2015 Wine Trips

figure this out

October 2015 trip to Washington & Oregon

On day one we flew into Portland, OR and headed East to Dalles, Oregon. We had a great dinner at Solstice Wood Fire Cafe, Great Pizza and S’mores!

Day 2: we had 3 wineries on the list for the day (but ended up tasting at 4) since we had a good drive farther East to the Columbia River/Red Mountain appellation areas. The first winery we went to was:

COR Cellars, here are the wines we tasted

2014 Ro-sae a Cab Franc Rose
2014 Alba which was Gwevrts and Pinot Grigio
2013 Tempranillio from Rattlesnake Hills
2012 Petit Verdot from McKinley Springs Vineyard/Horse Heaven Hills (HHH)
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon McKinley Springs Vnyd/HHH
2012 Malbec Hogback Ridge Vnyd/Oregon
2012 Old Hwy No. 8 (Malbec & Cab Franc)

Syncline Winery

2014 Grenache Blanc
2014 Gruner Veltliner
2013 Mourvedre
2013 Pinot Noir
2013 Syrah McKinley Springs Vnyd/HHH
2013 Syrah Estate Columbia Gorge

AniChe Winery

2014 Come & Go Albarino
2014 Little Birds Tempranillo Rose
2013 Shelob (Nebbolio, Zin, Barbera)
2012 Sirius (Barbera, Zin, Dolcetto)
2012 Be Holden (Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cab Sauv)
2011 Goat Boy (Cab Sauv, Merlot, Malbec, PV)

Cascade Cliffs

2014 Orange Muscat
2011 Gwurtz
2013 Goat Head Red (Pinot Noir, Grenache, Cab Sauv, Barbera, Zin)
2014 Dolcetto
2013 Nebbiolo from HHH
2013 Tempranillio
2013 Blood Red Barbera, CV
2013 Zinfandel from HHH
2014 Blood Red Zinfandel, CV

For dinner we went to J. Bookwalter Winery/Restaurant it was wonderful we sat outside and enjoyed some fantastic food. I Can’t wait to come home and try a couple of the recipes out on everyone. See Pics below. For dinner we had the

2012 Protagonist Cabernet Sauvignon, and the
2013 Antagonist Syrah

Day 3 (Friday) we are headed to the Red Mountain area!

Col Solare Winery (Where Chat Ste Michelle meets Antinori from Italy)

2009 Red Blend, CV
2012 Red Blend, Red Mountain
2012 Shining Hill Red Blend, Red Mountain

Hightower Cellars

2014 Murray Rose, (syrah) Red Mountain
2013 Murray Estate Syrah, Red Mountain
2012 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Merlot, Walla Walla
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain

Fidelitas Winery

2014 OPTU White Blend, Kilspun Vineyard
2012 Champoux Vineyard MAGNA Red Blend, HHH
2012 OPTU Red Blend, Red Mountain
2012 Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain

Lunch was at Terra Blanca Winery. This was not on my list as I did not think it was open but thankfully it was open and we had a wonderful lunch on the patio. We had hummus to start, Bill had a BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich, and I had the Winery Burger. Both were served with a salad and we had the Arch Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon and Arch Terrace Syrah tasting we decided to go with the Syrah which was a great pairing.

Frichette Winery

2013 Punctual Red Blend
2012 Merlot, CV
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, CV
2013 Malbec, CV
2013 Cabernet Franc, Red Mountain (Not for sale, club only) but it was good
2013 Petit Verdot, Red Mountain (Not for sale, club only) this was excellent wish we could have bought it.

Cooper Wine Company

2014 Barrel Maker Rose, Red Mountain
2013 Chardonnay, Red Mountain
2012 Estate Merlot, Red Mountain
2013 L’Inizio Red Blend, Red Mountain
2013 Estate Cabernet Franc, Red Mountain
2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain

Kitzke Cellars

2012 Nebbiolo, Red Mountain
2012 Janaina Sensacao Red Blend, CV
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, CV
2009 Syrah, CV

Day 4: We headed North up to the Zilla, WA area. I had researched several wineries to visit and it turned out to be an interesting day!

Portteus Winery

2013 Bistro Red
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Syrah
2012 Zinfandel
2012 Petite Verdot
2009 Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon

Masset Winery…. Home of the best Meatloaf recipe ever ;o)

2015 Barbera in the middle of fermentation
2009 La Petit Rouge Red Blend (Sangiovese, Syrah, Cab Sauv)
2010 Columbia Valley Red Marcoux Vineyard (60 CF, 20 ME, 20 CS) all old vine
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Basket Press Reserve (50 ME, 50 CS)
2008 Syrah Reserve also free run (88 S, 9 PS, 3 V, 4 Coinouise, 1 Mouv)
2009 Basket Pressed Syrah
2007 Petit Sirah
2010 Syrah Marcoux Vineyard free run
2o12 Winter Harvest Syrah Dessert Wine

Tried to go by Mas Chappell but they were not open

Reflection Vineyard (changing their name to owners last name VanArnam much better in my opinion)

2012 Reflection Merlot
2013 Van Arnam Melange (73 CS, 21 MA, 6 CF)
2012 Reflection Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Reflection Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Then we headed down to the Prosser area where we could not get into Thurston Wolfe because we didn’t have a Premier Pass.

McKinley Springs Vineyard

2010 Cabernet Franc, HHH
2011 Syrah, HHH
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, HHH
NV Estate Red (S, B, MA, PV, MO,) HHH
2010 Malbec, HHH

Desert Wind Winery

2010 Syrah Wahluke Slope
2013 Merlot Wahluke Slope
2012 Tempranillio
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Ruah Blend

Alexandria Nicole Vineyards

2013 Jet Black Syrah Destiny Ridge Vineyard, HHH
2012 Quarry Butte Red Blend, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, HHH
2011 Gravity Merlot, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, HHH
2012 Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, HHH
2012 Mr. Big Petite Sirah, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, HHH
2013 Tempranillio, HHH

Day 5: We headed from Kennewick, WA down to Walla Walla, WA

Woodward Canyon Winery

2013 Estate Chardonnay
2012 Estate Erratic Red Blend
2011 Estate Reserve (95 CF, 5 PV)
2010 Estate Reserve (41 ME, 31 PV, 14 CS, 14 CF)
2012 Merlot, CV
2012 Artist Series #21

L’Ecole #41 Cellars

2014 Semillon
2014 Luminesce Seven Hills Vnyd, (50 SEM, 50 SB)
2014 Chardonnay Evergreen Vnyd
2012 Estate Merlot
2012 Estate Syrah
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Apogee

Waterbrook Winery (we also had lunch here will post pictures in a day or so)

2011 ICON Anniversary Rhone Blend
2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 ICON Walla Walla Red Blend
2012 ICON Barbera
2013 Late Harvest Semillon

Cougar Crest Winery

2012 Dedication Nine Red Blend
2009 Estate Merlot
2009 Estate Anniversary Cuvee
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Estate Syrah
2009 Estate Syrilla (50 S, 50 Tempranillo)

Canoe Ridge Winery

2014 Limited Edition Cinsault Rose
2011 Reserve Pinot Noir
2012 Reserve Cherry Street Red Blend, HHH
2012 Limieted Edition Syrah, HHH
2011 Estate Merlot, HHH
2011 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, HHH

Day 6: It doesn’t seem like this is our 6th day but I guess it is… We had a great day today making our own wine, everyone needs to go do this.

Amavi Cellars

2014 Semillon
2013 Syrah
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

Pepper Bridge

2012 Merlot
2012 Trine
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Northstar Winery Blending class & then tasting

2011 Merlot
2012 Stella Maris
2012 Cabernet Franc, WW
2012 Syrah, CV
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Merlot, WW
2011 Premier (100% Merlot)

Nancy’s Blend and Bill’s Blend which is technically Merlot.

Dinner tonight was at T Maccarone’s

Day 7: We hit downtown Walla Walla tasting rooms… Bill didn’t like it he wanted to be out at a vineyard tasting room but it was nice not to have to drive.

Trust Winery