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2013 Guide to Events Tours and Attractions
Yakima Valley Rattlesnake Hills Red Mountain Horse Heaven Hills Columbia Valley Columbia Gorge Wahluke Slope Snipes Mountain Walla Walla Valley A supplement to the Prosser Record-Bulletin and Grandview Herald www.thegrapevinenw.com
Painting by Martha Nelson
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 2
Welcome
Welcome
We are proud to present you with our 27th anniversary edition of The Grape Vine. We would like to thank each of our advertisers, wineries and readers who, collectively, make it possible for us to bring you a comprehensive regional view of the wines, the wineries and the communities that surround them in Washington and Oregon. You will find inside The Grape Vine the very best of offerings: great places to visit and enjoy, wineries and destination activities and amenities to experience — to partake of all our wonderful wine country has to offer. We sincerely hope you will savor, enjoy, share, and return next year for more of the best in Valley Publishing Company’s ‘The Grape Vine.’ Please send us your feedback and ideas for next year’s issue at editor@recordbulletin.com.
27th Annual
The GRAPE VINE 2013 TM
www.thegrapevinenw.com
Published every Spring by Valley Publishing Company The Prosser Record-Bulletin The Grandview Herald www.recordbulletin.com 613 7th Street Prosser, Washington 99350 (509) 786-1711 Fax (509) 786-1779 USPS 448-060
www.thegrandviewherald.com 107 Division Street Grandview, Washington 98930 (509) 882-3712 Fax (509) 882-2833 USPS 226-000
Copyright 2013 email: ads@recordbulletin.com Danielle Fournier, Publisher Karen Derrick, Chief Financial Officer EDITORIAL STAFF: Richard Burger, Grandview Editor Victoria Walker, Prosser Editor ADVERTISING: Dianne Buxton, Manager BUSINESS STAFF: Gwen Perkins and Sharleen Honeycutt, Office Supervisors Mary Hanlon, Clerk COMPOSING ROOM: Tim Miser, Supervisor Marie Romero, Compositor
27th Annual
2013 Grape Vine Directory Use good sense on your wine tour/ Eat, drink and be healthy ........................................................ Page 3 The history of wine and the grapes to produce it ........... Page 4 Martha Nelson-Andrews is home at last ......................... Page 5 Traveling with your pet .................................................. Page 6 16th annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival/Yakima Valley AVA ............................................................... Page 8 Yakima, White Pass, Zillah, Granger, Wapato, Toppenish, Grandview, Sunnyside .......................... Page 9-11 Creativity abounds June 1 in neighboring valley towns............................................................. Page 12 Experience wine country in Prosser ............................... Page 14 Washington State AVA map ............................................ Page 15 Pinots, pacas and picnics .............................................. Page 16 Getting close to the earth for the finest food and fun ..... Page 18 If you love flowers, stroll downtown Grandview in summer ............................................. Page 19 Yakima, the other Palm Springs/ Wine and Food Fair ... Page 20 Few places are better for birding than the Yakima Valley Page 21 Columbia Valley and Rattlesnake Hills AVAs/ How to serve wines.................................................. Page 22 Love of Junk, Walla Walla’s vintage market/ Pairing wine with dessert .................................................... Page 23 Maryhill Winery ............................................................. Page 24 Blue Flame Spirits: a bright beacon in wine country ..... Page 26 The Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center .................... Page 27 Five tips for navigating a wine list/Horse Heaven Hills AVA ............................................................... Page 28 YVCC teaching winery .................................................. Page 29 The hype about heart-healthy red wine/Red Mountain AVA........................................................ Page 30 Sage Rat Run grows to a two-day event in 2013 ............ Page 31 Allied Arts/How to keep birds away from grapevines ... Page 32 It’s a jousting good time/Western art collectors welcomed to Toppenish ......................................... Page 33 Richland Cool Desert Nights/Walla Walla AVA .............. Page 34 Microbreweries/Rules about bringing wine from the U.S to Canada/Wahluke Slope AVA ................. Page 36-37 Winery Profiles/Snipes Mountain AVA .......................... Page 38-39 Calendar of Events ......................................................... Page 40-41 Rail Museum volunteers ................................................ Page 42 She Who Watches .......................................................... Page 43 Wine and digestion/A few words about spitting and etiquette/Wine Doggies website launched ..... Page 44 Wakeboarding ................................................................ Page 46 Good sense, good wine touring/Ancient Lakes AVA ...... Page 47
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 3
Use good sense on your wine tour . . . . .
Eat, drink and be healthy
How moderate alcohol use can be good for you You may have heard that moderate drinking can fit into a sensible health plan. It may be benefical in reducing or preventing certain conditions, such as diabetes, stress, depression, poor cognition, and heart ailments such as hypertension, peripheral artery disease, and high blood pressure. Drinking may also help prevent aging effects. Part of the reason is due to alcohol, offers Dr. Mehmet Oz, and most of the reason is the resveratrol that’s found in grape skins and, thus, red wines. Some also surmise that moderate alcohol can fend off the common cold. However, too much alcohol can put you at risk for adverse health consequences. Moderate drinking is defined as one to two drinks per day, depending upon sex and age. Women and individuals older than 65 should limit alcohol to one drink per day. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Saving up your daily alcohol allowances and indulging on a Saturday night is not healthy. Too much alcohol can contribute to liver problems, impaired judgement, thoughts of suicide, and a host of other problems. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that moderate drinkers have the greatest longevity. Drinking may be most beneficial to the heart. It reduces heart disease risk by 40 to 60 percent. This is important because cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and heart disease kills about one million Americans each and every year. The best-known beneficial effect of alcohol is a small increase in HDL cholesterol. Other properties present may prevent inflammation of arteries, promoting better blood flow. Alcoholic beverages may prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together. That may reduce clot formation and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Always consult with a doctor before modifying your diet for health purposes. Alcohol may interact with some prescriptions you are taking and may not be adviseable for everyone, including pregnant women.
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Fresh Crisp Air, Beautiful Views And Fantastic Wines! Sit back, relax and let one of our experienced drivers take you to the Yakima Valley wineries of your choice. You may opt for a pre-arranged winery tour. We have a variety of vehicles available to accommodate from 4-55 people.
How many wineries is it reasonable to schedule in a day of wine touring? With all the new wineries springing up and the summer tasting season about to arrive, it is important to ensure that ambitious plans don’t overwhelm good sense. Many factors play into this. If you’re serious about visiting more than three or four wineries in a day, consider hiring a limo with several friends. It will save you money in the long run and allow you to concentrate on a day of fun. Sunset Coach Tours, located in Prosser, Washington, provides guided tour and wine-tasting transportation services for wine enthusiasts throughout the Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, and Horse Heaven Hills wine-producing regions. This fabulous service is available for a modest price of only $75 per person for a five- to six- hour tour. For more information, go to www.sunsetcoachtours.com or call (800) 941-2941. You can pay out that amount several times a year and it won’t match the six-month insurance premium you’d face with a DUI. Not to mention the fine, court costs and missed work time for other requirements a court may impose. Those who choose to drive must limit themselves to visiting three or four wineries a day. The legal limit in Washington State is 0.08 percent; one
drink is equivalent to four-ounces of 12 percent alcohol wine. Here’s some advice on how to minimize the effects of alcohol: First, don’t polish off the wine you’re poured. Dump it after you’ve sipped enough to make tasting notes and have decided whether to add it to your must-buy list. Second, don’t try to taste every wine at every winery. Everyone in the party can taste different wines; then if one of you finds something special, the others can also taste it. Third, drink plenty of water during your tour. It mitigates the effect alcohol will have. After visiting a winery or two, take time out for a snack or a picnic lunch. Cold cuts, cheese, fruit, veggies and bread will refresh your palate and give you time to burn off alcohol. Most important of all, never drive when you can feel the alcohol is affecting you. There is no simple formula for estimating how much you can drink without becoming legally drunk. Women tend to be more affected than men, even if both have the same body weight. And a 6-foot 2-inch guy who weighs 200 pounds clearly has a different capacity than a petite woman of 5-foot 2-inch who weighs 110 pounds. Wine tour enthusiasts must never lose sight of the fact their hobby is serious business if they have to drive. Plan ahead and be safe so that you can enjoy another tour.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 4
The history of wine and the grapes to produce it The cultivation of the domesticated grape began 6,000–8,000 years ago in the Near East. The earliest archeological evidence for a dominant position of wine-making in human culture dates from 8,000 years ago in Georgia. Yeast, one of the earliest domesticated microorganisms, occurs naturally on the skins of grapes, leading to the innovation of alcoholic drinks such as wine. The earliest known production occurred around 8,000 years ago on the territory of Georgia. During an extensive gene-mapping project, archaeologists analyzed the heritage of more than 110 modern grape cultivars, and narrowed their origin to a region in Georgia where wine residues were also discovered on the inner surfaces of 8,000-year-old ceramic storage jars. The oldest winery was found in Armenia, dating to around 4,000 B.C. By the ninth century A.D., the city of Shiraz was known to produce some of the finest wines in the Middle East. Thus it has been proposed that Syrah red wine is named after Shiraz, a city in Persia where the grape was used to make Shirazi wine. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics record the cultivation of purple grapes, and history attests to the
ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans growing purple grapes for both eating and wine production. The growing of grapes later spread to other regions in Europe, as well as North Africa, and eventually into North America. In North America, native grapes belonging to various species of the Vitis genus proliferate in the wild across the continent, and were a part of the diet of many Native Americans, but were considered by European colonists to be unsuitable for wine. Vitis vinifera cultivars were imported for that purpose. Grapes are a type of fruit that grow in clusters of 15 to 300, and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange and pink. “White” grapes are actually green in color, and are evolutionarily derived from the purple grape. Mutations in two regulatory genes of white grapes turn off production of anthocyanins which are responsible for the color of purple grapes. Anthocyanins and other pigment chemicals of the larger family of polyphenols in purple grapes are responsible for the varying shades of purple in red wines. Grapes are typically an ellipsoid shape resembling a prolate spheroid.
16th century wine press
A wine press is a device used to extract juice from crushed grapes during winemaking. Each style of press exerts controlled pressure in order to free the juice from the fruit. The pressure must be controlled, especially with grapes, in order to avoid crushing the seeds and releasing a great deal of undesirable tannins into the wine. Wine was being made at least as long ago as 6000 B.C. In 2011, a wine press was unearthed in Armenia with red wine dated 6,000 years old.
AUGUST 16, 17 & 18, 2013 • PAINTING DEMONSTRATIONS...Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Live Scholarship Auction...Sat. 5 p.m. - Auctioneer: Paul Newman • Lion’s Club Steak Feed (immediately following auction) Kids-N-Art • 9am Saturday - Sponsored by The Insurance Lady
Northern Pacific Railway Museum
NO ADMISSION FEE Friday 12-6PM • Saturday 10AM-6PM • Sunday 10AM-3PM Sponsored by Toppenish Western Art Association and Toppenish Community Foundation
10 Asotic Avenue • Toppenish • 509-865-1911 Open May 1st to October 15th, 2013
Dates for special events such as Haunted Depot and Train and Toy Train Christmas are available on our web site. Visit Our Website For Details: www.nprymuseum.org
Nominal Admission Charge
Historical displays in the museum on the history of the Northern Pacific Railway and the railway in the Yakima Valley and Toppenish. Rolling stock includes 2 steam engines, several cabooses, automobile transport car, box cars and so much more.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • Sunday noon-4 p.m.
Please join us for the 16th Annual Western Art Show Including Wildlife - Native American - Landscapes Horses
RAILROAD PARK: Corner of Toppenish & Asotin Aves. Toppenish, WA
ArtShow
509.469.3092 • www.toppenishwesternart.org
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 5
Martha Nelson- Andrews is home at last By Victoria Walker
Martha Nelson-Andrews, winner of the GrapeVine Cover Contest for 2013.
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Open Friday 10-5 • Saturday 10-4 • 509-840-4876 or 509-837-6640
“Originally I came to Prosser with my mother to visit family. Little did I know that at the time she was laying ground work for my future,” said Martha Nelson-Andrews. “Two weeks later my mother passed away; that was Jan. 2003.” In 2004, Nelson-Andrews came back up to Prosser from Ca. for holiday to visit with cousins who lived in the area. With encouragement from family Nelson- Andrews bought a home in Prosser down on the river and moved in with plans to live in the area. “I moved in and but then moved out, I wasn’t completely moved and I still was knee deep in sand,” says Nelson-Andrews. I had a graduate student move into my Prosser home. I kept working in Ca. a lot and the just seemed to keep piling up,” she said. In 2007, the graduate student moved out of Nelson-Andrews’s home, so she was headed back to Prosser. Just after making the decision to move, NelsonAndrews met with a truck while riding her bike in Palm Springs. “I was tremendously injured and that ended my working for a while, with a lower back injury.” While Nelson-Andrews was recovering from her accident she decided to put an ad in the Tri-Cities Herald and Record-Bulletin with an artist for hire ad and see what would happen. The Herald ad had been misplaced and ended up in the automotive section of the classified section of the paper. “I got a call and I was asked if I painted cars. I told the gentleman that I probably could but that I painted murals. He just happened to building a home and he asked if I would come and take look at his home. That encounter turned into a mural job that turned
into a bigger mural that turned into a bathroom and then a fireplace. I did his whole house,” said Nelson-Andrews. That gentleman introduced NelsonAndrews to a Prosser man named Rod Bogart, who exchanged work in Nelson’s home for mural work in his house. Since then Nelson-Andrews has worked on a regular basis in the area. Most recently Nelson-Andrews has been working smaller. “Murals are huge and you can’t take them with you in a portfolio,” says Nelson-Andrews. “Carol Ashby suggested I show some of my work at the street fair in Prosser, but I didn’t paint small so I just showed photographs to people, but she said ‘You need work you can sell’, so I did. “I began painting smaller pictures with grapes and wine. I entered the Wine and Food fair poster contest with work that was hanging at Kestral Winery and the greenroom at the Princess Theatre. I won the contest for their 30th anniversary poster contest and then entered and won again the next year for the fair,” said NelsonAndrews. Recently Nelson-Andrews painted a mural in the Prosser Memorial Hospital courtyard and submitted work to the Grapevine cover contest with the Prosser Record-Bulletin and was the winner. “So it looks like I am staying in Prosser. This feels like home to me and I feel like part of the community. I am now knee deep in vineyards. I have begun volunteering with Historic Downtown Prosser Association on the Design Committee and I am painting windows in downtown Prosser. I have recently married and I am very involved with the winery my husband owns. I still make trips to Ca. and I am really happy. I think I will begin doing some wine label work. I am showing some of my prints at Bonnie’s Vine and Gifts and at Sixth Street Art Gallery beginning this month. As far as I am concerned the more artists the merrier,” says Nelson-Andrews.
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Some people consider 52ºF (11ºC) to be the ideal wine storage temperature. In practice, however, stable temperatures between 40ºF (5ºC) and 65ºF (18ºC) are fine for storing most wines. The humidity should be about 70 to 75 percent. You can chill white wine or Champagne by putting it in a bucket containing ice and kosher salt.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 6
On a clear day…
Photo by Richard Burger
Looking west on a rural road in Yakima Valley farm country, Mount Adams hovers in the distance, some 150 miles away, on a crisp, clear early spring morning.
Wine Facts
Stack wine bottles on their sides to keep the cork moist and prevent air seepage. There are two exceptions: Wine bottles with a screwtop lid may be stored upright. Champagne and other sparkling wines may also be stored upright because the carbonic gas in between the bottom of the cork and the top of the wine keeps the cork moist and swollen. Rapid temperature changes make the cork shrink and expand and eventually create a gap on the bottle’s neck which allows air to seep in and spoil the wine. To avoid that terrible waste when a sparkling wine foams out of the glass, first pour about an ounce and wait for it to settle. Then pour more into the glass. The lip of a red wine glass slopes inwardly to hold the aroma.
Best Boutique In Wine Country
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2580 East Lincoln Ave. • Sunnyside,WA • (509) 836-2282 Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Traveling with your pet can be fun and rewarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . There are no two ways about it. Finding a place to visit or to stay with your pet isn’t always easy. The good news is, it’s not impossible. It just takes some planning and research. If you’re headed for eastern Washington with a furry friend, or friends, at least a month before your trip, you should begin your research. Your favorite search engine on your computer is your friend. Taking our own advice, within a few minutes online, we found three nationalchain locations that would accept guests with pets. We also turned up several web sites devoted to pet owners who want to travel with their furry friends. The newest is Yakima Valley Wine Doggies, at http://www.visityakima.com/ wine-doggies/. It was launched by the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau, and features the many dog-friendly attractions and services available in the Yakima Valley. Highlights include a ‘doggie bloggie’ hosted by a local canine, an interactive map of dog-friendly businesses with open pet policies, plus a section where guests can add pictures and stories of their dogs enjoying Washington wine country. “We created this site to accommodate the growing number of visitors traveling with their dogs,” said John Cooper, President & CEO of the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau. “Although the site
is called Wine Doggies, it’s much more than stories about winery dogs. The site is designed to assist travelers and their dogs with their visit to wine country, giving them a tour guide for pet-friendly shops and must-see stops in the Yakima Valley.” Two other examples are www.PetTravel. com and www.dogfriendly.com. And speaking of friends, more than likely you have friends with pets that also like to travel together. During your research, be sure to talk to your friends and ask for recommendations for places to see and places to stay. Another great idea is to contact your nearest AAA office. There you’ll find a book entitled “Traveling With Your Pet,” that’s sure to be helpful. It’s an inexpensive guide to carry during your travels, and if you’re an AAA member, it’s even less expensive. Membership also makes available a tour book that includes information about accommodations by state or by region. If you plan to visit a winery, be sure to call ahead before you take your pet, but you may be pleasantly surprised at the number of wineries that allow dogs on the grounds. Just be sure to bring a leash and the supplies you need to clean up after your pet. With a little time spent exploring your alternatives, traveling with your dog can add a new dimension of enjoyment for you both.
Conquistador Mexican Restaurant
Sunnyside • 509-839-2880
214 S. 6th St., Unit #7 • IN THE MINI-MALL
Great Menu Selection Lunch and Dinner
Banquet Room for Parties We Can Cater Your Special Event
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 7
STAY AND PLAY Join Us For Daily Dinner Specials
Prime Rib every Friday and Saturday Restaurant Overlooking The Golf Course Enjoy Big Screen TV’s In Our Sports Lounge Large Banquet Facilities For Family, Holiday & Office Parties
Valley Lanes Bowling & Fun Center Take a Break! Fun for the Whole Family
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Sunnyside • 509-836-7555 31A Ray Road Between Exit 69 and 72 on I 82
Next to Black Rock Creek Golf Course and Tucker Cellars
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 8
Yakima Valley AVA
Yakima Valley AVA Established 1983
• Washington State’s first federallyrecognized appellation; includes more than 40 wineries. • Contains 11,000 vineyard acres (4,452 hectares), over one third of Washington’s vineyards. • Most widely planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. • Riesling and Syrah represent significant acreage, with Syrah in particular on the rise. Silt-loam soils predominate. • 190-day growing season with annual precipitation of approximately 8 inches (20 cm). • The Yakima Valley AVA contains the smaller Red Mountain, Snipes Mountain and Rattlesnake Hills AVAs. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
Photo by David Gluckman
The colorful head of a Sandhill Crane, the bird honored in the annual Sandhill Crane Festival in Othello, which takes place this year April 5-7.
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16th Annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival in April The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival comes to Othello this year April 5-7. The festival has many tours for crane viewing, along with specialty tours. Specialty tours have included Columbia National Wildlife Refuge/ Potholes area wildlife tour, Missoula Floods and the Channeled Scablands geology tour, Lower Grand Coulee birding tour and Wahluke Slope/Shrub Steppe birding tour. Pre-registration is suggested to reserve your seat as some tours fill up quickly. With admission price into the Festival on Saturday, you may attend free lectures which are repeated throughout the day. Lectures given in the past have included falconry, Missoula Floods and the Channeled Scablands, Woodland Park Zoo, Grouse of Washington, Othello History within the Drumhellar Channeled Scablands, Shrub-Steppe Flora and Fauna, Owls
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of Eastern Washington and Spring Migration in the Columbia Basin. Visit www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org for complete information. The event began in 1998, sponsored by the Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. The Sandhill Crane Festival Committee plans, organizes and conducts the festival. The Committee includes Grant Conservation District staff, Othello citizens plus residents from the neighboring Columbia Basin communities of Ephrata, Moses Lake and Royal City. Since the beginning, the festival has been financially supported by the City of Othello through tourism development funds and logistically supported by the Othello School District and Othello Community Schools, reimbursed by Festival registration fees.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 9
White Pass Recreational Paradise White Pass Scenic Byway
The White Pass Scenic Byway is a recreational paradise in the shadows of Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams. Whether you enjoy wilderness camping, hiking, fishing, snowmobiling, or even hang gliding, there are more outdoor recreational opportunities along the byway than anywhere else in the South Cascades region. In the summertime, campgrounds are buzzing with activity as visitors enjoy the rivers, lakes, forests, and trails from their base camps. Early in the summer, when the high country trails are still covered in snow, forests and grasslands along the byway are coming to life with wildflowers and wildlife. Early fall can be the best season for hiking, as trails are snow-free, sub-alpine vegetation is beginning to change color, and mosquitoes have called it quits for the year. Later in the fall hunters come to the forest for some of the state’s best deer and elk range. Of course, fish follow their own seasons, and there’s almost always something to be caught. Winter time brings visitors to the byway to enjoy the White Pass Ski Resort, snowmobiling, backcountry skiing, and snowshoeing. The White Pass Scenic Byway is Washington State’s best roadway for wildlife watching opportunities. From low elevation lakes to sub-alpine ridges, wet west-side forests to the open steppes of Eastern Washington, from Mount St. Helens’ blast zone to Mount Rainier’s lush meadows, The White Pass Scenic Byway and its adjacent public lands provide a range of wild habitats you won’t find anywhere else in the state. The White Pass Scenic Byway is 124 miles long, beginning at Mary’s Corner (three miles east of I-5 at Exit 68) and the intersection of US 12 and SR 410 at Naches. It is located in southcentral Washington State, about halfway between Puget Sound and the Columbia River. The west portal to the byway is near the communities of Centralia and Chehalis, and the east portal near Yakima, the largest city in central Washington. The White Pass Scenic Byway passes through small communities, resource lands, river valleys, foothills, and alpine county. The region surrounding the byway includes privatelyowned residential, agricultural, commercial and forestland properties, as well as state parks, wildlife areas, power projects with associated recreation lands, the Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and Mount Rainier National Park, Mt. St. Helens National Monument and Mt. Adams Wilderness Area.
Wine Facts
To experience how wine evolves in the glass, don’t top up wine glasses containing more than two sips. By the way, a wine steward should not top up wine glasses too frequently. An over-chilled wine loses its aroma and flavor. The cork wax may stick to the bottle and you’ll have trouble removing the cork. An under-chilled wine also loses its aroma and flavor, but at least you won’t have any trouble removing the cork. SANDRA - PROOF SALES - ROP - CMYK - RVS 0204 SPR – RV0208 SJB - REV 0209 GGM 07.821292.SAT.0213.3X5R.SLJ
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 10
small town bios
Sunnyside
Dinosaur Park, Granger
Granger
The biggest little city between Yakima and the Tri-Cities shines with community pride. It is the site of the annual lighted implement parade in December, and a host of culturally diverse community events throughout the rest of the year. Sunnyside celebrates its history with a growing collection of bronze statues, and an authentic log cabin built by Ben Snipes, an early settler. The community is surrounded by some of the most agriculturally productive farmland in the nation, and offers a cornucopia of produce all through the growing season. You’ll enjoy your visit any time of the year. Just remember to bring your shades.
It’s funny how things work out sometimes. As communities up and down the Yakima Valley search for ways to appeal to the visitors the burgeoning wine industry brings to the area increasing numbers every year, Granger has found an identity that connects with a small industry. Granger was incorporated in 1909 as a small rural community that dates back to the late 1800s. It is located in the heart of the Yakima Valley, and is a 10-minute drive from Toppenish and 25 miles east of Yakima, on the outskirts of the Yakama Indian Nation Reservation along the Yakima River.
Wapato
If you enjoy quarter-mile drag racing, as a spectator or participant, you’ll find a very worthwhile diversion tucked away just a stone’s throw from Wapato. Renegade Raceway is a National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned track, and you’ll see a diversity of racing classes, including Street Legal, Sportsman, Pro, Super Pro, and motorcycles.
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A pair of beautiful snow-capped peaks in the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, are two very good reasons the view is so grand in this centrallylocated Yakima Valley town. But Grandview has also proven itself to be a forward-looking, community that has extensively revitalized its downtown core to make it appealingly pedestrian-friendly. Local outdoor recreation includes golf, tennis, swimming, fishing, hunting, and boating. Grandview also offers walking and bicycling on dedicated pathways, and be sure to stop by the Grandview Rose Garden. With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, there are great views here just about any time of year. See SMALL TOWN BIOS on page 11
Wine Facts
In the year 2000 Americans spent $20 billion on wine, almost three quarters of which went to California wines.
small town bios
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 11
SMALL TOWN BIOS from page 10
Zillah
Toppenish
History comes alive literally around every corner in the town “Where The West Still Lives in Murals and Museums.” Some 70 Western-themed murals and three fascinating museums beckon visitors to travel back in time. Arguably the most hands-on and up-close of the three museums is the Yakima Valley Rail and Steam Museum, which operates a short-line railroad and whose members are nearing completion of the restoration of a steam locomotive. It is often on display at the museum during Toppenish events. The Toppenish Mural Society sponsors the creation of at least one new mural each year, during Mural-In-A-Day, on the first Saturday of June.
Surrounded by wineries and filled with pastoral, small-town charm, Zillah is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle that can take the fun out of life. Pay a visit to the Tea Pot, an historic landmark that served as a gas station in the 1940s and ’50s on the Old Yakima Valley Highway, and which has now been relocated near downtown. If you’re in town the first Saturday after Labor Day, be sure to visit Krieger Park in the city center where the annual Not Just A Farmer’s Market takes place. Fresh produce, crafts of every kind, and live entertainment make it an event not to be missed.
Wine Facts
The average cost of the grapes in a $20 bottle of wine is estimated at $2.64.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 12
Creativity abounds June 1 in neighboring valley towns
Photo courtesy of the City of Granger
A Tyrannosaurus Rex takes shape in Granger’s Hisey Park during the 2010 Dino-N-ADay event that happens every year on the first Saturday in June. Visitors can help build the dino each year at no charge. Photo courtesy of the Toppenish Chamber of Commerce
Toppenish Mural-In-A-Day artists put paint to canvas. The event is held each year on the first Saturday in June, which is June 2 this year. By Richard Burger
Sometimes it’s amazing how one good idea can lead to another. That was certainly true for the towns of Toppenish and Granger, which are about a 10-minute drive apart in the midYakima Valley. On the first Saturday in June, both communities create new works of art in one day. In Toppenish, it’s Mural-In-A-Day, and in Granger, it’s Dino-N-A-Day. Some 70 historic murals, scattered
from one end of Toppenish to the other, have been created by some of the bestknown mural artists in the Northwest. The murals have created a new identity for the town, which is situated on the Yakama Indian Reservation. The Toppenish Mural Society began commissioning the murals in 1989, and established a tradition that has lasted ever since, Mural-In-A-Day. The mural site typically takes on a festive air, with food and arts and crafts vendors, live music, and bleacher seating
set up for those who want to watch the artists at work. The mural-painting team is guided by a lead artist, who sees to it that an original artwork created for the event is faithfully re-created. Granger got its dinosaur identity several years ago when the first of what had become an impressive herd was created by public works employees. Many of the dinosaurs are clustered in or near Hisey Park, better know by now as Dinosaur Park. The park has its own pond, complete with a floating dino, a Dino Store which sells souvenirs and snacks, and a restroom that looks like an
erupting volcano! Many other colorful critters can be found in a variety of other locations around the community. If you visit Granger on the first Saturday of June, you’ll get to see the annual Dino-N-A-Day event in which people from around the valley come to help create that year’s new dinosaur. Visitors of all ages are provided with latex gloves and can help apply the mortar that covers the framework of the new creation. There is no charge to help build the dino. Be sure to bring your camera to capture all the fun!
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 13
September 27•28•29 2013 T
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 14
Photo courtesy of Prosser Chamber of Commerce
Wine Country Road Bridge in Prosser over the mighty Yakima River.
Experience wine country in Prosser By Victoria Walker
Prosser is a small community with large amounts of sunshine, wine, and more than that – good times. The Yakima River runs through the center of town while the Horse Heaven Hills rise behind the little city. Prosser has 37 wine-tasting rooms and is known as the birthplace of Washington’s wine. Prosser’s economy centers on agriculture and tourism. Washington State University established the Irrigated Agriculture
Wine Country Plaza
Research and Extension Center at Prosser. The station is still in use, and offers a number of agricultural research and education programs. Another attraction to open soon in Prosser is the Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center, a facility dedicated to promoting the wine and agricultural industries in the State of Washington. With a number of annual community events, Prosser is a great place to come and enjoy the local fare. Farmers Market starts in May and runs every weekend through October. A winter market has been added, now
providing local produce and crafts all year long. Depot Square Market Place is held twice a year, the first Saturday in May and the third Saturday in September. The market includes arts and craft vendors, food vendors and commercial vendors,. Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, on the Fourth of July, includes a kiddie parade, car show, fireworks, bingo, stage shows, and food vendors in the park. Art Walk and Wine Gala’s 10th annual event with featured artist is David Marsh from Houston, Texas. Marsh’s furniture is uniquely designed, using sustainable
Wine enthusiasts... Meet alpaca enthusiasts!
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While visiting wine country, tour Prosser’s premier alpaca farm too!
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Call today to schedule your farm visit! 509-786-4507
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pine and reclaimed wood. Each piece is hand-crafted by Marsh and his fellow craftsmen in his Texas studio. The distinctive “Marsh style” includes handpainting, a wide use of handmade stamps and rollers and as many as four coats of planet-friendly water-based lacquer. Prosser’s Wine and Food Fair, one of the top events of the year, is on the second Saturday of August. Thirty-some Washington wineries and food from 20 vendors come together to offer sampling and tasting. The event takes place at the Walter Clore Center in Prosser. Prosser State’s Day Celebration, another on of the top events of the year, happens Labor Day weekend, with a carnival in the city park, a parade in the morning, and a local talent show. The Great Prosser Balloon Rally happens the last weekend of September. Hot-air balloons launch just after dawn from the Prosser airport. Balloons glow from within at Art Fiker Stadium during The Great Prosser Balloon Rally Night Glow show. Harvest Festival is the same weekend as the Balloon Rally, featuring lots of arts and crafts downtown, with fun, food and music. Caren Mercer-Andreasen Street Painting Festival shares the weekend with the Prosser Balloon Rally and Harvest Festival. Watch local and regional artists create works of art on the pavement in downtown Prosser. Thanksgiving in Wine Country is Friday–Sunday following Thanksgiving. The highlight of the weekend is sampling all the newly released wines. Family Christmas Festival The annual lighting of the Christmas tree takes place with carollers, cocoa and holiday music at this family-friendly event.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 15
Naches Heights – est. 2011
Making the place you live, The place you love!
Sister to Sister 10 Merlot Drive • Prosser (next to Starbucks)
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Complimentary Gift Wrapping • Mon.-Sat. 9-6 • Sunday Noon -5 • take Exit 80
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 16
Pinots, ’Pacas & Picnics
It’s a sunny afternoon in the Yakima Valley. Sleek black limos are coming and going. Visitors are touring wine country. So, how do you put a fresh spin on the experience? Gather up your wine and tapas, and picnic with the ’pacas! Less than a mile from Vintner’s Village and historic downtown Prosser, Sage Bluff Alpacas welcomes guests year round. Visitors enjoy meeting the alpacas, talking with breeders John and Jennifer Ely, and relaxing under the old shade trees. Phone ahead to make arrangements for your visit; then bring your picnic basket and your camera for a memorable experience. In addition to meeting the alpacas, the Elys offer a unique shopping experience: a small farm store featuring luxurious alpaca goods. Yarn, fashions, accessories, toys, rugs and blankets make delightful take-home memories. Originally from South America, alpacas are raised for their luxurious fleece, which is similar to cashmere and softer, stronger and lighter than wool. Alpaca fiber can be found in everything from designer apparel to sportswear, as well as home fashions.
Wine enthusiasts, meet alpaca enthusiasts! Sage Bluff Alpacas welcomes visitors year round.
The appeal of raising these ecofriendly animals is due largely to the minimal care they require, their gentle personalities, the resulting revenue and excellent tax benefits, as well as the enviable lifestyle.
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Alpaca breeders are a cooperative group, mentoring newcomers and ensuring the success of a rapidly growing national industry. Sage Bluff Alpacas is conveniently
Photo courtesy of Sage Bluff Alpacas
located on Steele Road in Prosser. Phone 509-786-4507 to schedule a farm visit, or email jely@sagebluffalpacas.com. To learn more about alpacas, visit their web site at www.sagebluffalpacas.com.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 17
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 18
Bing cherries are the first tree-ripened u-pick crop of the season at Thompson Farm in Naches.
Getting close to the earth for the finest food and fun By Richard Burger
If your image of agricultural brings to mind toiling in the fields, there’s a big surprise in store for you in the Yakima Valley. It’s agri-tourism and it’s the coming thing in the heart of the Eastern Washington breadbasket.
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Beginning in spring, and carrying through to late fall and beyond, farming operations up and down the valley have geared up to make visits there recreational and informative. Agri-tourism also offers visitors the opportunity to find the freshest produce and tree-ripened fruit. Here are a handful of suggestions where you can enjoy agri-tourism. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Your favorite search engine and the world wide web will yield many more. Thompson’s Farm, Naches Thompson’s Farm is a family-owned farm specializing in tree-ripened fruit. They are located in the northeast corner of Naches, Wash., 12 miles west of Yakima. The farm is at the end of Shafer. The address is 9535 Old Naches Hwy. When visiting the Yakima Valley, travel west on Hwy. 12 to find Naches. The farm opens in late June with
Photos courtesy of Thompson Farm
Thompson Farm Store, which is owned by Thompson Farm, is on Hwy. 12 in downtown Naches.
cherries. The Thompson Farm Store is on Hwy. 12, across from Slim’s Market in Naches. The farm is open for u-pick during harvest, which takes place off and on all summer. On fall weekends, the pumpkin patch is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy homemade donuts, a corn maze, hay rides, farm animals, u-pick apples, gourds, squash, and pumpkins. Owner John Thompson fires the pumpkin cannons on the hour. www.thompsonfarm.com. Schell’s Produce in Toppenish Schell’s offers tons of fresh produce all season long and, in the fall, goes all out, with a straw maze, 10-acre corn maze, straw pyramid with two fun slides, fire pits for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, educational tours, hay rides, a petting zoo, pumpkins galore and even a pumpkin chucker. They call it the Fall Harvest Funland. It’s at 10 Harris Road, in Toppenish. www. schell’scornmaze.com.
Prosser
VINEYARD & WINERY
“WORLD CLASS HANDCRAFTED WINES” Open By Appt. Only
509-778-2482
prosservw@yahoo.com www.prosservineyardwinery.yolasite.com 25334 S. 1545 PRSW • P.O. Box 288 • Prosser, WA 99350
Krueger’s Pepper Gardens The Krueger family has been growing quality produce in Central Washington for more than 50 years. They offer an incredible variety of organic fruits and vegetables, including more than 80 varieties of hot and sweet peppers, 15-plus varieties of tomatoes,10plus varieties of melons and watermelon, 10-plus varieties of winter squash, eggplant, green beans, juice grapes and much more. They also provide apples, pears and peaches throughout the season. kruegerpeppergardens.weebly.com. Bill’s Berry Farm, Grandview The farm offers many seasonal events throughout the year that are great fun for all ages. Fresh fruit is available beginning in about mid-June, with tree-ripened cherries, and continues throughout the growing season. A wide variety of farm activities coincide with the harvest of the various varieties of fruit and produce. Admission to the farm is free so you can bring the whole crowd out... except your pets. The farm appreciates them being left at home. The farm hosts special Festival Days, when attractions include the Barnyard Train. Pony and horse friends, Wendy, Spice and Dolly, come to visit on festival days as well. A perennial favorite at the farm is their Squeeze Your Own Cider. Buy a box of juice apples and three new jugs, and then use their presses to make three gallons of fresh sweet cider. The farm is at 3674 N. County Line Road, Grandview. For more information, see www.billsberryfarm.com.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 19
If you love flowers, By Richard Burger
When Grandview’s new downtown design was developed a few years ago, the intent was to make it more pedestrian-friendly. Sidewalks are wide and welcoming, and every street corner in the main downtown core is festooned with large, handsome planters. Scores of hanging flower baskets adorn lampposts. Not only did the city provide a place for flowers, they also hired an individual whose primary duty was to make sure the flowers and greenery was as lush and healthy as possible. The strategy worked to an amazing degree and last year, downtown was literally overflowing with a rainbow of blooms. Planters filled with petunias were particularly memorable, and the variety was oh-so-aptly named: Tidal Wave. The flowers were provided by a local a Grandview vendor, Country Mercantile, owned and operated by Rick and Susan Gordon. Rick said about half the plants Country Mercantile provided were grown from seed and the other half were nurtured in their greenhouse. In either case, the resulting lush, colorful growth in the hanging baskets and planters was the talk of the town all summer. Some of the hanging baskets cascade
halfway to the ground. Growth in the planters was often so profuse that there was no visible trace of the containers, which are completely buried in greenery and blossoms that flow out onto the sidewalk. Rick said 60 baskets were hung, and another 10 were held in reserve as replacements in his greenhouse in case there were problems with those that are hanging. Each of the planters and baskets contain a different assortment of plants that are chosen specifically to complement each other. Ordering the right seeds and plugs to get the desired mix of colors can be tricky, Rick said. In the world of flowers, particularly petunias, color descriptions aren’t what one might expect. “Blue is really a purple,” said Rick. “Purple can be a dark pink. I spend a lot of time looking at seeds.” He said the planters received new soil mixture that contained timerelease fertilizer before the plants were placed. “Petunias like new soil,” Rick said. They also thrived on the attention of Mary Barrett, who carefully and conscientiously tended them all through the growing season. She and the Gordons will be filling the same roles as last year. And speaking of flowers, Grandview also boasts what is arguably the most appealing rose garden in the valley. It stands at the east entry to the city, in Palacios Park, a 10-minute stroll from downtown, and features a handsome stone archway, meandering pathway, and a shady gazebo.
stroll downtown Grandview in summer
Photo by Richard Burger
Mary Barrett, summer plant tender, stands beside one of the amazingly luxuriant downtown planters in 2012.
C&C Vintage Cellars
C&C Vintage Cellars Home of Dumb Blonde Wine
Photo by Richard Burger
The Grandview Rose Garden in Palacios Park at the east entrance to the city is in full bloom in early summer.
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Photo by Richard Burger
A hanging basket on Division Street holds lush floral growth that reaches more than halfway to the sidewalk below.
707 6th St., Unit B Prosser, Washington
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 20
Yakima,
the other Palm Springs
By Victoria Walker
The name “Yakima” originates from the Yakama Nation and is also known as The Palm Springs of Eastern Washington. Yakima, and the Yakima Valley, are located in the south-central part of Washington, and are known for the quality and quantity of their agricultural crops and products, warm climate, and is particularly noted for apple, wine and hop production. The valley produces 75 percent of all of the hops grown in the United States. Yakima has a strong downtown historic district, with a collection of nine buildings constructed between 1889 and 1914. The structures in the district are distinguished by attractive brick work and details typical of old architecture. The buildings in the district reflect the role of the railroad in the development and founding of the city. Most recent to the district are period street lights, fire hydrants, and tree wells througout the downtown area. Cultural activities and events in Yakima take place all year. There is the Yakima Valley Museum, with exhibits of areas cultural history. Downtown Yakima’s includes the historic Capitol
Theatre and Seasons Performance Hall, with the Allied Arts Center, the Larson Gallery at Yakima Valley Community College. Yakima’s culture also includes the Yakima Symphony Orchestra and the Yakima SunDome venue that hosts music tours, trade shows, and other large-scale events including the Central Washington State Fair. Yakima Valley is in the heart of the first appellation established in Washington State. Located in the southern center of the state, the valley is now home to 40-plus wineries and more than one-third of the state’s vineyards. This region has more than 11,000 acres of premium wine grapes. Interstate 82 provides a convenient route for visitors to tour the many wineries scattered throughout the valley’s landscape. The slopes of the valley foothills create perfect growing conditions for producing intensely flavored, balanced and complex wines such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Syrah. Long sun-drenched days of summer and the cool evenings in this desert climate yield delicious world-class wines.
Wine Facts
The most expensive bottle of wine was auctioned at Christie’s, London, in December 1985. The buyer paid £105,000 (more than $180,000, depending on the exchange rate) for a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafitte red Bordeaux, engraved with Thomas Jefferson’s initials. This story ends tragically: before it was consumed the cork dried out, slid into the bottle and ruined the wine. If only they had used screw caps!
Horse Heaven Hills Truck Stop Easy Access off I-82 - Take Exit 80 Gas • Diesel • Propane Truck and Auto Maintenance Supplies Inside Seating Lotto Beer & Wine ATM Machine Free Wi Fi Showers Well Stocked Convenience Store ~ Next To Rest Stop - Motel - Restaurants ~
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Exceptionally Clean Establishment 101 Merlot Drive Prosser • 509-786-1440
Photo courtesy of Wine and Food Fair
2013 Wine and Food Fair’s winning watercolor by Suzi Vitulli for the fair’s poster contest.
Wine and Food Fair
Come join the Prosser Wine and Food Fair for its 32nd anniversary! Nearly 2,000 wine enthusiasts will gather for an afternoon of fine wine and local food specialties on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 2-8 p.m. Two bands will entertain all day as guests sample wine from 30 Washington wineries, food from 20 local food vendors and beer from two local breweries. The Prosser Wine and Food Fair is located at Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center on Wine Country Road in Prosser. Shuttles will be available through Benton-Franklin Transit. There will be limited parking because of construction at the site. Shuttles will run from 1:30-9 p.m., with stops at the Best Western Inn at
Horse Heaven, The Barn, The Wine Valley Inn, Wine Country RV, The Depot parking lot, Benton-Franklin Transit bus stop, the parking lot across from Hogue Cellars, and the Prosser High School stadium. There is a small cost for the shuttle. Tickets are available May 1, $25 for pre-sale and $30 on the day of the event. Ticket price includes admission, logo glass, program and four scrip. Check for ticket information at www.tourprosser. com. Minors (under 21) and pets are not allowed on the grounds. Need more information? Call the Prosser Chamber of Commerce at 1-866343-5101 or 509-786-4545 or visit www. tourprosser.com.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 21
Few places are better for birding than the Yakima Valley Editor’s note: Material for this article is taken largely from the Yakima Valley Audubon Society’s website at www. yakimaaudubon.org. Yakima Area Greenway and the Yakima Area Arboretum are great places to spot birds and stretch your legs. This paved pathway straddles a nine-mile stretch of the Yakima River between Selah and Union Gap. Expect Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Common Merganser, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Bewick’s Wren, Black-capped Chickadee, and Song Sparrow at any season. Summer visitors include flycatchers, swallows, warblers, and orioles. In winter, Bald Eagles hunt for fish from their cottonwood perches, while Common Goldeneyes float the river. Sarg Hubbard Park From I-82, Exit 33: East on Terrace Heights Boulevard 0.3 mile to 18th Street. Right to the entrance. Walk either north or south from here. South takes you to a marsh and then past Buchanan Lake to Sherman Park. Sherman Park From I-82, Exit 34: East 0.2 mile, then left. Walk either north or south. The Yakima Area Arboretum interpretive center is a short distance past the Sherman Park parking lot. Hawthorn plantings are attractive to waxwings, robins, and Varied Thrushes in winter. A variety of sparrows lurk around feeders in the riparian area east of the hawthorn plantings in winter. Helen Jewett Pathway From I-82, Exit 36: East to parking. Two trails start from here: the paved Jewett Pathway and the gravel Poppoff Nature Trail. Both are good for birds. Look for Wood Ducks in the ponds.
Berries of the Russian olive trees are attractive to American Robins, Cedar Waxwings and European Starlings in winter. Sportsman State Park From I-82, Exit 34: 1.2 mile east to 33rd St. Left here 1 mile to the entrance on the left. The pond is a good bet at any season for Wood Ducks. Great Blue Herons and Belted Kingfishers fish the river and sloughs. Look for Downy Woodpecker, Blackbilled Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, and Bewick’s Wren in the trees and brush. Western Screech-Owl and Great Horned Owl are night denizens of the tall cottonwood trees. Cowiche Canyon Walk a 3-mile long path set in a rugged canyon just west of Yakima. Take Summitview Avenue west from 40th Avenue seven miles to Weikel Road. Right 0.1 mile to the parking area turnoff. Walk downstream along Cowiche Creek, flanked by lush riparian vegetation. Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Canyon Wren, Yellowbreasted Chat and Bullock’s Oriole are common here. August and September bring large numbers of Cedar Waxwings, Black-Headed Grosbeaks and robins, plucking the many berries from the streamside vegetation. Snow Mountain Ranch Cowiche Mountain is protected in this 1,700-acre preserve, great for hikers. Take Summitview Avenue west from 40th Avenue nine miles, then left on Cowiche Mill Road 2.5 miles to signed parking. Take the trail from here across the creek to fields and up Cowiche Mountain. Along Cowiche Creek’s riparian zone, look for Lewis’s Woodpecker, Yellow-Breasted Chat, and Bullock’s
Meet Artisan Wineries In A European Setting.
Photos by Denny Granstrand
Northern Harrier
Oriole. Brushy areas have Ash-throated Flycatcher and Lazuli Bunting. Higher, shrub-steppe habitats host Sage Thrasher, and Brewer’s and Vesper Sparrows. Yakima Canyon From I-82, Exit 26: go north on SR821. Great Blue Herons may be seen on the west side of I-82 south of Exit 26. View this rookery from Harrison Road off the exit. Continue north into the canyon. Suggested stops from I-82 are at 3.3 miles (raptors), then another 0.5 mile (raptors, Chukar), and then another 8.1 miles (geological exhibit). Bald Eagles are numerous in winter. In spring and summer, look for Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, and Prairie Falcon. Chukar and Canyon Wren are common near cliffs and Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Bullock’s Oriole flit in the riparian vegetation along the river. Beyond the geological exhibit nearly four miles, turn left into Umtanum Creek Recreation Area (fee), the best site in the
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Female Hairy Woodpecker
canyon. Cross the suspension bridge to hike upstream along the creek to search for all the species mentioned above in a beautiful setting.
Monkey Business A Gift Shop for the Entire Family
Store Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. • Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
613 Six th Street Prosser • 786-4874
Prosser Liquor Store W elcome to W inem akers l oft
Enjoy fine wines as you stroll from winery to winery in a courtyard setting.
Located Inside Monkey Business ★ Best Selection ★
of Liquor In The Area
Helpful, Knowledgeable Staff
613 Sixth Street • 786-1448
Located in Vintner’s ViLLage • 357 Port aVenue, Prosser Wa • exit 80 oFF i-82
Hours: Mon-Thurs • 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Fri and Sat • 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Fun Toys, Games, Puzzles Art Supplies & More
Best Selection of Cards In Town
Gif t Wrap Party Supplies Stationery Hello Kitty Models & Supplies Gif ts for Guys Cool Over The Hill Stuf f Humungus Selection of Plush Educational Toys - Books & Games
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 22
Columbia Valley AVA www.columbiavalleywine.com Established 1984
• Washington’s largest viticultural region, covering almost 11 million acres (4,451,700 hectares) which represents a full third of Washington State’s land mass. • 6,693 vineyard acres (2,709 hectares) of wine grapes are planted and approximately 100 wineries are encompassed within its borders. • Columbia Valley’s vast size allows for a number of meso- and micro-climates. • Vineyards are planted on predominately south-facing slopes, increasing solar radiation in summer and promoting air drainage in winter. • Merlot is the most widely planted varietal, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. • Riesling and Syrah are also grown in significant quantities. • Growing season of 180-200 days with annual rainfall averaging 6-8 inches (15-20 cm). • The Columbia Valley contains the American Viticultural Regions of Red Mountain, Yakima and Walla Walla Valleys, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Hills and Snipes Mountain within its borders. • The Ancient Lakes sub-appellation wineries have applied for official AVA status. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
Rattlesnake Hills AVA www.rattlesnakehills.com Established in 2006
• Located approximately four miles southeast of Yakima, the 68,500 acre (27,721 hectares) appellation has 1,500 acres (607 hectares) under vines. • With 17 wineries and 29 vineyards, it provides many Washington producers with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling. • Encompassing an expanse of hills running east to west along the northern point of the Yakima River and south of Moxee Valley, the Rattlesnake Hills AVA lies within both Columbia Valley and Yakima Valley appellations. • Beginning at an elevation of 850 feet and rising up to 3,085 feet, the viticultural area sits higher in elevation than the surrounding Yakima Valley region. • The first commercial vineyards in the region date back to 1968. • Vineyards are typically located on ridges and terraces and in areas with good air drainage to avoid late spring and early fall frost and winter kill. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
Columbia Valley/Rattlesnake Hills AVAs
How to Serve Wines
The proper etiquette of wine serving and drinking should be one of complete informality and ease. It does not require long planning and great care of execution, except, of course, in the case of great and old wines. Some general rules to follow would be: Serving temperatures: (a) Red table wines should be left standing in the dining room approximately 24 hours before the meal for allowing any sediment to settle, and then brought to room temperature. (b) White and Rose wines are served slightly chilled (around 50’F.), and one hour on the shelf of a refrigerator will bring them to the right temperature. (c) Champagnes and other sparkling wines take longer to chill and should be left in the refrigerator for a few hours. Uncorking: (a) Red wine is improved if the bottle is uncorked about one hour before the meal. Wine is a living body. It is dormant in the bottle, and, as soon as the bottle is uncorked, the wine is “awakened” and starts “breathing.” It absorbs oxygen from the air, and this oxidation activates the development of the “bouquet” and the aroma. One hour or so of “breathing” gives depth and smoothness to red wine. (b) White and Rose wines have a very delicate fragrance which would lose its freshness if it were exposed to air for too long a time. Therefore, the bottles are opened just before serving. All experts agree that one type of wine glass is perfect for all wines, including Champagne. The perfect glass is long stemmed and tulipshaped, with a bowl the size of an orange. It is clear and thin, without heavy ornamentation. As a matter of fact, any large glass or goblet is better than the small, so-called “wine glass” that is in use in many homes and restaurants. Serving wine in a water goblet is a good idea when no regular wine glass is available. Serving: Wine is poured as soon as food is brought to the table. It is the host, rather than the hostess, who serves the wine and sees to it that glasses are replenished all during the meal. The glasses are never filled. They are served only half-full.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 23
Pairing wine with dessert
Love of Junk, By Barbara Floyd
Anticipation and continual new ideas rule at the Swenson farm as owners, Doug and Brenda Swenson prepare for “Love of Junk,” Walla Walla’s Vintage Market. Their farm and 1910-era home with turquoise doors overlooks the Blue Mountains located just on the outskirts of beautiful, quaint Walla Walla,Wash. The big red barn and other amenities on the property lend themselves well to this two-day show held on June 14-15 at 221 Valley Chapel Road. Cool finds, sassy salvage, repurposed and handcrafted items will be among the wide variety of merchandise for sale from the vendors attending. Come enjoy the fresh countryside air and the wide open spaces. There will be something for all ages and tastes, for gift-giving, and home and garden decor. Collectors and dealers are welcome. A fun addition to this gathering of vendors will be a group of children selling their own art work. Vintage trailers will be on hand, selling merchandise as well as camping out to show off their special trailers. Food vendors and food trucks will be there to tempt you to satisfy your taste buds. Vendors will be accommodated indoors or on the lush maintained grassy areas. Parking is free and readily available to the farm which is easy for young and old
Photo submitted
Walla Walla’s Vintage Market
to navigate. There will be handicap parking as well close to the activities. So, save the dates and come to the farm for a fun day in Walla Walla. Each vendor will be selling their own wares so cash will be required at a lot of booths and there is a $5 entry fee for everyone over age 12.
EL CAPORAL
Vendors Wanted: If you are a vendor of vintage, please give us a call or check out our web site and join the fun. www.loveofjunk. com or call Barbara at 602-321-6511 or email barbara@countryregister. com for further information.
Many people are novices when it comes to choosing the right wine to pair with food, and the same can be said when wine carries over into the dessert hour. Dessert is an expansive term for many d i f f e r e n t c u l i n a r y creations, so finding the right wine to go with your dessert is not always easy. Here are some suggestions, courtesy of The Nibble, a specialty food magazine. * Apple pie or tartlets: Anjou wines, like Bonnezaux * Cheesecake: Champagne or rick wines, like Sauternes * Chocolate: Late harvest Zinfandel or vintage port * Coconut custard pie: A Beerenauslese Riesling * Cookies: Whatever is the best you have on hand * Fresh fruit: Moscato D’Asti * Pudding or mousse: Fortified Muscats * Tiramisu: Sweet Malvasia or Champagne
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Family Mexican Restaurant
Cocktails, Beer & Wine 786-4910 To Go Orders Welcome Open 11:00 a.m. 7 Days-A-Week 624 6th Street • Prosser
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 24
Maryhill Winery and concert series
Celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Reserve Room this May and kicking off its seventh annual Summer Concert Series, Maryhill Winery continues to solidify its reputation as a premier destination winery in the Pacific Northwest. The winery has grown to the tenth largest winery in Washington State, and one of the most visited, by building recognition for its diverse portfolio of awardwinning wine and enticing lineup of on-site activities and events. The stunning Reserve Room expanded Maryhill’s tasting space by 1,200 square feet and showcases the winery’s exceptional library wines, as well as rare small-lot and limited production varietals and blends. Built onto the western side of the winery, the addition features a private patio, breathtaking views of the Columbia Gorge, and a 100-year-old bar that complements the Brunswick bar in Maryhill’s main tasting room. The $20 entrance fee (free for wine club members) grants visitors access to taste and purchase rare wines and limited releases not available in the tasting room, including the recently released series of vineyarddesignated wines. Known as The Vineyards, the new releases of single-vineyard wines are sourced from growers such as Clifton Hills, Alder Ridge and Les Collines, located within Washington’s most respected appellations. With six of The Vineyards wines already available for tasting in the Reserve Room,
Panoramic view of the Columbia Gorge and the Gunkel Vineyard from the terrace at Maryhill Winery.
this year’s Spring Release Weekend in March marked the debut of an additional five wines from the series. This summer, Maryhill will continue to draw winery fans old and new with free live music all summer long and its seventh annual concert series. From the stage of the 4,000-seat amphitheater,
past acts, including John Legend, Train and Counting Crows, have dazzled audiences and made lasting memories for winery visitors. The official 2013 lineup will be announced this spring, and Maryhill expects another sold-out season this year, drawing countless fans from throughout Oregon, Washington and
The Quilted Country Inn is a beautiful six bedroom four bathroom Inn
overlooking the Yakima River used for small sewing groups, quilters, stampers, scrap booking and other creative projects. It has two large work rooms inside, a large deck and gazebo for relaxing outside. A private massage room in the back with a licensed massage therapist available can help make your stay comforting and relaxing. The Inn is suitable for family gatherings and small parties. Beautiful kitchen facilities available, catering services optional.
The Sewing Basket
located next door has over 9,000 bolts of high quality fabric, notions, readymade quilting kits and smaller projects in a bag. Open 10-5:30 Monday Saturday 1108 Wine Country Road, Prosser. You can also see fabric and order online. Come See Our Beautiful New Expansion
Hours M-F 3-8 Sat. 12-8 Sun. 1-5
509-781-6400 509-781-6400
1118 Meade Avenue, Prosser Alley Side behind Becky’s Coffee Horseheavenhillsbrewery.com
Growlers and Kegs to go!
email prossersewingbasket@earthlink.net Reservations 509-786-7367 www.prossersewingbasket.com
Photo submitted
the greater Pacific Northwest. Beyond the concert series, which has helped the winery strengthen its connection to regional music lovers and wine drinkers, the winery grounds are thoughtfully designed for Maryhill fans. From the tournament-quality bocce courts to the Tuscan-style terrace laced with vines, Maryhill attracts visitors to play, eat, drink and enjoy a leisurely day at the winery. “At Maryhill, we have an amazing team that produces phenomenal wines – from our award-winning winemaker, Richard Batchelor, to our seasonal interns and everyone in between. Each team member is passionate about wine and their role in its production, and it shows,” said Craig Leuthold, owner of Maryhill Winery. “It shows in the quality you’ll find in the new series, The Vineyards, the effort they put into all of our events, and in their faces when they are able to kick back with a glass at our concerts.” Producing nearly 40 awardwinning wines, Maryhill maintains its balance of affordability and quality as a family-run operation dedicated to its loyal fans. For more information on the current offerings, events or upcoming concert series, visit www.maryhillwinery.com or email info@maryhillwinery.com.
www.MartinezWine.com 509.786.2424 357 Port Ave. Prosser Located at The Winemakers Loft
Focusing on their 1981 Estate Vineyard
visit us . . . For So Many Good Reasons!
509-786-7686 The Winemaker’s Loft Vintner’s Village 357 Port Ave., Studio A Prosser, WA 99350
MARTINEZ & MARTINEZ WINERY AIRFIELD ESTATES WINERY
Weekdays 11am - 5pm, Weekends 10am - 6pm
Yellow Rose Nursery
is a small family-owned and operated company that believes the best wines come from excellent vineyards.
Landscaped Gardens
Tasting Room Hours Open Daily • 11am to 5pm
located within the mighty Horse Heaven Hills AVA and other distinct vineyards throughout Washington.
560 Merlot Drive • Prosser • (509) 786-7401 • www.airfieldwines.com
Distinctive Gift Shop
Ê
Flowering Baskets Custom Flower Pots Unique Plant Selection
Open Daily Year-Round
588 Cabernet CourtCourt • Prosser,•WA 99350 588 Cabernet Prosser 509-786-3313 509-786-3313 Wade Wolfe and Becky Yeaman started Thurston
600 Merlot Drive Prosser
www.coyotecanyonwinery.com
Wade and Becky Yeaman started Wolfe inWolfe 1987. The winery specializes in small case Thurston Wolfe 1987. TheZinfandel, winery lots featuring: PinotinGris-Viognier, specializes smallLemberger, case lots Dr. featuring: Syrah, PetiteinSirah, Wolfe’s Pinot Gris-Viognier, Syrah, Family Red, JTW’s Port Zinfandel, and Sweet Rebecca. Petite Sirah, Family Take Exit 80Lemberger, off of I-82,Dr. turnWolfe’s south on Gap Rd. andJTW’s the immediately on Merlot Drive, Red, Port andleftSweet Rebecca. the right on Port Ave. and right onto Cabernet Thurston Wolfe features a wonderful patio Court. Thruston wonderful patio to sit and enjoyWolfe lunchfeatures with aa glass of wine!
509-786-3304
Tasting Room
to sit and enjoy lunch with a glass of wine!
THE WINEMAKER’S LOFT
COME TRY OUR NEW RELEASES Tasting Room Open Daily 10-5 Serving Lunch 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday March-October
Wine o’Clock 357 Port Street • Prosser Phone: 509.786.1800 • WWW.APEXCELLARS.COM Open Daily 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
The Bunnell Family Tasting Room & Wine Bar Wining and Dining at its finest! Hours vary seasonally • (509) 786-2197 Reservations always recommended 548 Cabernet Court, Prosser Vintner’s Village
Vintner’s Village TA S T I N G R O O M O P E N DA I LY 1 1 A M - 5 P M 5 6 0 M E R LO T D R I V E • P R O S S E R , WA
Tasting Room Hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Weekend Patio Menu • May-October 508 Cabernet Court 509.788.0030 www.milbrandtvineyards.com
W W W. A I R F I E L D W I N E S . CO M
Yakima
right off the freeway
Visit our website at prosservintnersvillage.com for more information
S Wamba Rd
Tri-Cities
Vintner’s Village
Take Exit 80 Off I-82
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 26
Blue Flame Spirits: a bright beacon in wine country . . . . . . By Richard Burger
In the heart of wine country, most people, not surprisingly, think of wine, what else? But Wine Country is also the heart of grape country, as well as pear, apple, plum, peach, cherry, and grain country. That makes it the perfect place to establish a distillery. A few years ago, that’s just what Blue Flame Spirits did. Co-owner and Master Distiller Brian Morton explains why. “You’ve got to have the best ingredients,” he said. His distillery is cheek-by-jowl with acre upon acre of world-class fruits and grains, almost all of which are used in his world-class spirits. Blue Flame Spirits produces vodka, brandy, gin, bourbon and single-malt whiskey, and grappa. All of them come from raw materials grown in the Yakima Valley and he carefully selects the best of the best for himself. He contracts with local growers for grain, and for fruit when it is in season. One of Morton’s specialties is the veritable bouquet of brandies he produces: apple, pear, cherry, and, of course, grape. The flavors are subtle, but distinctive, and the type of brandy that may be available at any given time is often dependent on what fruit is coming off the trees or vines.
In the fall, when wine grapes are harvested, Morton also has a special, nearby source of raw material for his World Spirits Gold Medalwinning grappa, a spirit that isn’t found around every corner. Actually, in the case of grappa, it’s hardly found anywhere, which makes a fall visit to Blue Flame Spirits particularly appealing. The raw material for grappa is “pomace,” which is the skins, pulp, and seeds of wine grapes that remain behind in the making of red wine, after the juice has fermented. By the way, the vodka produced by Blue Flame Spirits also received a Gold Medal and was named one of the top 50 domestic vodkas. The company was invited back to the World Spirits competition this year with its grappa, whiskey, and vodka. At press time, Morton was still awaiting the competition results. Morton also produces a pepper-flavored vodka that gives a new meaning to the phrase “afterglow.” The chili pepper enclosed in every bottle gives the vodka a unique flavor, as well as a lingering warmth that adds another dimension of enjoyment. Naturally, the Yakima Valley has pepper farms that produce top-quality peppers available in quantity. But, in the larger scheme of things, what makes the products of Blue Flame Spirits special is
Your Source
Photo by Richard Burger
Brian Morton, Blue Flame Spirits co-owner and Master Distiller, looks down from his hand-hammered copper and stainless steel still at the company headquarters in Prosser. Blue Flame Spirits produces distinctive, hand-made, smallbatch spirits, which are available for sale and for tasting at 2880 Lee Rd., Suite B, in Prosser.
the small-batch, hands-on distilling process that takes place under Morton’s watchful eye and discerning taste buds. After the first rough distillation after the fermentation has been stopped, the second, final distillation is run. Morton said that the distillate
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produced in that process can be divided roughly into three parts, the head, the heart, and the tail. It’s the heart that Morton is after. As the temperature rises in the still, the first portion of the distillate is the head, which is discarded. The head gradually gives way to the heart, as the temperature continues to rise, and that is where Morton’s expertise comes into play. He decides when to begin capturing the distillate heart. Then, as the process runs its course, he decides when the end of the heart has been reached, and when it’s time to discard the remaining contents of the still. Morton estimates that about half of what’s distilled in a given batch of mash is discarded. Yes, that’s being picky, but the end result is a spirit with subtleties and nuances of flavor that can’t be had any other way. The demand for Blue Flame has already outgrown the company’s first still, and Morton has added two 3,000-liter whiskey stills and one 760-liter vodka still. Blue Flame Spirits welcomes visitors year ’round, at 2880 Lee Rd., Suite B, in Prosser. Drop by for a taste or a bottle. Be sure to check out their web site, www.blueflamespirits.com
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 27
Rendering courtesy of the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center
The Clore Center courtyard is shown in this artist rendering. Construction of the Center is on schedule and is expected to be completed in October, 2013.
The Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center
The Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center will provide a destination point for visitors, wineries, community members and neighboring areas to come and learn about Washington’s wine and food products. It will showcase the quality of Washington’s modernday viticulture, enology and culinary practices through education, experience and entertainment. Designed by ALSC Architects of Spokane, the center, a 15,000-square-foot facility, is targeted to open in October 2013.
The Clore Center is named after Dr. Walter J. Clore, who was recognized by the state as the Father of Washington Wine. Clore worked at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research Extension Center (IAREC) near Prosser and had an enthusiasm for horticulture and growing fine winegrape varietals. Once the Center is opened, it will be dedicated in his honor. The center is designed to complement the natural surroundings and the wine/agri-tourism in the area.
Indoor and outdoor venues will be offered, including; a demonstration kitchen facility, a wine-tasting area, agriculture and viticulture exhibits, classrooms, conference rooms, retail space, office space, instructional vineyards, and an interpretive walk to the Yakima River. While the main structure of the Clore Center is being built, the Vineyard Pavilion, a 2,400-square-foot satellite building, is open and available for event rentals, including reunions, weddings,
and business meetings. The Legends of Washington Wine gala and the annual Prosser Wine & Food Fair, held in August each year, were permanently relocated to the Clore grounds in 2011. The Clore Center is located on the east side of Prosser, on a 24-acre sight overlooking the Yakima River. As things continue to move along, the Clore Capital Campaign continues to work on procuring a remaining $900,000 to be targeted for exhibits and audio visual equipment.
Try Our Famous Gourmet Pizza Flat Bread Sandwiches
All flat bread sandwiches served with your choice of krinkle steak fries, garden salad or soup or change it up with a Caesar salad
Start Up Favorites
354 Chardonnay Blvd • Ste. 5 • Prosser • 786-PIZA (7492) Enjoy Our 100” Projector TV Outdoor Seating & WiFi
14 Micro Brews (Including 2 Local Prosser Breweries) and Domestics On Tap • Local Wines and Spirits HAPPY HOUR 4:00-7:00 P.M. 7 DAYS A WEEK
To Go Orders Welcome • In-Town Delivery Available
• Garlicky Cheesy Breadsticks • Mac & Cheese Bites • Oh My Goodness Green Beans • Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
Wingz
• Great Balls O’ Fire • Blue Cheese Buffalo • Naked Buffalo • General TS • House BBQ • or try Boneless Wingz
The Pub’s Pasta
• Lazoni • Chipolte Cheese Tortellini • Italian Sausage Pene • Cheese Tortellini and Wild Mushroom • Or Try A Calzone
Salads
• Garden Fresh Greens • Italian Godfather • The Master • Buffalo Blue Chicken • The Cobb • Chop Chop • Southwest Slammer • The Pub’s Asian • Caesar
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 28
Horse Heaven Hills AVA
Five Tips for Navigating a Wine List . . . . . .
By David White think Austrian Gruner Veltliner. For red, think Navigating a wine list can be daunting. Sicilian Nero d’Avola. Even wine geeks are intimidated by the 3. Look for value leather-bound tomes that so many restaurants I recently chatted with Kathy Morgan, MS hand out. When the wine list doesn’t land on — one of just 186 people worldwide to earn the table with a thud, patrons are still met with the “master sommelier” designation — and she unrecognizable regions and producers. Plus, no insisted that good deals can be found virtually matter where you dine or how much you know, everywhere. prices can be senseless. “Don’t be afraid to order cheaper wines, Fortunately, deciphering a restaurant’s list especially if the wine list was put together by a doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are five simple sommelier or a wine professional,” she explained. tips. “If thought is put into the list, all the wines should 1. Ask for help be good.” The era of the snooty sommelier is over. If there isn’t a sommelier, Morgan advises Whereas yesteryear’s sommeliers were glorified people to seek out wines from less popular sales agents who intimidated their guests by regions. At steakhouses, for example, you can pushing expensive, predictable wines, today’s often find deals on Pinot Noir from France and sommeliers are wine zealots, eager to share their the United States, as most patrons order bigger passion and palates. So if the restaurant you’re wines. And at every restaurant, wines from Spain visiting employs a wine professional, ask for typically offer a great value. advice. Most are keen to help patrons find the 4. Try some glasses perfect wine, regardless of the price. Morgan is also convinced that skipping the 2. Be brave bottle list can be a wise decision. “At restaurants If you’re at a restaurant with an impressive with serious wine programs,” she explained, wine list, seize the opportunity to be adventurous. “sommeliers see wines by the glass as an Your dinner companions will be impressed with introduction to their programs — they know your courage, and you’ll learn something new. that’s where people are going to get their first If you like Chardonnay, for example, consider impression.” Viognier. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, try Ordering by the glass also enables patrons Torrontes or Albarino. If you typically order to try a wine before committing to it — it’s not California Cabernet, consider ordering Malbec or frowned upon to ask your server for a taste of Sangiovese. And don’t be afraid of Merlot. Even something before ordering a full glass. Plus, though it’s become cool to bash the grape,Publishing Merlot ordering by the glass makes it easier to try a The Grape Vine: Valley can be as rich as Cabernet Sauvignon, and is variety of wines at one meal. Buxton 786-1711 generallyDianne more approachable. 5. Remember that you’re in charge If everyone at your table has ordered Is your wine too warm? Do you feel pressured 4-Color: 1/2 page: $1323.00 something different, opt for an unusual wine to spend more than you’d like? Is your server 9.75X6” 1/27/13 that’ll pair with virtually everything. For white, refilling your glass too quickly? If the answer to
any of these questions is “yes,” speak up! Restaurants are notorious for serving red wine too warm — reds should always be served slightly cool, at about 60-65 degrees. So if your wine tastes like it’s been sitting at room temperature, ask for an ice bucket or switch to a white wine — or beer. If the sommelier is steering you towards something too expensive, there was probably a miscommunication. So say something. If you don’t want to let your guests know how much
you’re spending, point to the price you’re thinking and ask for something similar. Finally, don’t be embarrassed to ask your server to slow down. I always insist on finishing my glass of wine before it is refilled. That way, I can track the wine’s evolution and better monitor how much I’ve consumed. While there are countless other ways to navigate a restaurant’s wine program, these five tips should be easy to remember — and help elevate your next dining experience.
Horse Heaven Hills AVA Established in 2005
• Naturally bounded on the north by the Yakima Valley appellation and on the south by the Columbia River. • Located in Southeast Washington - total area is 570,000 acres (230,679 hectares) of which about 8,400 acres (3,399 hectares) are planted to grapes, 26 percent of Washington’s total grape production. • Primary grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. • Proximity to the Columbia River creates 30 percent more wind while moderating temperature extremes, providing steep south-facing slopes for optimum vineyard locations and providing well-drained, sandy-loam soils. • Elevations range from 1,800 feet at the area’s northern boundary to 200 feet at its southern. • Outstanding sites that have been developed in this area include Canoe Ridge, Alder Ridge and Zephyr Ridge. • Growers have raised grapes in the Horse Heaven Hills region since 1972. • There are at least 25 vineyards and seven commercial wineries within the region. • Proud source of the first, second and third “100-point” wines in the State of Washington. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
The Port of Benton is developing 13 acres in Prosser Vintner’s Village located at I-82 exit 80 in Prosser, Washington. If you have a tourism related business and would like information about locating here, please contact: Diahann Howard (509) 375-3060. dhoward@portofbenton.com • www.portofbenton.com
:
PORT OF
BENTON
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 29
YVCC teaching winery trains wine pros of the future
The vigorous growth of the wine industry in the Yakima Valley and across the state and region has created a substantial demand for wine-industry professionals. The number of wineries in the state has grown from just 19 in 1981 to more than 700 in 2011. The demand for professionals to keep up with that growth is being filled, at least in part, by Yakima Valley Community College with its Vineyard and Winery Technology programs at the school’s Grandview campus. On that YVCC campus, at 110 Grandridge, you’ll find the awardwinning teaching winery, Yakima Valley Vintners, which includes a comfortable and appealing tasting room. The tasting room is open Fridays from 3:30–6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If you’re visiting the valley during barrel-tasting weekend in April, the teaching winery will be open then, as well. The wines produced there are also available, so far, at five Seattle-area restaurants, and in several West-side wine shops, as well as in Yakima and Prosser. Clearly, students in the program are learning their lessons well. To quote program information in the college’s web site, “Vineyard Technology emphasizes the sustainable grape production principles in Washington with specialization in the integrated
Photo by Richard Burger
The Yakima Valley Community College Teaching Winery in Grandview offers students the chance to gain the practical experience of producing wines as part of their course work. The facility’s tasting room offers visitors the chance to sample the latest successful vintage.
management of insects, weeds, diseases and crop production. “Winery Technology provides students with an understanding of principles and the application of technology associated with the production of wine. Students will also apply methods to evaluate
grape and wine quality.” Program degrees qualify students for careers such as assistant winemaker, cellar worker, crew supervisor, field manager, laboratory technician, tasting room manager, and vineyard technician.
The winery facility also includes a laboratory, barrel and case storage, and two incubator winery spaces. It’s an interesting stop for visitors who want to see the future of the Washington wine industry take shape before their eyes.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 30
The hype about Red wine has recently been touted as a cure-all for heart ailments and its popularity has risen as a result. But there remains differing opinions as to the health benefits of red wine. Red wine is made from fermented red and dark grapes where the skin is left on during the fermenting process. It is this skin that gives the wine its characteristic dark hue. White wine is produced in a similar fashion, although the grape skins are removed before fermentation. Experts believe that substances in the grapes ‒ especially in the skins ‒ contribute to its heart-healthy nature. However, no one is really sure exactly what it is about wine that can make it advantageous to people looking to improve heart health. Studies supporting red wine’s medical benefits suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart. Polyphenols come in flavonoids and nonflavonoids. Flavonoids are brightly colored plant pigments that occur naturally in most fresh fruits and
vegetables. Nonflavonoids are largely vitamins, minerals and other plant pigments. Resveratrol is a nonflavonoid that gets the bulk of the credit when speaking of red wine’s medical benefits. Resveratrol is purported to help prevent damage to blood vessels while reducing “bad” cholesterol and may prevent blood clots. It is important to note that much of the research on resveratrol and red wine has been conducted on mice and other animals, not people. For humans to acquire the amount of resveratrol given to lab animals to equate to the same health benefits, a person would have to consume 100 to 1,000 bottles of red wine a day. Alcohol in general may be hearthealthy because it thins the blood and improves circulation. This can be advantageous to individuals who already are facing blockages in arteries and need improved blood flow. But grapes alone may also relax blood vessels allowing blood to flow more easily. Red wine also contains vitamin C
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heart-healthy red wine
and other healthy substances, which can improve overall health. Although there are reasons to believe red wine can be a heart-healthy addition to one’s diet, doctors may be reticent to suggest it because alcohol use can present other problems, especially if it is abused. With this in mind, red or purple grape juice and whole grapes can be a viable alternative for those looking to get the benefits of resveratrol and other
antioxidants without the down side of alcohol. Grape juice provides much of the same benefits of red wine. Eating whole red or purple grapes does too, in addition to the benefit of fiber in one’s diet. For those who want to go the red wine route, remember that alcohol should be consumed in moderation. That means one drink a day for women or up to two drinks a day for men.
In the springtime, cheatgrass such as this turns a wine red color which gives the landscape of Red Mountain its name.
Red Mountain AVA Established 1995
• Established in 2001, located on the eastern edge of the Yakima Valley, near Benton City. • Not necessarily a mountain, more of a steep slope, which faces Southwest near the Yakima River. • Over 700 vineyard acres currently planted in the 4,000+ acre area More than 12 wineries are located in the Red Mountain AVA, with many additional Washington wineries sourcing grapes from Red Mountain’s premiere growers • Primary grape varieties planted include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese • The area has a desert climate with average yearly rainfall of five inches per year. During the growing season daytime temperatures average 90 °F (32 °C) with night time temperatures dropping below 50 °F (10 °C). • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 31
Sage Rat Run grows to a two-day event in 2013 The Sage Rat Run is in its fourth year for 2013, and will take place Saturday, May 18 and 19. The May 18 event includes a half-marathon, a 12K run, a 5K run, and, new this year, a one-mile run for kids. On May 19, there will be two trail fun-runs, a 50K Ultra and a 15K, starting and finishing at the Prosser Chamber of Commerce. Those who sign up for the “Rat Deux” on Saturday and Sunday will receive a special unique medal. The half-marathon begins in Sunnyside, the 12K run in Grandview, and the 5K run and the one-mile run in Prosser. The half-marathon and the 12K run follow the Lower Yakima Valley Pathway, and the 5K run travels along the Yakima River. Early registration for the event is open now. The cost is $45, and that increases to $50 on April 1. For early registration and complete information about the run, go to sageratrun.com. Proceeds go to benefit the PMH Medical Center, the Ronald McDonald House, other charities and causes. The half-marathon run is approximately 13.1 miles. The 12K run is approximately 7.4 miles. The 5K is approximately 3.1 miles. In exchange for runners’ participation, they will receive a choice of men’s or ladies’ sized Tech Shirt, and for those who complete the half-marathon, the 12K, or the 5K, a Finishing Medal and more. Finishing medals feature a different design every year. The 2013 medals will be custom metal, large, unique and will incorporate the Mount Saint Helens Eruption on May 18, 1980. The run’s founder, Gabe Akins, began the event when he was 17. He had joined the Civil Air Patrol in his quest to become a military officer, and in CAP, he was encouraged to participate in the community and become involved as a volunteer. Akins decided to create a community event to promote health and exercise through running, and the Sage Rat Run was the result. The first Sage Rat Run was held May 22, 2010, and consisted of a half-
File photo
Participants in last year’s Sage Rat Run half-marathon stream away from the starting point in Sunnyside. The 12K run in the event begins in Grandview. Both runs terminate in Prosser.
Gabe Akins
marathon with 163 participants. A lot of help came from his friends and family. From the proceeds, Sage Rat Run donated $1,000 to charity. Akins ran his first half -marathon during the Sage Rat Ghost Run for volunteers, following the public event. He then began running longer distances, including 50K and obstacle runs. The second annual Sage Rat Run was on May 14, 2011, and the event added a 12K run. That run had 101 finishers for the 12K and 207 half-marathon finishers. The run donated more than $2,800 to charities and other causes. In 2012, a 5K run was added, and a total of 427 runners participated in the three events. Sage Rat Run donated $5,042, another record year. Akins is now attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., with a National ROTC Scholarship. He is majoring in Air Traffic Management and minoring in both Aeronautical Science - Rotary Wing and Military Science. He has already received his private helicopter license. He plans to graduate in 2015 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and hopes to become a combat helicopter pilot.
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File photo
Sage Rat Run participants cross the finish line in Prosser last year. The half-marathon, 12K and 5K runs are chip-timed. There will be no chip-timing for this year’s Sunday runs.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 32
Columbia Gorge AVA
Allied Arts By Victoria Walker
In 1943, the small farm settlement of Richland, in Eastern Washington, became a government city to house the thousands of people who came to work at the Hanford Works, part of the secret Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb. Although the government provided some entertainment for the workers’ leisure time, the residents banded together early on to bring culture to this isolated place and the arts became a vital part of the community. Thelma Pearson, an art teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, organized one small group of artists during the late 1940s. They met in her school art room to paint, support each other, give workshops, and organize displays of their work. In
Columbia Gorge AVA Established in 2004
• Includes areas in southern Washington and northern Oregon, along the Columbia River. • Located in Southern Washington - Total area is 4,432 acres (1,794 hectares) with approximately 300 vineyard acres. • Primary grape varieties: Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. • Moist, marine influences from the Columbia River meet dry air from Eastern Washington, which allows constant airflow. Warm days and cool nights provide full, ripe flavor profiles and good acid levels. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
1948, they wrote a constitution, officially founding Allied Arts Association. Activities of the group over the years included seminars, art classes, field trips, workshops, and sessions of outdoor sketching. The organization loaned paintings to the library and local businesses, helped art teachers in schools, donated art books to the library, awarded scholarships to art students, contributed to the Artist-in-Schools program, and organized exhibits. Early exhibits were held at the old Richland Library and at a furniture store. The first Sidewalk Show was held at Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center in 1950. It was called the Clothesline Show because paintings were hung on clotheslines strung up in the breezeway between sections of the strip mall. The eight or so participating artists that year also displayed three-dimensional art and craft work on card tables. About eight artists participated in that first show. Since then, the Sidewalk Show has been held in several locations, including the Harry Kramer Center grounds and the park across from the Federal Building until becoming the annual event it is today in Howard Amon Park. Also in 1950, the Association affiliated with the Washington Arts Association, which brought exhibits and lectures by prominent Washington artists to Richland. Joint ventures with other arts groups in the state have included exhibitions here of both the Washington Potters' Association and Northwest Designer Craftsmen (NWDC). The NWDC continues to schedule a show here every two years. Allied Arts and Beaux Arts, a Kennewick art group, jointly sponsored a number of art shows at Columbia Center Mall until Beaux Arts took over that task. Allied Arts Members have worked with the Arts Council of the Mid-Columbia on
A colorful fiber arts display at Allied Arts in Richland.
a number of projects, and the Association offers its building for meeting space for other arts organizations. In 1975, Allied Arts Association received the Washington State Governor’s Award. This honored the organization for outstanding, sustained volunteer effort in promoting the visual arts in the community and for establishing a gallery/workshop facility that benefited members and the community alike. The award certificate and commemorative gift, a raku vessel by Seattle artist Jean Griffith, are displayed in the building. The recognition was especially significant because no grant money had been used for programs or additions to the building; commissions from gallery and Sidewalk Show sales and a committed Board of Directors and large number of other volunteers keep the building and its activities running. Allied Arts celebrated its 50th Anniversary all during the year with
Photo submitted
the Dale Chihuly BASKETS touring exhibition. Battelle contributed a grant which added a lecture by Dale Chihuly to our schedule of events surrounding that celebration. The Mayor of Richland, Larry Haler, proclaimed August of 1997 “Allied Arts Month” in honor of the anniversary, recognizing the organization’s contributions to Richland’s quality of life. The final exhibit of the anniversary year was a display of historic newspaper clippings and photographs in the Education Wing at the time of Summer Celebration. In 1998, the Richland City Council designated an area along Lee Boulevard from Howard Amon Park westward as an Arts and Entertainment District, with plans to encourage more art-related businesses and restaurants to locate there. Allied Arts Association is proud of its history and its position as one of the focal points of this city project.
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Planting your own grapevines ensures your family access to the freshest, tastiest grapes in town. However, a determined flock of hungry birds can demolish your entire arbor in minutes. Birds feed on both the grapes and the vines, not only stripping any edible fruit from the plants but also destroying the vines and preventing future crops. Protect your vines early in the growing season to ensure a bountiful, bird-free harvest. Instructions 1. Drape bird netting over your vines. Lay the netting gently over the grapes and stake down the ends with small metal stakes. Loop the hook on the top of the stake through the edge of the netting and hammer the stake into the ground at the base of the vines. 2. Tape the top and edges of your arbor with reflective tape. Birds are frightened by quick, flashy movements and will fly away when
the sun strikes the tape. 3. Tie plastic scare balloons to arbor to frighten away birds. These brightly-colored balloons mimic the open mouth of a hungry hawk, and will chase off grape-eating birds. 4. Set up motion-activated sprinklers on top of your arbors. Hook the sprinklers to hoses, and leave them on from dusk until dark to ward off birds. The unexpected splash of water is enough to deter even the hungriest birds.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 33
It’s a jousting good time . . . . . . . . .
Ye Merrie Greenwood Ranaissance Fair is full of music, theatre, dance and song. Complete with knights, privateers, jousting, fire-eating and the history of the Elizabeth era. Don’t miss this annual event.
Collectors of Western art welcomed to Toppenish in August With its scores of historical Western murals, Toppenish has a well-deserved reputation for fine quality art. But in August each year, visitors to Toppenish have the opportunity to view and purchase Western art from the most talented artists in the Northwest, during the Toppenish Western Art Show. This year is the 16th time the show has been held there, and it will take place Aug. 16, 17, and 18, when Railroad Park in downtown Toppenish becomes an outdoor art gallery. The three-day event features some of the best art in the Northwest – oils, pastels, water color, acrylic, graphite, scratch art, wood and bronze sculptures and Indian drums. Many excellent artists demonstrate their talents and sell their works under shady trees in the park. There is no charge to attend. This year’s featured art, entitled “Favorite Fishing Pond,” is by Dale Carnahan, who
has been very involved in the Toppenish mural program. Dale welcomes friends to stop by and share stories or just chat during the show. The original featured art, plus other art painted during the show, will be offered in a live auction on Saturday evening, Aug. 17, at about 5 p.m. Each year, the show awards a $1,000 scholarship to a local youth from the auction proceeds. Special Saturday events of the Western Art Show include Kids–N-Art, free onehour art classes for youth, 9 a.m.; painting demonstrations, noon to 5 p.m.; live scholarship auction, 5 p.m.; Lions Club steak feed, 6 p.m. Show hours are Friday, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The show is sponsored by Toppenish Western Art Association. For more information, call 509-469-3092 or visit www.toppenishwesternart.org.
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Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire, held in Richland’s Howard Amon Park, is 27 years old this summer. It began as a combined production of the City of Richland, the Arts Council and SunFest in 1986. It is now run exclusively by the volunteers of Ye Merrie Greenwood Players. It started with only 32 members of the Greenwood Players, about 10 professional acts and 17 vendor booths and grew to have 120 Greenwood Players, 75 vendors and enough professional acts to cover each day with more than 90 performances over eight stages. As you come through the castle gate you are greeted with knights doing battle, privateers firing their cannons and guns, and the thundering of the hooves of mounted knights jousting. There are Morris Dancers whose jumps and intricate dance moves amaze the audience, and four different troupes of belly dancers who mesmerize audiences with their swaying movements and rhythmic drums. There are three different puppeteers with their own special presentations to entertain the young and young-at-heart. Children can easily be found surrounding the stilt walker or practicing marching with the “Shade Tree Halberdiers” in their pike drills. Squeals and giggles can also be heard at the “Dueling Buckets” where contenders attempt to hit a target with a bean bag to make a bucket filled with cold water empty over their opponent’s head. The hotter it gets the more popular “Dueling Buckets” gets. There are a variety of musicians playing Celtic and Elizabethan songs, magicians who eat fire and perform amazing tricks, jugglers who can juggle knives, English Country and Renaissance dancers, two full-length Shakespeare comedies each day as well as other comic
plays, Greenwood storytellers who love to warp well-known fairy tales, even Shakespeare himself telling his tales, as well as groups presenting excerpts of Shakespeare’s works. Norse tales, Celtic tales, English songs sung by madrigals and above all, laughter, can be heard throughout the Howard Amon Park during the Greenwood Faire. Of course, there are the merchants who carry the sort of items you would find in Elizabethan England of 1585. Clothing, brass rubbings, jewelry, leather goods, boots and swords are found throughout the Faire. There is a guild of blacksmiths who will let audience members try their hand at their art, as well as demonstrating artisans who explain the way things were done in Merry Old England. Greenwood Faire is both entertaining and educational. Its vibrant presentation of Elizabethan life transcends the school humanities lessons by allowing the viewer to walk among the sights and sounds of the times. They are even able to see Her Royal Majesty, Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England, and her Court on Progress through the Faire. Her Majesty will hold court during the day and the audience is invited to attend. Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire is like no other in Washington State. In 26 years, Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire has grown in size, but the magic has remained the same. The music, theater, dance and song have maintained the feel of the Elizabethan Era since the Faire opened. Whether the audience is captivated by the dash of the privateers and knights or the lilt of Celtic music, they are taken to another time and place where history and entertainment mesh. It’s that magic that has kept the 6,000-strong audience returning.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 34
Walla Walla AVA
Walla Walla AVA Established 1984
Photo by Richard Burger
Big crowds enjoy the warm summer weather and hundreds of cool cars on display at the Cool Desert Nights show in Richland last year. This year’s event will be held June 20-22.
• 65 wineries and more than 1,200 acres (486 hectares) of vineyards. • Cabernet Sauvignon is the leading varietal while Merlot, Chardonna and Syrah are other predominant varieties. Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese are also grown. • Loess-derived soils which are essentially unconsolidated, unstratified, calcareous silt. • Growing season of 190 to 220 days, with annual rainfall averaging 12.5 inches (32 cm) per year. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
Cool cars converge on Richland for Cool Desert Nights The really great thing about the weather in the Tri-Cities is that even when the days are a bit on the warm side during the summer, it almost always cools off nicely in the evening. The Cool Desert Nights car show in Richland takes full advantage of that phenomenon. It’s a three-day classic car and street rod event open to all makes
and models of vehicles, held at the Richland Uptown Shopping Center on George Washington Way, a four-lane north/south thoroughfare through the city. Visitors can expect to see 600 to 700 cars, gleaming in the early summer sun, June 20-22, this year. And, in addition to the show and shine, there will be street dances, games and activities, a pancake
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feed, and more. The show is also known for its evening cruise for participants, in which sections of George Washington Way are blocked off, providing a special cruise circuit. Bring a lawn chair and find a spot along the route to watch the cars glide by in the cool of the evening. The show is in its 20th year for 2013, and has grown steadily over the years. At press time, the schedule of events for the show were still being finalized, but the schedule
information will be posted on the show web site, www. cooldesertnights.com, as it is available. There is no admission to the show for spectators, who can enjoy the cars and the vendor booths that will be set up. Also, of course, the businesses in the Uptown Shopping Center will be open, offering a variety of merchandise, food and cool drinks. The event is hosted by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 36
ATOMIC ALE BREWPUB Atomic Ale Brewpub & Eatery, the
Tri-Cities first brewpub, was founded by Aaron Burks in February 1997. Set in an atmosphere that reflects the rich history of the Mid-Columbia basin and the Hanford Site, patrons can relax in our non-smoking, family-friendly restaurant while enjoying one of our many fresh, full-flavored, handcrafted ales. Don’t leave without trying our award-winning potato soup. Our eclectic group of brewers have developed numerous nuclear-inspired brews, such as Half-Life Hefeweisen, Atomic Amber and Plutonium Porter. Special seasonal brews are also on tap
Microbreweries
Microbreweries for your enjoyment. We also feature a distinctive menu cooked in our wood-fired oven. The kitchen specialty is gourmet, handtossed pizza; in addition we have outstanding soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. We have the finest chocolate cake this side of Hershey, PA. Atomic Ale is located at 1015 Lee Blvd., Richland. We’re open Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have a Happy Hour, daily, from 4 to 6. Come on in for “big-city” taste with a neighborhood feel. For more information, call (509)9465465 or visit www.atomicalebrewpub. com. Follow us on Facebook.
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Richland Arts
While Touring the Wine Country of Eastern Washington, Come Visit Us! The Gallery At The Park operated by Allied Ar ts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization suppor ts the visual ar ts through workshops, shows, scholarships and ar t gallery. The sky-lit Gallery provides an exciting set ting for painting, sculpture, fiber ar t and jewelry. Most work is for sale, including that of the monthly featured ar tists. Our major fundraiser, Ar t in the Park, will take place July 26 and 27 in Richland’s Howard Amon Park, between the Gallery and the Columbia River. There is no admission charge. Ye Merrie Greenwood Faire celebrates its 27th anniversary. Cheer for your favorite Knight on horseback, take in 2 dif ferent Shakespearean plays, and shop at over 60 period vendors at Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire. For the past 26 years, Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire has transformed Howard Amon Park in Richland into an English Village in the time of Elizabeth I, complete with costumed actors, period vendors, food, pageantry and music. There are over 90 per formances on 8 stages from 10 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. on both Saturday and Sunday, June 29 & 30th. There are also interactive street acts and demonstrating ar tists in the Village of Greenwood. For information please go to our webpage, www.yemerriegreenwoodfaire.org or our facebook page.
The Gallery at the Park Allied Arts
* 65 years serving local art * Monthly featured artists * Art in the Park July 26 and 27, 2013 * Adult & Children’s Workshops * Gift Gallery * Never an admission charge Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 5:30 pm Saturday 10 am - 5 pm www.alliedartsrichland.org 89 Lee Blvd. • Richland, WA 99352 509-943-9815
Ye Merrie Greenwood Players 27th Annual
Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire Sat. & Sun., June 29 & 30, 2013 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Howard Amon Richland Park
Shakespearean Comedy Jousting Period Crafts Food ALL DAY GATE PRICE: $9 Teens & Adults $7 Children over 5 & Seniors For more information call 509-783-7727 www.yemerriegreenwoodfaire.org
HORSE ICE HARBOR HEAVEN BREWING Ice Harbor Brewing Company is dedicated to brewing beers they like and HILLS are proud to serve to their friends. Ice Harbor Brewing, now in its 15th BREWERY year of operation, is owned by Mike Hall Located in downtown Prosser,
Horse Heaven Hills Brewery brews beautifully handcrafted ales and lagers utilizing local and regional hops and malts. Additional specialty ingredients and brewing techniques from around the world are utilized for seasonal and specialty beers. The brewery and tap room offer a nice variety of eight to 10 different micros for your tasting pleasure. From our “Honey Girl” ale, “Buck Off” IPA to the “Dark Cherry Stout,” there is a beer for everyone. We offer growlers and kegs to go and we cater to special celebrations at your location or our tap room. Looking for a special gift? The taproom highlights local and regional photography including the wild horses of Horse Heaven Hills. Visit Gary and Carol at the brewery. The brewery and tap room combines great beer, good company, and the spirit of the wild horses of the Horse Heaven Hills. Live Long in Prosser
and Bill Jaquish who started out brewing at home as a hobby and then left their jobs at Hanford to go into brewing full-time. Ice Harbor bottled beverages are available in grocery stores, restaurants and taverns throughout the Tri-Cities. The Columbia Kolsch Brand Ale is their flagship ale because it is a soft-bodied golden ale that appeals to everyone. They have won numerous awards for their beers at local and regional beer tasting events. In addition to bottled beers, they also brew a number of seasonal beers available in draft. The brewery sells draft beer to go in one and two liter refillable bottles and Party Pigs. They sell kegs to go in three sizes: five-gallon, eight-gallon, and 15.5-gallon. The brewery also sells home brewery and winemaking supplies. The Ice Harbor Brewing Company is located at 206 N. Benton Ave. in downtown Kennewick. The pub is open See MICROBREWERIES on page 37
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Microbreweries/Wahluke Slope AVA
Microbreweries MICROBREWERIES from page 36
Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The brewery also has a second pub at the Marina overlooking Clover Island. For more information, contact the brewery at (509) 582-5340. Or check out our website at www.iceharbor.com for more information.
WHITSTRAN BREWING CO.
Whitstran Brewing Company produces hand-crafted ales using Yakima Valley hops and other fine ingredients. Our premium offerings include Highlander Scottish-Style Ale, Steamy Cream California Common Ale, Horse Heaven Hefe Bavar-
ian-Style Hefeweizen, 11th Hour Pale Ale, Palouse Porter, D2O Heavy Water Stout, and Over-the-Edge Dry-Hopped Pale Ale. Seasonally we serve up Friar Lawrence Belgium-Style Ale, Friar’s Decadence Chocolate Chocolate Imperial Stout and Friar’s Penance Barley Wine. Our beers can be purchased as bottled beer, as draft beer for a great fresh taste and as kegged beer in 1/6, ¼ or ½ barrel containers. Come in hungry. We have hearty appetizers and hot and cold entrees, with nightly specials. There’s a children’s menu as well. Visit our family friendly pub at 1427 Wine Country Road, on the corner of 9th Street, in Prosser. We’re open daily at 11 a.m. Call (509) 786-4WBC (4922) for reservations for 6 or more.
Wine Facts
It costs about 90 cents per bottle to age wine in a used French oak barrel, but about $2.50 to age it in a new French oak barrel. These costs can be approximately halved by substituting American oak barrels for French oak barrels. The use of oak chips cuts the cost, and usually the quality, even more.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 37
Rules about bringing wine from the U.S. to Canada
It is prohibitively expensive for an individual to bring U.S. wine into Canada. U.S. rules state that you are allowed to bring 1.14 liters of wine duty-free into Canada if you have been out of the country for at least 48 hours. If you have been gone less than 48 hours and/or you are over the limit, then they apply both federal and provincial taxes at the border. The provincial taxes vary, but in most provinces except Alberta, they are very high. In British Columbia (B.C.), they are about 100% and are applied to the purchase price. Retailers and the government liquor stores calculate the tax or markup based on the wholesale price. As a result, if you can find a wine in B.C. at all, it is cheaper to buy it there than to bring it across the border and pay a tax based on the U.S. retail price. Bringing wine from Canada to the U.S. You can bring back 1.5 liters (2 bottles) no problem.
Wahluke Slope AVA Established in 2006
• Naturally bounded by the Columbia River to the west and south, by the Saddle Mountains on the north, and on the east by the Hanford Reach National Monument. • Lies entirely within the established Columbia Valley appellation and is home to more than 20 vineyards and at least three wine production facilities. • The 81,000 acre (32,780 hectares) region features approximately 5,200 acres (approximately 2,100 hectares) of vineyards: nearly 20 percent of the total wine grape acreage in the state. • Top grape varieties: Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc. • Wahluke Slope has one of the driest, warmest climates in the state, allowing nearly complete control of vine vigor and ripening through irrigation. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
TRI-CITIES IS THE PLACE FOR . . .
HAND-CRAFTED BEER and CULINARY EXPERIENCES
At The Marina Upscale Pub Food • Award Winning Beer Extensive Washington Wine List
In Historic Downtown Kennewick
Dedicated to producing hand-crafted ales we are proud to serve
Pub Hours:
Monday-Thursday • 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday & Saturday • 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Overlooking The New Clover Island Marina
Pub Food • Burgers Sandwiches • Appetizers Home brew and home wine making supplies
350 Clover Island Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 509-586-3181
www.iceharbor.com E-Mail: iceharbor@iceharbor.com
PUB HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 206 N. Benton Street Kennewick • (509) 582-5340
www.iceharbor.com E-Mail: iceharbor@iceharbor.com
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 38
Winery Profiles ALEXANDRIA NICOLE Alexandria Nicole Cellars is a boutique winery dedicated to producing small lots of hand-crafted wine that come from our Estate Vineyard, Destiny Ridge. We have 3 unique locations where guests can join us to taste through the wines and see for themselves what an amazing job our fun loving team has done. Our estate vineyard and winery is located in the Horse Heaven Hills, at 158422 W. Sonova Rd in Paterson, WA. Here we offer Vineyard Tours and Glamping (glamorous camping) May through September. Our second location is in Prosser and located off Wine Country Road (exit 82 off I-82 | @ 2880 Lee Road, Suite D) between Hogue Cellars and Kestrel Vintners. Here we also feature Chef Magana Catering and D’Vine Cupcakes. Our third location is in Woodinville where we are located on the ground floor of the historic Hollywood School House building, just up the road from Chateau St Michelle and Columbia Wineries. Each location hosts a wide array of special events and a unique wine tasting experience. For additional information or to make reservations please contact (509)786-3497 or visit our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ancwine for news, events and special offers.
You can also visit our website at www. AlexandriaNicoleCellars.com for directions and information.
BARREL SPRINGS Join us and share the Barrel Springs Experience! Nestled in a park-like setting, our winery is a friendly place to savor our premium varietal wines, while enjoying the grounds and surrounding estate vineyard. We are producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cab Franc, Merlot, a Viognier/ Chardonnay blend and Blushing Brook Rose. Our family wants to share our love of wine with you. We acquired this beautiful acreage in 2002 with the intent of opening a boutique winery that would enable us to share our passion for fine wine with others. Our art gallery features nationally and internationally acclaimed sculptors Jim Brousseau, Bob Scriver and E.I. Wade. Topics include Western, Equine, Animals, Nature Spirits, and Wine Service. Crafts include one-of-a-kind birdhouses by Jim and Linda Brousseau and paintings by Western artists. Visit our winery and tasting room at 46601
North Gap Road. Call 509-786-3166 or visit barrelspringswinery.com. We look forward to meeting you. Our hours are Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
COLUMBIA CREST Columbia Crest is one of the most impressive wineries in the US. Fashioned after a country French chateau, the winery sits amidst 2,500 acres of estate vineyards just 20 minutes south of Prosser. Picnickers enjoy the winery’s landscaped grounds, acres of lawn, scenic pond and courtyard with tables. Inside, the elegant lobby, large gift shop and tasting room top the list of visitor amenities. The winery is best known for Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are consistently recognized for quality by leading wine publications. In 2009, Wine Spectator magazine named the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the No. 1 Wine in the World on its Top 100 list for 2009, the first time a wine from Washington state has received the ranking. The wine was selected from more than 17,000 wines tasted by editors throughout the year.
Self-guided tours and complimentary tastings are conducted daily. The winery is located just outside of Paterson, WA and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (509) 875-4227 or visit columbiacrest.com.
COWAN VINEYARDS “Quality from the ground up” is the motto of Cowan Vineyards, a family-owned and operated winery and vineyard. Traditional Bordeaux style wines are their specialty along with some luscious whites. The 65acre estate vineyard was established in 1994 and added to the family farm operation of growing apples, pears and cherries. You will find these fresh fruits in the tasting room during the season. New this year is the retail shop, CF Mercantile. Also check out their vacation house rental, Cowan Estates, located in the middle of farm country. Tasting room hours are daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with weekend only hours during the winter. 2880 Lee Rd, Suite E, Prosser. (509) 788-0200 or www. cowanvineyards.com. See WINERY PROFILES on page 39
Richland GREAT VIEWS • GREAT WINES • GREAT GETAWAY
at the Hampton Inn Richland
You are here!
Horn Rapids Golf Course offers the perfect setting for your business lunches, corporate retreats, out-of-the-office meetings, banquets, celebrations or the company golf tournament. Outdoor Banquet Facility Hotel Accommodations Special Corporate Rates Indoor Boardroom (up to 100 people) Catering Service/Restaurant Private or Group Golf Lessons 18 Hole Championship Putting Course (1 hour play time) 18 Hole Championship Golf Course (rated top 20 in Washington)
Play in the Desert . . .
Ask about our Twilight Special
• Riverview accommodations with balconies available • FREE hot breakfast with fresh waffles
• FREE Wi-Fi and exercise facility • Located near Tagaris, Bookwalter and Barnard Griffin Wineries
• 24-hour indoor pool and hot tub
$39.00 includes Cart
1-866-564-4653 (GOLF) • 1-509-375-4714 www.hornrapids.com
RICHLAND/TRI-CITIES, WA
509.943.4400 | 800.HAMPTON 486 Bradley Blvd. Richland, WA 99352 www.hamptoninnrichland.com
Winery Profiles/Snipes Mountain AVA WINERY PROFILES from page 38
NORTHSTAR WINERY
HINZERLING WINERY
KIONA VINEYARDS WINERY
Hinzerling Winery was established in 1972 when the Wallace family moved from Seattle and planted a vineyard on the Roza, north of Prosser. Son, Mike, had been doing graduate work in viticulture and enology. The entire family tended the vines while they grew to the bearing stage. During this time, Mike worked with famed grape researcher Dr. Walter Clore at the Washington State University research center near Prosser. The Wallaces began producing wines at their Prosser winery in 1976, and released their first wines in 1977. Next door to the winery is their bed and breakfast, the Vintner’s Inn. Call for hours and reservations. Picnic on the grounds. Interested persons may write or call the winery to be placed on its events mailing list. Visit the tasting room at 1520 Sheridan Ave., Prosser. For more information, call (509) 786-2163 or 1-800-727-6702. You can also contact the winery at www.hinzerling.com.
Kiona Vineyards Winery pioneered the widely acclaimed Red Mountain growing region, planting its first grapes in 1975 and making its first wines in 1980. The John Williams family cordially invites you to visit the winery overlooking the vineyards and taste our internationally recognized wines. We feature a full range of handcrafted, premium varietals wines including Chardonnay, Cabernet, Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Lemberger, Chenin Blanc and several styles of Riesling, along with limited amounts of special dessert style wines featuring Gewurtzaminer and Ice Wine. Our banquet room in our new facility is available for your special event. We also have picnic facilities available. Tasting room hours are daily noon to 5 p.m. Call (509) 588-6716. 44612 N. Sunset Rd., Benton City, WA 99320, www.kionawine.com.
KESTREL VINTNER’S Visit us at Kestrel Vintner’s. We provide unforgettable experiences for guests. From daily tasting room offerings to our scheduled tour and tasting programs; friends of Kestrel will leave satiated in wine, food, education and hospitality. Flint Nelson, Kestrel’s resident winemaker, crafts wines of superior quality and depth. With four tiers of wine every grape that is sourced from our generous and beautiful vineyard is intended for Kestrel’s Reserves. The result being, in the words of Flint Nelson, “wines crafted for anniversaries, birthdays and Mondays.” And, in the spirit of our founder John J. Walker, everyone can enjoy great wine…every day. In-House Chef Jessica Smith and culinary team have designed a gourmand experience to accompany Kestrel’s elegant, expressive wines. You may stop by any day to taste an array of hand-selected cheeses from all over the world, Salumi Salami cured meats and gourmet infused salts. On the weekend a fresh rotational menu of seasonal Panini, sandwiches, soups & salads are available. On a sunny day, picnic on the beautiful expansive lawn among Kestrel’s herb and vegetable raised beds, our romantic tucked way grotto or indoors in the tasting room or dining room gallery. Let us be your wine and food playground! We facilitate private events and cater. Our tasting room is open from 12-5 p.m. daily and is located at 2890 Lee Road, Prosser WA (take Exit 82 off Interstate 82 and follow the signs). You may contact us at 509-786-2675 or by email – prosser@kestrelwines.com. Visit us on Pagebook or online.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 39
MARTINEZ & MARTINEZ The Martinez Family has been growing grapes in the Horse Heaven Hills (HHH) American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington State since 1981 when Sergio and Kristy planted three acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines on a distinct microclimate called Phinny Hill. Martinez Vineyard is the pride and joy of the family and is known to produce some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the world. In 2005 Sergio’s son Andrew convinced him that it was time to create their own label and in 2008 that dream came true with the release of Martinez & Martinez Wineries first two vintages. The winery is family owned and solely operated by Sergio and his wife Kristy and Andrew and his wife Monica. The winery produces; multiple award winning, hand crafted limited release wines. Located in Prosser at 357 Port Ave. 99350, www.MartinezWine.com.
MARYHILL WINERY Maryhill Winery, Washington’s premier destination winery, is located along the banks of the Columbia River on scenic Highway 14. A family owned and operated winery, Maryhill produces award winning wines from many different varietals, specializing in Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Viognier and a Winemaker’s Blend. The expansive tasting room features a self-service deli and gift shop. Maryhill Winery encourages picnicking under the covered arbor, which hosts live music most weekends during the summer. Maryhill Winery Amphitheatre will begin its concert series in early June. Visit www.maryhillwinery.com for concert schedule. Families are welcome, tours are available, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 9774 Highway 14, Goldendale, WA 98620. Call toll-free (877) 627-9445.
With stunning panoramic views of the Blue Mountains, a visit to Northstar’s state-of-the-art winery is one that will be remembered. Since the first vintage (1994), Northstar has been committed to producing world-class Merlot. Under the direction and specifications of our winemakers, our grapes are sourced from only the best vineyards. We invite you to visit our tasting room and experience our award-winning Washington Merlots, including winery-only releases. Our hours are: daily, Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are located at 1736 JB George Rd., Walla Walla, WA 99362. Call us at 866-486-7828 or visit www.northstarwinery.com.
PONTIN DEL ROZA WINERY Pontin Del Roza Winery – This winery has been the dream of the Pontin family since grandfather Pontin first arrived in the Yakima Valley in the 1920s. In 1975, the family traveled to Italy to visit relatives and to see their well-established, high-trellised vineyards. The winery crushes only grapes that have been grown on the Roza, an area of south-facing slopes in the Yakima Valley where the Pontins have farmed since the 1950s. The Roza refers to 77,000 irrigated acres that stretch from an extensive canal system that diverts water from dams in the Cascade Mountains. The Pontins feel that many of the south-facing vineyard sites are proving to be excellent locations for fine-quality wine grapes. Tasting room hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The winery is three-and-a-half miles north of Prosser on Hinzerling Road. The facility will host Spring Barrel Tasting April 26, 27 and 28, 2013. Thanksgiving in Wine
Country November 29, 30 and December 1, 2013. Contact us at (509) 786-4449 or pontindelroza@mac.com or www. pontindelroza.com.
Snipes Mountain AVA
The newest AVA in wine country is the Snipes Mountain AVA. It’s a 4,145-acre area lies entirely within the Yakima Valley AVA and is entirely within the Columbia Valley AVA with 535 acres planted with 25 varieties of wine grapes. • Check with wineries for current hours and special events.
Wine Quotes “Beer is made by men, wine by God!” --- Martin Luther “Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.”--- Michael Broadbent “Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.” --- Benjamin Franklin “Men are like wine - some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.” --- Pope John XXIII
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 40
CALEND A R O F E V E N T S The Grape Vine’s 2013 Regional Annual Events Calendar
Chamber Website Addresses
Baker City, OR: www.visitbaker.com Benton City, WA: www.bentoncitychamber.org Cascade Locks, OR: www.skamania.org Clarkston, WA: www.clarkstonchamber.org The Dalles, OR: www.thedalleschamber.com Dayton, WA: www.historicdayton.com Ellensburg, WA: www.ellensburg-chamber.com Goldendale, WA: www.goldendalechamber.org Grandview, WA: www.visitgrandview.org Granger, WA: www.grangerchamber.org Hermiston, OR: www.hermiston.com Hood River, OR: www.hoodriver.org Kennewick, WA: www.tcrchamber.com Milton-Freewater, OR: www.mfchamber.org Naches, WA: www.nachesvalleychamber.com Pendleton, OR: www.pendletonchamber.com Prosser, WA: www.prosserchamber.org Richland, WA: www.tcrchamber.com Sunnyside, WA: www.sunnysidechamber.com Toppenish, WA: www.toppenish.net Walla Walla, WA: www.wwvchamber.org West Richland, WA: www.westrichlandchamber.org White Salmon Arts Council: www.whitesalmonarts.org Yakima, WA: www.yakima.org
Events Calendar April-December 2013
APRIL
April 5 (and every 1st Thurs.): Kennewick Art walk. 15 locations. Artmusic. Meet the artist 5-9 p.m. April 26-28: Spring Barrel Tasting throughout the Washington AVA’s. Check your local Chamber for events in the area you plan to visit. April 20: Festival of Wine and Flowers, Spokane, www.
FestivalofWineandFlowers.com. April 12-14: Mighty Tieton Open House. 12-4 p.m. Meet the groups involved in this development. www. visityakima.com 509-847-3034. April 13-14: Rainier Cup Sailing Regatta. Cascade Locks, OR. www. travelthegorge. April 12-28: Apple Valley Blossom Festival. Hood River, OR. Events & attractions throughout the county. www.hoodriver.org April 29-30: Spring Beer & Wine Festival. Oregon convention Center. www.spring beerfest.com April 25-27: Northwest Cherry Festival The Dalles celebrates “Cherry Mania,” 33 years of cherry blossoms! Parade, vendors, live music. www. thedalleschamber.org April 27: Benton City Spring Opener Car and Bike Show. April 29: Family Fun Ride, Grandview. A way for the entire family to enjoy Barrel Weekend. Festivities start at 8 a.m. at Best Western Prosser. www. grandviewchamber.com April 20: 11th Annual Spring Fling. Zillah. Car & bike show, wine tasting, tantalizing food. (509) 949-0164
MAY
May 3-4: Fly Fishing Fair; Ellensburg WA May 4-5: Cinco de Mayo Festival, Sunnyside and Grandview . May 4: Prosser, All-City Chamber Yard Sale, www.prosserchamber.org, (509) 786-3177. May 4: Farmer’s Market opens in Prosser. Every Saturday until October. www.prosserchamber.org. May 12: Yakima Farmers Market opens. May 10-11: UnTapped Blues and Brews Festival. Benton County Fairgrounds. www.Festivalnet.com May 18: Prosser’s Sage Rat Run to benefit McDonald House. Prosser chamber.org May 18: Pendleton Underground Tours Come to Life. www.wallawalla. org/calendar May 18-21: Selah Community Days May 18-19: Columbia Gorge Wine & Pear Festival. Wine, fruit, live music, local artisans. Hood River. www. traveloregon.com May 25: Dayton Days, Dayton, WA . (509) 382-4825. www.historicdayton. com May 25: 9th Annual Make the Dash Count Race, Prosser. Contact Geoff Moore 253-208-2800 May 25-27: Memorial Day Open House Weekend. 30 Columbia Gorge Wineries feature special release,
barrel tasting, live music, artisan treats and more.www.ColumbiaGorgeWine. com May 25-26: Pacific N.W. Mustang Club Show & Shine Car Show. Howard Amon Park — Richland www. visittri-cities.com
JUNE
June 1: Richland farmers market opens. Fridays 9 a.m.– 1 p.m. www. marketattheparkway.com June 1: Mural in a Day event. Toppenish. www.toppenish.net June 1-2: Rock the Gap and Gap to Gap Relay, Yakima Greenway, www. yakimagreenway.org June TBA: White Swan Annual All Indian Championship Rodeo June 21-23: Mount Hood Cycling Classic www.hoodriver.com June 8-9: Prosser SportsFest June 7-8-9: 158th Annual Yakama Nation Treaty Days Celebration and Tulalip powwow. www.powwowtime. com. June 13: Columbia River Volkssport Club Biennial June 14-15: Love of Junk, 221 Valley chapel Rd. Walla Walla, WA., Friday 9am – 7 pm, Saturday 9 am – 4 pm. 1-602-321-6511 or email Barbara@ countryregistor.com June 14-16: Dayton, WA, All Wheels Weekend, Classic Car Show, Friday Night Cruise, Live Stage Show, Demo Derby. 1-800-882-6299. www. allwheelsweekend.com. June 15-16: 12th annual Prosser Scottish Fest. www.prosserchamber. org. (509) 786-3177 June 20-22: Cool Desert Nights Car Show. West Richland www.visittricities.com June 20: Hogs & Dogs Motorcycle and Classic Car Show 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. Bombing Range Sports Complex. June 21-23: Fiddlin’ Under the Stars – Bluegrass Festival, Goldendale www. goldendalechamber.org June 29: Northwest Wine Auction. Maryhill Museum. 5-8 p.m. June 29-30: Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire. Howard Amon Park. www.experiencewa.com June 21-22: Gorge Blues and Brews Festival. www.skamania.org June 28-30: Sternwheeler Days. Cascade Locks. portofcascadelocks. org June 28-29: Cherry Festival at Bill’s Berry Farm. Grandview (509) 8823200. www.billsberryfarm.com
JULY
July 2-4: Haines Stampede Rodeo.
www.hainesstampede.com July 4: 23rd Annual River of Fire Festival at Columbia Park. www. visittri-cities.com July 4: 77th Annual Wild West Parade in Toppenish www.toppenish.net July 4: Old Fashioned Fourth of July, Prosser. www.prosserchamber.org July TBA: Toppenish Rodeo and Pow Wow. July 6-7: Blueberry Daze Festival. Bill Berry Farm, Grandview. www. billsberryfarm.com July 13-14: Trout Lake Festival of the Arts. www.gorgeevents.com July 19-20-21: Fort Dalles Days and Rodeo. www.historicthedalles.org July 28: Whiskey Dick Triathlon, Ellensburg www.ellensburg-chamber. com July 18-21: Mule Mania, Dayton WA July 20-21: Lavender DAZE Festival. Hood River OR. www.visitoregon.com July 20-21: Nile Valley Days at the Jim Sprick Community Park/Chinook Pass. Maggie-rmnbe626@aol.com July20-21: Prosser Fly-in. www.wingnuts.org July 20-21: Apple Valley’s Cherry Days & BBQ, Hood River. www. travelthegorge.com July 20-21: Logs to Frogs. Annual chainsaw carving competition. MiltonFreewater. (509) 938-8236. www. muddywatercountry.com July 20: 10th Annual Art Walk and Wine Gala, Prosser. www. prosserchamber.org July 27-28: Bluegrass Festival, Annual bluegrass festival at Skamania County Fairgrounds in Stevenson. Concerts, workshops, contests. (509) 4273980. July 26-27: 63rd Allied Arts “Art in the Park” Richland . Visittri-cities.com July 26-28: Tri Cities Water Follies. Hydroplane races and air show. 45th annual running of the Columbia Cup. http://www.waterfollies.com/. July 26-28: Ellensburg, Jazz in the Valley. www.ellensburgchamber. chambermaster.com
AUGUST
July 31-Aug 4: Sound RIDER! Rally in the Gorge: Sport Bike NW/Sport Touring NW. Skamania -County Fairgrounds . www.soundrider.com Aug. 7-10: Yakima Valley Junior Fair and Rodeo, Grandview . www.yvfairrodeo.org. Aug. 9: Legends of Washington Wine Gala. Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Arts Center. Kathy Corliss, 509-7867000. Aug. 10: Annual Prosser Wine and See CALENDAR OF EVENTS on page 41
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 41
CALEND A R EVENTS from page 40
Food Fair at the Walter Clore Culinary Arts Center. (509) 786-4545 or 800408-1517. Aug. 10: 5th Annual Grandview Car Show.www.visitgrandview.org(509) 882-2100. Aug. 16-17-18: Muddy Frogwater Festival, Milton-Freewater , OR . www.muddyfrogwaterfestival.com Aug.16-17: Western Art Show Toppenish. www.toppenish.net Aug. 17: A Case of the Blues and All That Jazz. www.yakimagreenway.org Aug. 20-24: Benton Franklin County Fair and Rodeo. Kennewick Aug. 17-18: Maryhill Arts Festival. www.maryhillmuseum.org. Aug 22-25: Klickitat County Fair & Rodeo, Goldendale. Aug. 23-25: Mt. Hood Huckleberry Festival and Barlow Days. Welches, OR. www.traveloregon.com Aug. 27-31: River Rafting - Flip Flop, Call Bureau of Reclamation for exact date (509) 575-5848 Aug. TBA: Annual Pow Wow, Rodeo & Stick Game Tournament. Toppenish. www.visityakima.com Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Show N’ Shine, 17th Annual Show at Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum in Stevenson. Cars/trucks cruisein and swap meet. People’s Choice awards, food vendors, music, raffles, door prizes. Free. Museum open, admission fees apply. (509) 427-8211 or 800-991-2338,www.gorgeguide. com. Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Tumbleweed Music Festival in Howard Amon Park, Richland, WA www.visittri-cities.com Aug. 31-Sept. 2: Labor Day Open House. 30+ Gorge wineries feature special release, barrel tasting, food, music and more. www. ColumbiaGorgeWine. com
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 2: Prosser States Day Celebration, Parade and Valley’s Got Talent. www.prosserchamber.org Sept 6-8: Sportsman Days. Entertainment, rides, flea market, auction and more. Naches. Sept. 6-8: Columbia County Fair, Dayton. Sept. 7: A Night Out. Prosser. www. prosserchamber.org. Reservation hotline: 788-6042 Sept.TBA: The Great Grandview Grape Stomp. (509) 882-2100. www. visitgrandview.org. Sept. 11-14: Pendleton Round-Up, Pendleton, OR. www.pendleton_ oregon.org Sept. 14-15: Benton City Daze. Sept 14-15: Sunshine Days. Sun &
Shine Car Show. Sunnyside , WA Sept. 21: Fall City Wide Garage Sale, Prosser Sept. 14-15: Tractor Run to Kittitas WA. Two-day slow-moving race through Ellensburg Canyons. Eric: (509) 833-4811. Sept. 21: Goldendale “Festival of Wheels” www.goldendalechamber. org Sept. 20-Sept. 29: Central Washington State Fair, Yakima . (509) 248-3177. Sept. 27-29: The Great Prosser Balloon Rally, Harvest Fest, Caren Mercer-Andreasen Street Painting Festival, Prosser. Sept.21: Sunfair Parade. Yakima, WA www.visityakima.com Sept. 21 & 28: Apple Pumpkin Festival, Bill’s Berry Farm, Grandview. www. billsberryfarm.com
OCTOBER
Oct. All Fridays and Saturdays, Apple Pumpkin Festival, Bill’s Berry Farm, Grandview. www.billsberryfarm.com Oct. TBA: Annual White Swan Indian Summer Festival. www.visityakima. com Oct. 5: Fresh Hop Ale Festival. Yakima. www.visityakima.com Oct. 5-6: “Car is King” weekend at Maryhill Museum. Oct. 12-13: Catch the Crush. Join winemakers and growers as you tour vineyards, pick grapes, stomp in vats and wine and dine all weekend long at 40 local wineries Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for events in the area you will be visiting. Oct. 18-20: 31st Annual Hood River Valley Harvest Festival. Hood River event site. Exit 63 off I-84. Oct 27: Columbia Gorge Marathon. www.columbiagorgemarathon.com Oct. 26-31: Haunted Depot. Toppenish Oct. 26: Pumpkin Run. Northern Pacific Railroad Museum. Toppenish October, all month: Granger Pumpkin Patch Festival, 1733 Beam Rd, Alva (509) 854-7851 and Schell Corn Maze, by Schell Farms & Produce Stand, (509) 8654511 or schellrvt@earthlink.net.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 9: 35th Annual Tri Cities Wine Festival. wwwtcwinefest.com Nov. 11: Annual Prosser Veterans Day Parade, 11 a.m., Keene-Riverview School , www.prosserchamber.org. Nov. 23-24: Christmas Kickoff “An Old Fashioned Christmas” Dayton . Nov. 29 - Dec. 1: Thanksgiving in Wine Country, wineries throughout Washington Wine Country participate. Check with your local wineries or local media for details.
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Nov. 30: Toy Train Christmas. Every weekend through December. Toppenish Railroad Museum . Nov. 29 - Dec. 1: Thanksgiving open house weekend. 30+ Gorge wineries feature special release, barrel tasting, food, music and more. www. ColumbiaGorgeWine.com
DECEMBER
Dec. 1: Family Christmas Festival, Prosser www.prosserchamber.org. Dec.: TBA Lighted Horse Parade, Toppenish Dec.: TBA Lighted Implement Parade. Sunnyside. www.sunnysidechamber.
com Dec. 7-8,14-15, 21-22: Toy Train Christmas, Northern Pacific Railway Museum,Toppenish. TBA: Lighted Boat Parade along the Columbia River. Visittri-cities.org. (509) 737-1166 TBA-Festival of Trees, Pendleton, OR, Convention Center. www.pendleton_ oregon.org Dec. 31: Tri-Cities New Years. At Columbia Basin College (formerly First Night) www.visittri-cities.com Every Saturday in December: Christmas Trees at Bill’s Berry Farm. www.billsberryfarm.com
Wine Facts
One of the greatest wine displays is in the Wine Cellar and Tasting Room of the Rio Suite in (where else?) Las Vegas, Nevada. Valued at more than $6 million, this display includes renown centerpieces such as the $2 million Chateau d´Yquem collection, with a bottle from every vintage produced between 1855 and 1990, and a bottle of 1800 Madeira once owned by President Thomas Jefferson. (I hope that someone is checking the corks.) Top-quality Napa Valley vineyard land sells for more than $100,000 per acre. If we remember that the average yield per acre is five tons, or 10,000 pounds, this means the land cost may be $10 per pound of grapes. Remember, also, that an average bottle of wine requires 2.4 pounds of grapes. Putting these numbers together, the land cost for a bottle of top-quality Napa Valley wine may be $24. Obviously, before going into the wine business, you have to be more precise, but these figures are in the ballpark.
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509.735.2242 800.424.1145 www.guesthouseintl.com/hotels/kennewick
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 42
Rail Museum volunteers bringing steam engine back to life Anyone who has stood beside a real steam engine can understand what a daunting challenge it would be to rebuild one. But that is just what is happening at the Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish. In 1994, the museum concluded a lease for Northern Pacific steam engine #1364, a 10-wheeler that had been largely disassembled and put in open storage near Tacoma. The engine was moved to Toppenish in late June, and restoration began immediately, but was hampered by a lack of indoor work space. That problem was solved by the conversion of the museum freight house to an engine house, in which #1364 could be kept during the restoration process. The engine worked the western end of the Northern Pacific line throughout its career, and was retired in 1954, after 52 years of service that included working the Yakima Valley in 1947. After being retired, the engine sat in a static display at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma until it was moved by local railroad enthusiasts for a restoration attempt that failed because of a lack of funds. It had been sitting in pieces in Mineral, Wash., when the Toppenish museum made arrangements to bring it back to the valley. Since being installed in its new home,
significant progress has been made on the engine, including a complete rebuild of the steam-generating system on the engine and the water-storage tank on the tender. Restoration work has been slowed by the necessity of fabricating many replacement parts from scratch, sometimes without the benefit of blueprints. The engine is usually brought out of the engine house once or twice a year, and displayed to the public. Work is ongoing, but no completion date has yet been set, since it will depend to a large extent on the availability of funding. You can expect to see #1364 on display during the 14th Annual Railroad Show at the museum, which will be held this year Aug. 23 and 24. The museum is at 10 S. Asotin Ave. In addition to the steam engine, visitors can see: • Railroad art • Railroad Memorabilia Show and Swap Meet • Railroad telegraphy demonstration with “hooping up orders” demonstration • Caboose rides in the depot yard • Pump car rides • NP 2152 Light Pacific steam engine • Freight train project • 1921 Northern Pacific NP 642 Mann McCann spreader • Museum Tours in the 1911 Depot
Photo courtesy of the Toppenish Chamber of Commerce
Northern Pacific steam engine #1364 is a big draw during the annual Railroad Show at the Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish. The steam engine is being restored by volunteers at the museum. The railroad show will be held this year Aug. 23 and 24, at the museum, 10 S. Asotin Ave.
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Engine House Tours Velocipede display Food and Fun for All Ages The REA Room
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Steam Tractor - the Farmer’s Locomotive The newly restored 1940 Ford REA truck should be ready for display
Your Mountain Is Waiting
.com
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 43
Photo by Dianne Buxton
Julie Davis, pictured top left, passes on the history of the petroglyphs at Horsethief Lake State Park.
She Who Watches By Dianne Buxton
Curious sightseers gathered on a beautiful, cool morning last April 10, excitedly awaiting a scenic tour into the past. The journey, led by enthusiastic historian Julie Davis, was to “She Who Watches,” native name “Tsagaglal,” an image created in stone. The remarkable icon of the past is both a petroglyph and a pictograph, though most images found in Oregon are one or the other, not both. Julie started hosting tours at Horsethief Lake in 1988 and has volunteered ever since. She lived at the park from 1987-1999 with husband, Rich, then park ranger and current Area Park Manager before moving to their home in Trout Lake. “It is certainly not a requirement of ranger’s spouses to volunteer at the parks, but the need was there and I really enjoy doing it,” said Julie. It was a bit of a family affair, as the couple’s daughter, Tina, also hosted tours during her teenage years from 1992-1998, prior to leaving for college. Julie’s “real job” is that of librarian; she works at Columbia High School in White Salmon during the school year. She also serves as an information specialist for the U.S. Forest Service at Mt. Adams Ranger Station in Trout Lake during the summer months. While not hosting tours or working at her two professional jobs, she pursues hobbies. “I enjoy snowshoeing and crosscountry skiing during the winter months. I also like hiking and rafting during the summer and traveling anytime, anywhere,” said Julie. Julie’s passion for the petroglyphs isn’t surprising, as most that learn about them are “hooked” on the intriguing history they provide. When The Dalles Dam was finished and the waters of Lake Celilo were rising, the U.S. government removed ancient Indian petroglyphs from the walls of a canyon known as “Tamani Pesh-Wa” or “Written on Rock,”
downstream from the dam. Locals called it “Petroglyph Canyon.” In 2003, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleaned and restored the petroglyphs and moved them to Horsethief Lake State Park. The site was formerly the largest burial ground of Indians in the area. It was an Indian campground for centuries, where the Wishram, Cloud and Lishkam fished with nets and spears between The Dalles and Celilo Falls. Horsethief State Park now contains Native American petroglyphs (carvings) and pictographs (paintings). Some of the oldest pictographs in the Northwest delight visitors to the park. Nearby Maryhill Museum of Art and the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center offer visitors a look at artifacts from the tribes. “She Who Watches” is an awing sight. She sits high up on a bluff, overlooking the village of Wishxam, the village where a young Native American girl named Lillian’s great grandmother used to live. The rock image is the first that Lillian ever saw or knew anything about, and only because an elder took her to see it. The elder thought it would be beneficial for Lillian to learn something about her heritage and of her grandmother’s village. The elder shared a legend with Lillian and the story that she now tells is: “There was this village on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. And this was long ago when people were not yet real people, and that is when we could talk to the animals. “And so Coyote – the Trickster – came down the river to the village and asked the people if they were living well. And they said “Yes, we are, but you need to talk to our chief, Tsagaglal. She lives up in the hill.” “So Coyote pranced up the hill and asked Tsagaglal if she was a good chief or one of those evildoers. She said, “No, my people live well. We have lots of salmon, venison, berries, roots, good
Photo by Dianne Buxton
“She Who Watches,” native name “Tsagaglal,” an image created in stone.
houses. Why do you ask?” And Coyote said, “Changes are going to happen. How will you watch over your people?” And so she didn’t know. And it was at that time that Coyote changed her into a rock to watch her people forever.” (Google “Horsethief Petroglyphs” to learn more legends and information.) “Stories are meant to bind the past and present, and to come alive each time they are told. They are magical and they are meaningful.”
The Horsethief Lake section of the Columbia Hills State Park is a National Historic Site. Guided tours of Indian rock are offered at 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, April to October. Reservations are required by calling (509)767-1159. Callers should leave a detailed message with party size, desired date of tour, name and phone number. If a ranger doesn’t return your call, call again. It is best to make reservations at least two to three weeks in advance, as they are limited to 25 people and fill up quickly.
Washington Winery of the Year
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The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 44
A few words about
Colorful cornucopia
spitting and etiquette
A few words about Spitting and Etiquette
I remember fondly my first wine buyer’s trip through France and a very special day when I perfected my wine-spitting technique. How happy, after months of trial and, sad to say, some errors (yuk) that I had finally developed a “smart” style and some real grace with my spitting. When you have several wines to get through, dumping and spitting is THE proper etiquette for any wine tasting where you are going to end up behind the wheel afterwards. So go ahead and sniff, swirl, sniff, sip, taste and dump! It is all the rage! Of course if you’re not driving…
Wine and Digestion! Wine serves as a delightful compliment and an excellent digestive, conversation aid! By Angelo Tavernero, Master Sommelier
When consumed with meals, wine provides not only a delightful compliment, but also serves as a digestive aid and wonderful conversation starter that enlivens the meals, and gives a relaxing feeling for those going through stress. Drunk in moderation (two-six ounce glasses with your meal) will provide many benefits that you may not be aware of. How does wine aid digestion? Wine facilitates digestion by breaking down the food in the stomach quickly and effectively. Recent studies by hospitals, and quite a number of doctors, found that white and red wine kills three types of bacteria present in the stomach because of spoiled food. In fact, wine is more successful at wiping out the bacteria than many over the counter name brands.
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107 Division Grandview Fax 509-882-2833 Editor@thegrandviewherald.com Ads@recordbulletin.com
File photo
Roadside fruit and produce stands such as this one in the Yakima Valley, near Grandview, welcome visitors and shoppers with a wealth of fresh goodies, particularly in the fall of the year. But any time of the year is a great time to visit the valley.
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Wine Doggies website launched . . .
The Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau has launched a new website for visitors traveling with their dogs. Winedoggies.com features the many dog friendly attractions and services available in the Yakima Valley. Highlights include a ‘doggie bloggie’ hosted by a local canine, an interactive map of dog-friendly businesses with open pet policies, plus a section where guests can add pictures and stories of their dogs enjoying Washington wine country. “We created this site to accommodate the growing number of visitors traveling with their dogs,” said John Cooper, president and CEO of the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau.
“Although the site is called Wine Doggies, it’s much more than stories about winery dogs. The site is designed to assist travelers and their dogs with their visit to wine country, giving them a tour guide for pet-friendly shops and must-see stops in the Yakima Valley.” As pet ownership grows, so does the trend of traveling with man’s best friend. Large cities such as Seattle and San Francisco have more dogs per capita than children, and more than 49 percent of U.S. adult leisure travelers consider their pet to be part of the family. In a survey taken of more than 6,000 pet owners, most reported traveling at least once a year with their pets.
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 45
Washington Winery of the Year
Spring Release March 23-24, 2013
new releases live music on-site food vendor bocce courts open • Over 1500 Awards since 2001 • Nearly 40 wines available • 3000 Sq Ft Tasting Room & Gift Shop • New Reserve Room by special entry • World class summer concerts • FREE live music every summer weekend
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Holiday Open House & Wine Sale Nov 23 - Dec.1 (Closed Nov. 28) Open 10am - 6pm Daily 877-MARYHILL maryhillwinery.com 9774 Hwy 14 Goldendale, WA
Up To 50% Off Wine Hundreds of Gift Items New Wine Releases
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 46
Field of gleams
File photo
The Grandview Fairgrounds welcomes scores of gleaming chrome and glistening paint each year during Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo week in mid-August. The event attracts cars and car lovers from around the Yakima Valley and even from more-distant communities.
Wakeboarding: a popular sport in Tri-cities
Photo by Amy Seymer Wakeboarder Jeff Buxton bustin’ moves in the Columbia River on a beautiful, sunny day with family and friends. This waterway is ideal for fishing, boating, jet skiing and all water sports.
The Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers offer enthusiasts of the sport that boasts tricky maneuvers such as a 360, the method grab, toe-side moves, and bunny hop, the chance to enjoy the fastest-growing water sport ever. In the past years, more than four million people across the globe participated in this awe-inspiring sport called wakeboarding. Enthusiasts consider it the sister sport to surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and waterskiing. Spectators are awed as they watch a person being pulled behind a boat, standing on a compressed board that looks like a cross between a surfboard and a skateboard and holding onto a tow rope, performing acrobatic
maneuvers on water and in the air. The Tri-Cities area is no exception to the astounding popularity of this sport, as wakeboarders frequent the waterways of all three rivers, sometimes even during frigid weather. The Tri-City Water Ski Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting water activities in the area, promotes wakeboarding, among other water sports. Enthusiasts often travel to tournaments, clinics, and pro events throughout the region, state, and world. The World Wakeboarding Association is an organization run by wakeboarders and offering a barrage of wakeboarding events throughout the world.
Ancient Lakes AVA
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 47
Good sense, Good wine touring Use planning on your wine tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . How many wineries are reasonable to schedule in a day of wine touring? With all the new wineries springing up, and the summer tasting season about to arrive, it is important to ensure that ambitious plans don’t overwhelm good sense. Many factors play into this. If you’re serious about visiting more than three or four wineries in a day, consider hiring a limo with several friends. It will save you money in the long run and allow you to concentrate on a day of fun. Sunset Coach Tours, located in Prosser, provides guided-tour and wine-tasting transportation services for wine enthusiasts throughout the Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, and Horse Heaven Hills wine-producing regions. This fabulous service is available for a modest price of only $75 per person for a five- to six-hour tour. For more information, go to www.sunsetcoachtours.com or call (800) 941-2941. You can pay out that amount several times a year, and it won’t match the six-month insurance premium you’d face with a DUI. Not to mention the fine, court costs and missed work time for other requirements a court may impose. Those who choose to drive must limit themselves to visiting three or four wineries a day. The legal limit in Washington State is 0.08 percent, one drink is equivalent to four-ounces of 12 percent alcohol wine.
Ancient Lakes AVA
• Washington’s newest AVA, November 2012 • Carved out of the Columbia Valley AVA • 162,762 acres in Grant, Douglas and Kittitas counties • Key vineyards include Evergreen, Cave Band White Heron, Jones of Washington, Two Guns and Lozier • Known for whites, but reds are coming on • Landscape and soil created by Missoula Floods
Wine Quotes “Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.” --Alexander Fleming (18811955), the Scottish bacteriologist credited with discovering Penicillin in 1928.
Here’s some advice on how to minimize the effects of alcohol: First, don’t polish off the wine you’re poured. Dump it after you’ve sipped enough to make tasting notes and have decided whether to add it to your must-buy list. Second, don’t try to taste every wine at every winery. Everyone in the party can taste different wines; then if one of you finds something special, the others can also taste it.
Third, drink plenty of water during your tour. It mitigates the effect alcohol will have. After visiting a winery or two, take time out for a snack or a picnic lunch. Cold cuts, cheese, fruit, veggies and bread will refresh your palate and give you time to burn off alcohol. Most important of all, never drive when you can feel the alcohol is affecting you. There is no simple formula for estimating how much you can drink without becoming
legally drunk. Women tend to be more affected than men, even if both have the same body weight. And a 6-foot 2-inch guy who weighs 200 pounds clearly has a different capacity than a petite woman of 5-foot-2 who weighs 110 pounds. Wine tour enthusiasts must never lose sight of the fact their hobby is serious business if they have to drive. Plan ahead and be safe so that you can enjoy another tour.
THANK YOU To All Our Valued ADVERTISERS Without Your Support There Would Be No Grape Vine! Sincerely, Publisher and Staff
The Grape Vine 2013 • Page 48
Welcome
A JOURNEY WORTHWHILE Experience Prosser Wine Country
Cowan Vineyards Hand Crafted from the Ground Up!
509.788.0200
www.cowanvineyards.com 2880 Lee Rd., Ste. E • Prosser
Tasting Room: Daily 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Weekends During Winter
HINZERLING WINERY 1520 Sheridan Avenue Prosser 509-786-2163 1-800-727-6702
www.hinzerling.com
VINTNERS
TastingRoom Room Open Tasting OpenDaily Daily Noon10am-5pm to 5:00 p.m. Friday Night Bites and Flights
Tour & Tasting • Imported Cheeses 5pm-7pm Imported • Bistro Plates Bistro PlatesCheeses • Gift Items • Shaded Patio Gift Items • Shaded Patio 2890 Lee Road • Prosser 2890 Lee Rd. Prosser • 509-786-2675 509.786.2675 wwww.kestrelwines.com w w.kestrelwines.com
Winery & Tasting room open daily 10:00 am to 4:30 pm 26 miles south of Prosser on Hwy 221 1-888-309-WINE
• Red Wine & Chocolate - February 15 and 16, 2014 • Spring Barrel Tasting - April 26, 27 and 28, 2013 • Catch The Crush - October 12 and 13, 2013 • Thanksgiving In Wine Country - November 29 and 30, 2013
Visit Prosser ... Where the Modern Wine Industry Began