 cases- Owns no vineyards and buys fruit from many growers- 60% of production from white wines (Semillon, Fume Blanc)- Try Columbia Gorge Zinfandel.
Gordon Brothers Cellars- 25,000 cases- all estate bottled (100 acres) - started in 1982- Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot and Tradition, a Bordeaux style red blend.
WALLA WALLA AREA-
Woodward Canyon Winery- 15,000 cases- began in 1981- big buttery Chardonnay, old vine Cabernet & Artist Series Cabernet.
L’Ecole No.41- Since 1982- 30,000 cases- Tasting room is formerly a 2 room school house (Ecole) - Specialty is white wines, also Cabernet & Bordeaux style blends.
Reininger Winery- 8,500 cases from brand new winery (40% sold out of the winery) - Old winery started in 1997- Syrah, Cabernet & Merlot.
Basel Cellars Estate Winery- 4,000 cases- 2001 was first year- Only makes Merlot & Cabernet- 13,000 square foot lodge (18 guests) was originally built as a private home for $14 million. Includes private screening room, Jacuzzis, sauna, pool & fly fishing. Winery is underneath the lodge.
Northstar Winery- Started 1994- Owned by same company as Chateau Ste. Michelle- 15,000 cases of ultra-premium Merlot- Famed winemaker Jed Steele is the consultant.
Pepper Bridge Winery- 4,000 cases- Started in 2000- 100% estate bottles- intense Bordeaux style reds- Cabernet & Merlot. Swiss born winemaker, Jean-Francois Pellet is third generation wine grower.
Abeja- Started 2000- 4,500 cases- 24 acres of vineyards- Cabernet, Chardonnay & Viognier- Five room inn converted from farmhouses built around 1903.
Bergevin Lane Vineyards- 6,000 cases- started in 2001- Viognier, Calico Red-Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel & Cabernet Franc.
Dunham Cellars- 1995 started- 11.000 cases- Recent Wall Street Journal article rated their Syrah “Best of Tasting”; also Cabernet & Semillon.
James Leigh Cellars- 2,000 cases- started in 2001- Cabernet, Syrah & their Bordeaux blend. Concentrating on estate wines from 40 acre vineyard.
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