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July /
August 2005
This e-zine has been designed to inform readers of news, facts, events and updates from Washington's wine country. We welcome your ideas, comments, questions and submissions. Please e-mail them to us at
info@winecountrywashington.org. Thank you for reading!
In This Issue:
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A note from the Editor
As I departed to Eastern Washington mid-June leaving the still dreary days of
the city, I quickly saw why Washington's wine country beckons. It was typical
desert climate with sunny days
and cool nights. I stayed in a cute little B&B in the middle of a cherry
orchard. I had a few very nice meals along with some great Washington wines. And
of course, we had our big event on the weekend. Even amidst all of the business,
I felt at peace there. I didn't want to leave.
It's finally summer time in
Seattle, time to enjoy the outdoors for many. The masses flock to the lakes and
the local beaches. The streets of downtown are packed. In spite of the sunshine
on the west side I would be remiss if I did not hasten all wine lovers that
now's the time to head over the Cascades. Take in the valleys where the grapes
are grown and not just the wineries. How about a venture into the vineyards?
Have you ever found that beautiful little chapel atop the hill in Red Willow or gazed
out from Chateau Champoux along Horse Heaven Hills? What about the beautiful
grounds of Columbia Crest in Paterson?
Get on out there and dance . . .
dance I said. You won't be sorry.
Salut! 
Jackie Walsh
Communications Director
Washington Wine Country
jwalsh@winecountrywashington.org
Wine Country Celebration - Grand Gala
 It was an amazing two days of wine country living at it's fullest as Washington
Wine Country held our annual fundraiser.
Friday, June 24
The weekend began on Friday with the Wine Country Golf Classic where
participants enjoyed a day at Columbia Point Golf Course in Richland.
Moving on to Red Mountain, nearly 200 attendees flocked to Hedges Family Estate
for WAVE, Washington's Arriving Vintners Event. Following a fun-filled evening of
wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres prepared by Seattle Chefs, many guests moved on
to various Vintners Appellation Dinners.
 The Hedges entertained their 30
guests with a team of Renaissance actors dressed in period costume who performed
a dueling exhibition. Chef Christine Keff of the Flying Fish wowed wine lovers with
delicious seafood fair like ahi tuna with pineapple and plantains accompanied with beautiful Hedges wines.
Moving
on to Fidelitas and Canon del Sol, a full house of 50 were treated to a plethora
of vintages from both wineries as well as fresh wine country cuisine prepared
by Chef Brad Masset of Yakima's Birchfield Manor. Both Charlie Hoppes and Victor
Cruz were on hand to demonstrate the full bodied flavors of wines straight from
the barrel.
Bruce Ross of Seattle's
Columbia Tower Club presented an amazing culinary feast to Kestrel Vintner's
guests including fresh Massachusetts Bay scallops and an out of this world beef
tenderloin. Kestrel winemaker Flint Nelson led guests through the wines of the
evening including a special tasting of their yet to be released late harvest
Cabernet Sauvignon. What a treat!
At Alexandria Nicole in Prosser, guest
Chef Mauro Golmarvi of Assaggio Ristorante played the usual grand host. Guests
were dazzled with his robust Italian cuisine with homemade pasta and veal
dishes paired with the lovely wines of Alexandria Nicole Cellars from Destiny
Ridge Vineyards.
Saturday, June
25
 Picnics
in the Vineyards were held in Richland at the Tulip Lane wineries of Barnard
Griffin, Bookwalter and Tagaris.
Victoria Clipper brought over a motorcoach of 20 from Seattle to enjoy a
beautiful picnic on Tulip Lane. Representatives from all three wineries shared
their wines and guests were led through a vineyard tour and giving plenty of
leisure time to explore the wineries.
Wine lovers heading to Walla Walla
first enjoyed an afternoon tour, tasting and picnic at Northstar Winery. That evening 50 guests enjoyed a
private dinner at Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla with Chef Clark Covey of
the Homestead Restaurant as part of their Concert on the Lawn with Al Stewart. Winemaker Holly Turner was on hand to lead guests
through each delectable course. The winery sold special etched commemorative
magnums for the Wine Country Celebration benefiting Washington Wine Country and each one was signed by
long-time crooner
Stewart.
Sheridan Vineyards hosted the final Vintners Appellation Dinner
held at their new "barn" in Zilla. Guests enjoyed an intimate wine dinner
prepared by Seattle Chef Jason Wilson of Crush.
Grand Gala
 And for the grand finale of this spectacular weekend in wine
country, the Grand Gala held at the DeAtley Estate in Yakima was a smashing
success!
200 guests strolled the lawns while enjoying the sunshine, a
snazzy jazz combo and a select wine tasting of some of Washington's favorites.
Following the silent auction, guests moved to the veranda overlooking the
vast hills of the Yakima Valley. They found their seats amongst the silvery linens,
blown glass centerpieces and most importantly, their friends.
Chef Bobby
Moore of Woodinville's Barking Frog Restaurant at Willow's Lodge gave Gala goers
brief commentary on their evening's meal and they were off to the first course.
Midway through the meal, after the seafood trio, Poet's Leap Riesling and the
grilled foie gras atop a cherry shortcake, D an Lewis welcomed guests and the
festivities began. John Colgan, the auction reader brought life to the auction
items while Dick and Sharon Friel performed their magic from the live auction
stage.
To cap off the evening, jazz vocalist Marilyn Scott, hailing from
Los Angeles, sang across a lit pool while auction goers took to their feet for a
dance or two.
The grand total? Both auctions as well as a Raise The
Paddle to fund city development totaled a little over $200K. It was truly a
success and a
fairy tale night to remember!
To view more pictures from the Grand Gala
as well as the other events from the Wine Country Celebration, visit
www.teamphotogenic.com and click
on "Events."
Facts & Tidbits
Washington Wine's
Standings
 Did you know . . .
The term terroir refers to the total impact of any given site, like
soil, slope, orientation to the sun and elevation, plus ever nuance of
climate including rainfall, wind velocity, frequency of fog, cumulative
hours of sunshine, average high temperature, average low temperature and so
forth.
People often use soil and terroir interchangeably but as you can see, the soil is only one aspect of terroir.
Furthermore, there is no single word in English that means quite the same as
terroir. Generally viticulturists believe that soil indirectly bestows
flavor only insofar as it is one of the voices in the chorus of terroir.
From The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil.
Living Wine Country Along The Wine Road
 Thurston Wolfe Groundbreaking Ceremony
Dr. Wade Wolfe and Becky Yeaman are building a 7,400 square foot building on
1.38 acres of land at the Port of Benton’s North Prosser Business Park. The new
building will house a modern production facility, barrel and case goods storage,
and expansive tasting room.
This expansion will allow Thurston Wolfe Winery to increase production of their
specialized varietals. Thurston Wolfe, in business since 1987, is a family
winery specializing in small lots of exceptional wines from the best vineyards
in Washington State. Their focus on producing high quality wines has won
numerous awards, including a double gold at the San Francisco International Wine
competition, and Best of Show at the Central Washington State Fair for a 2003
Syrah.
Thurston Wolfe has been a tenant of the Port of Benton’s Prosser Wine & Food
Park since 1996. This new facility will fulfill the intent of the Prosser Wine
and Food Park – helping establish businesses in the retail food and wine sector.
This step by Thurston Wolfe is the next logical progression in their growth.
Interviews with Thurston Wolfe personnel, port officials and elected
representatives took place following a groundbreaking ceremony which was held at 11:00 AM on Monday, July 11,
2005.
Get a Taste of The Destination
Cave B Inn at Sagecliffe and Tendrils Restaurant
Washington's new and only destination winery resort, Cave B Inn at
Sagecliffe, sits upon the cliffs of the Columbia Gorge overlooking gorgeous
landscapes and natural, rugged beauty.
Brought about by the vision of owners Vince and Carol Bryan, Sagecliffe is meant
to provide visitors with an experience that celebrates nature and the human
experience.
Many are initially brought to the 550 acre site by way of the Cave B winery but
as their slogan says, "Come for the wine, stay for the view."
Guest accommodations include 15 private cliffhouses built out of the same Basalt
rock in which they rest, 3 guest suites lie within the lodge itself. All have
exquisite panoramic views of sky, water, canyon or vineyards.
The lodges in-house restaurant and bar, Tendrils is led by Executive Chef
Fernando Divina who believes in the importance of the natural origins of food
and the draws from regional cuisine. The Divina's cookbook Food of the Americas:
Native Recipes and Traditions (co-authored with his wife Marlene) has recently
been presented with the James Beard award for best book in the category of food
of the Americas. Tendrils serves "innovative, regional fare harvested from
Sagecliffe's on-site organic gardens and artfully paired with Washington wines."
Head over to Washington wine country's first destination winery resort for a
truly, relaxing experience consisting of beautiful wines, a truly incredible
inn, an amazing restaurant and breathtaking views of the Columbia Gorge.
For more information on Cave B Inn at Sagecliffe, visit www.cavebinn.com
or call 888-785-CAVE.
Washington
Wine Country Collection
Washington Wine Country Launches New
Program: City Revitalization Fund
 In
order to continue our mission to promote wine-related tourism and economic
development in Eastern Washington, Washington Wine Country has developed a
program designed to attract tourists and investors and enrich our state's wine
country. We have developed a City Revitalization Fund that will go towards
cities within the appellations of Columbia, Walla Walla and Yakima Valleys and
Red Mountain.
The fund will assist in preserving the history and promoting the lifestyle and
romance found within these valleys. Through an application process that is
currently being outlined, one town will be sele cted for a downtown
revitalization to include painting of historical buildings, the addition of
sidewalk canopies, street lamps and barrel planters, as well as Washington Wine
Country vintage banners.
The selection process, to begin this fall, will be based on location,
demonstrated need and ability to implement and support improvements. In addition
to the main recipient city, other cities may be selected for partial
improvements.
The organizations’ primary fundraiser, the annual Wine Country Celebration and
Grand Gala, was held on June 25, 2005. We held a “Raise the Paddle” benefit
during the Grand Gala auction to allow auction goers an opportunity to
contribute in this beautification campaign. The benefit raised $36K towards the
fund.
Those interested in donating or applying can contact Jackie Walsh at (206)
285-0514 or e-mail
jwalsh@winecountrywashington.org.
Mark
Your Calendar
Please submit your upcoming special events or regional events to
events@winecountrywashington.org
and we will post them in our next issue.
July / August
7/23 Three Rivers Winery 'Music on the Lawn' Summer Concert Series with
Blues Attitude - Blues Attitude will entertain in the second concert
series of the summer at 7:00pm. This concert costs $20 per person and the
Homestead will have dinners available for purchase at 5:30pm.
www.threeriverswinery.com
7/30 Glenn Yarbrough at Tsillan Cellars - Don't miss Glenn Yarbrough at
Tsillan Cellars on July 30. Purchase tickets online at
www.tsillancellars.com
8/7 Apex Bistro Club - Join Chef Big
John in the kitchen to explore French Cuisine, Bistro Style. Course prices
are $35.00 each. Price includes demonstration of course preparation and wine
tasting. Class participants receive a 20% discount on wine purchases.
www.apexcellars.com
7/10, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, Salmon Dinner Sunday with
Silver Lake Winery - Salmon dinner on the deck of Silver Lake Winery. Paired
with Silver Lakes award winning wines. Bring your friends and family and enjoy
the sweeping views, spectacular weather, and live music. Hours: 12:00 – 4:00 pm.
www.silverlakewinery.com
8/11 - 8/13 Auction of Washington Wines
Weekend - Weekend events include a silent auction and PICNIC, Gala Auction
and Winemaker Dinners. The 18th Annual GALA Auction is on Friday. Prices of
other events this weekend vary. For more information visit
www.auctionofwashingtonwines.org, or contact Carol Munro
cmunro@washingtonwine.org or
(206) 667-9463 x 204.
8/20 Sunset At The Chateau - 2nd Annual Sunset At The Chateau-Couples
Night. Italian is on the menu this year along with some exquisite wines made
from Champoux Vineyard grapes. More info to come.
www.chateauchampoux.com
8/26-8/27 Chick Corea Trio at Tsillan Cellars - Don't miss Chick
Corea Trio at Tsillan Cellars on both August 26 and August 27. Purchase tickets
online at www.tsillancellars.com
View a complete wine country calendar at www.winecountrywashington.org/eventCalendar.aspx.
Formed in 2003, Washington Wine Country is a non-profit association of Eastern Washington businesses promoting wine-related tourism, economic development and recognition of the world-class wine-growing region comprising the Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley and Red Mountain appellations. www.winecountrywashington.org
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