Sip Northwest, Spring 2019

39 S I P N O R T H W E S T C O M If you havent found your perfect picnic spot yet the wineries and views continue up the hill until the road deadends at HIGHTOWER CELLARS AND VINEYARD where you can cleanse your palate between reds with bread made from grape yeast sourced at the vineyard The views on the other side of the mountain are just as awe inspiring from the sprawling balcony of COL SOLARE where you may just forget youre not in Italy at the part Tuscan owned winery Chateau Ste Michelle owns the other half where the focus is estate Cab Sauv Dont forget to sample the grappa Loop back down the hill for a stop at the smallbatch FRICHETTE WINERY Open in 2013 the husband and wife run operation is one of the newer wineries on the hill and their Cab is already making a name for itself If you forgot your picnic spread the only complete meal youll find on the mountain is at the VINEYARD GRILL at TERRA BLANCA WINERY ESTATE VINEYARD which is worth the stop for Italian fare and brick oven pizza amid Tuscan style architecture manicured grounds a pond and the remarkable underground barrel caves Once off the mountain you can work off the vino with a hike in Horse Heaven Hills recreation area via the McBee Trail then reward yourself with a tasting at the laid back ANELARE WINERY just below the trailhead Now that youve sampled the wines THE REACH MUSEUM is the place to go for a deep dive into how the land formed and came to be the great grape growing region it is Dont miss a couple of gnarly old grape vines donated by Hedges Family Estate on the grounds Nearby keep your eyes open for any updates happening to the future site of AQUILINI RED MOUNTAIN a 170000 square foot vineyard winery inthe making from the prominent British Columbia family that owns the Vancouver Canucks hockey franchise Newly opened and highly recommended by locals THE BRADLEYs intriguing menu with items like rosé poached prawns with grapefruit horseradish sauce or roasted bone marrow with onion jam paired with creative cocktails makes for a fun tapas dinner to round out the day in Richland Kiona Vineyards highly prized Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Syrah grapes And the pioneering spirit of area vintners turn those grapes into much sought after wines The place to start is KIONA VINEYARDS where John Williams and Jim Holmes planted their first vineyard in 1975 on a hunch More than 40 years and three generations later Kiona the Yakama tribe term for brown hills is very much a family run business Williams still lives in the modest house beside the winery tasting room which began in his basement Kionas wines which have racked up many awards are anything but modest in character with the bold Bordeaux style Red Mountain is known for The Estate Red Mountain Reserve is the flagship but dont miss the interesting whites The Gewürztraminer is the only one on the mountain from grapes planted in 1978 and youll want to save a bottle of Fortunate Sun a late harvest Chenin Blanc to pair with dessert later Continue up Sunset Road and youll soon hit HEDGES FAMILY ESTATE the second winery built on the mountain which is now home to about a dozen Housed in a larger than life French inspired chateau complete with climbing roses the tasting room occupies the downstairs while owners Tom and Annie Marie Hedges live upstairs Daughter Sarah Hedges Goedhart is now head winemaker Biodynamic since 2008 everything on the farm vineyard serves a purpose including the chickens pay 50 cents for a bag of feed and visit them in their coop TOP LEFT PHOTO BY TRAVIS GILLETT BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY REACH MUSUEM Terra Blanca Winery Estate Vineyard The Reach Museum Frichette Winery