Page 26 - washington state wine

ies’ by Wine & Spirits Magazine, in 2010
Saviah Cellars was called “One of the
Rising Stars in Washington,” by Wine
Spectator and in 2013 The Jack brand
was named one of the Top Value Brands
of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
If you’re downtown and you love rock
and roll as much as good unpretentious
wine then a visit to the Charles Smith
tasting room can’t be missed. Smith, the
aging counter-culture hipster converted
old auto-repair warehouse into a live-
ly tasting room where visitors sample
award-winning wines and listen to great
rock and roll – and that can be a very in-
spiring combination.

Our favorite wine experience on the
entire trip was the wine blending ex-
perience at Northstar Winery (www.
northstarwinery.com). After a brief
presentation on the state’s wine-grow-
ing regions, we were guided through a
tasting of four distinct Merlots from
four different regions of Washington,
along with a Cabernet Sauvignon and a
Petit Verdot, all right from the barrel in
the room. Then like mad scientists (or
inspired winemakers) we used beakers,
graduated cylinders and other wine-
making equipment, to compose our own
one-of-a-kind bottle of Northstar, com-
plete with a custom label.

For our first visit, we skipped down-
town in favor of accommodations that
reflected this wine area. Girasol Bed and
Breakfast Inn delivered a great experi-
ence in a setting smack in the middle of
vineyards. We’re generally not big fans
of B&BS, mostly because we don’t fancy
thin walls and country-quilt décor. The
wine-loving innkeepers opted for spa-
cious, modern and extremely comfort-
able rooms and beautiful landscaping.
Breakfasts and evening wine times were
fun and friendly too.
Clockwise from top left: Walla Walla farm land
stretching to the mountains; Ron and Mary
continue their education at the Northstar
Blending Experience; The Northstar Winery
and tasting room; The Charles White tasting
room in Downtown Walla Walla. Rich Funk,
owner/winemaker at Saviah Cellars vineyard.
The blending table is set as Lindsey Dean gets
ready to lead the Northstar Blending Experi-
ence.

26 Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015