A Few New Ways to Celebrate the Season

A Few New - and Different - Ways to Celebrate the Season

The holiday season is upon us once again and this year, we're all looking for activities, wines, foods, and gifts that are new, fun, and easy on the wallet. Here's the answer: Gather your loved ones and escape for a weekend to Washington Wine Country. Far from the big city bustle, the wine towns of Yakima, Zillah, Prosser, Tri-Cities, and Walla Walla are all dressed up for the season, making this charming winter wonderland the perfect place to get good eats, great gifts, and even better wines. Best of all, you can take advantage of special offers and discounts at wineries and pick up a case or two of your favorite wines to take home for all of those cozy evenings around a roaring fireplace, casual family gatherings, and fancy cocktail parties with friends.

And since you're doing things a little differently, why not spice up your family traditions and impress your guests with some new varietals to pair with your favorite holiday foods? Across the state, wineries have moved beyond Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot to craft new and different wines – putting their own distinctly Washington stamp on traditional French, Italian, and Spanish varietals. Following are just a few of our favorite wineries to visit where you can pick up some of these unique wines for the season. Raise a glass to a fun and different, easy and joyous holiday. Cheers!

Kana Winery in Yakima
Here's a perfect start to your weekend in wine country. Stroll through the festive streets of downtown Yakima and visit the charming shops, galleries, and cafes, then end at Kana Winery's Tasting Room in time for happy hour (Monday through Friday from 5-6:30pm). While you're there, you'll want to buy a bottle or two of the 2006 Tempranillo. It's a Spanish varietal that's only recently been grown in Washington, but this one's a classic - with toasted almonds, vanilla bean, and leather on the nose, juicy red fruits in the mouth, and a savory finish - an old-world red that will marry well with rich cheeses and spicy cuisine. Why not pair it with take-out while you're wrapping presents?

Wineglass Cellars in Zillah
David and Linda Lowe of Wineglass Cellars can tell you which wines to pair with your holiday dishes, including their 2006 Sangiovese (Silver Medal – Washington State Wine Competition 2008). This lighter bodied red wine with aromas and flavors of strawberry preserve and raspberry with bright fruity acidity is a delicious match for a big pot of spaghetti and zesty red sauce - perfect after a day of ice skating! Also try the 2007 Zinfandel, which will fill your mouth with black pepper, wild strawberries, and oak. The finish yields a jammy spiciness that lingers - just what you would expect from a great Zin.

Desert Wind Winery in Prosser
If you can get a reservation, stay in one of Desert Wind's glorious rooms and make it your home base for exploring wine country (While you're at it, you might as well book a massage as well.) If not, at least stop by and taste the 2007 Sangiovese. Their inaugaural vintage is lighter bodied than most wines they produce, yet spicy and lush on the palate. Contrast that with the 2007 Barbera, which has an intensity of fruit and a spicy vivacity to the wine, making it a great accompaniment to rich holiday fare. 

Tagaris Winery in Tri-Cities
Time your trip so you land at Tagaris for either lunch, happy hour, or dinner in the rustic and charming Taverna Tagaris. The pairings of wine with their seasonal, local, unpretentious yet irresistable dishes such as Rock Shrimp and Chorizo Flatbread, Goat Cheese Tortelli, and Braised Lamb Shank will inspire you to try new culinary creations at home. Branch out with some of their intriguing new releases - very special, very festive, very Christmas Eve: Mourvedre, with a nose dominated by cinnamon, cocoa nib, and black tea and a palate bursting with plum, black cherry and cassis; Counoise, with red current, rose petal, and white pepper on the nose and plum, pluot, black cherry and maple dominating the palate; and Grenache, bright raspberry and blueberry fruit undertones with hints of dark chocolate and spice, vibrant cherry fruit bursts up front, mellowing to a deep, rich black fruit flavor and a long, complex and pleasing finish. Also try their Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, and Malbec - all different, all delicious.

Seven Hills Winery in Walla Walla
It's worth a trip to Walla Walla just to visit Seven Hills Winery. Winemaker Casey McClellan has developed fruit sources where he harvests from the same rows, the same vines, each year. He knows the vines and he knows how to make great wines from them. The 2006 Tempranillo exhibits a medium-bodied, ripe, accessible style, showing cherry fruit with exotic hints of smoke, savory herb and rose petal notes. Vanillin and subtle spice add complexity. The 2006 Malbec was hand-selected from Windrow, Minnick and McClellan Estate Vineyards. This medium-bodied wine has a deep, purple-black color, assertive scent of passion fruit and blueberry with floral and spice notes. It will enjoy at least three to four years in the cellar, making it the perfect gift for the collector on your list - without breaking the bank.

Ever Tried Ice Wine? It's a dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen while still on the vine - providing a refreshing sweetness balanced by bright acidity that makes a lovely end a special wintry meal. Give these special Washington ice wines a try and you'll know what we mean. Kestrel Vintners 2008 Semillon Ice Wine In 2008, the hard freeze between Christmas and New Years was a golden opportunity for Kestrel Vintners to produce Ice Wine. While people across the Northwest hunkered down, they closed the winery and picked frozen grapes for two days with a high of 9°F to make this sweet nectar. Upland Estates 2007 Vintage Muscat Ice Wine Upland Winery cultivated its first plantings in 1917 on Snipes Mountain, which was named Washington's 10th AVA this year. Taste this lovely dessert wine made from vines planted that very first year. Gilbert Cellars 2008 Grenache Ice Wine The fruit for this ice wine was picked by hand in the middle of freezing December. The result is a super-concentrated and lavish palate that boasts flavors of peach, orange marmalade and golden raisins backed by notes of caramel and molasses. A great wine for a romantic New Year's Eve dessert. Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards 2006 Ice Wine This is 100% Estate Grown Gewürztraminer from Columbia Valley. Rich fragrances of spice, baked apples and lemon rind carry though the palate and are counter-balanced with a lingering scent of tropical flowers and exotic destinations - a little wintertime aromatherapy.

Facts & Tidbits

Did you know?