Ditch the stress for a getaway to historic downtown Walla Walla and relax amongst comfy lodgings, boutique wineries and tasty eateries

Photo by Greg Lehman

WALLA WALLA’S ALLURE is its cultural heartbeat; there’s always something new going on.  A weekend getaway to this pedestrian-friendly downtown district promises an easy and relaxing way to explore the area’s smaller, intimate wineries, a few tucked away just steps off the beaten path.  Accentuated by all things wine, this neighborhood is alive with fantastic eateries, boutique shopping, entertainment, even a world class farmer’s market.

At the hub of the historic center sits the grand Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center.  The hotel makes a perfect base camp for a wine tour and in 2011 celebrated the tenth anniversary of its immaculate restoration.  For the occasion, the hotel is all gussied up with beautifully remodeled rooms and a stunning new wall-sized commissioned oil painting by Jeffrey Hill, known locally as the ‘Vineyard Van Gogh’.

With over 30 wineries and tasting rooms in the downtown alone, deciding where to start your tour can be overwhelming.  So tag along as we explore some of the smaller wine producers—as well as the newest hotspots like Charles Smith Wines—most with offerings only available in their tasting rooms.

DAY ONE
12 Noon: Arrival Lunch 
Olive Marketplace & Café is the newest brainchild of Tom Maccarone (founder of T. Maccarones restaurant, also in town) and has the feel of a less fussy Dean and Deluca.

With counter service and ample seating, it’s perfect for designer food without the wait.  Try a hearty sandwich on freshly baked bread, a prosciutto and grape pizza, or the apricot chicken salad.

1PM: Otis Kenyon Wine 
Steps away is Otis Kenyon Wine, shrouded in stories about Robert Otis Kenyon who went missing for almost 50 years after burning a fellow dentist’s office down in the area.  In recent years, his grandson Steve, wife Debra, and their daughter Muriel returned to the area to grow grapes in Robert Otis’ former home of Milton-Freewater, on a vineyard with exceptional terroir.

This summer, they will release their first ever Sangiovese, after a string of awards for their Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and red blend.  Though the Matchless Red, a blend “with a Tuesday night bottle price”, and complimentary matchbooks may seem a bit cheeky, these are serious wines.

2PM: Rotie Cellars 
Walk a couple doors down and up a flight of stairs to Rôtie Cellars perched above the popular Walla Walla Wine Works at the coveted intersection of First and Main.  This small but acclaimed winery is dedicated to making old world French-style Rhone blends using some of the best grapes from Washington.

Winemaker Sean Boyd may have a laid back demeanor, but his wine ethos is intensely focused. “I like Grenache that tastes like Grenache. Grenache by nature is light in color, lean, bright, and spicy. I’m not going to co-ferment it to extract color and mess up its beauty.”

3PM: The Marcus Whitman
Check in, drop your new wine purchases off and freshen up at the Marcus Whitman Hotel, whose guest list once included famous personalities like Louis Armstrong and Shirley Temple.  Owner Kyle Mussman bought the hotel in 1999 and restored the property back to its 1928 grandeur while adding all the modern amenities.

With all the period chandeliers, marble, and other pomp and circumstance, the hotel is refreshingly small-town friendly and quite affordable.  There’s no doorman, no bellhop, and no room service; all by design according to Mussman, who remains at the helm along with his wife, Brenda.

“We’d rather provide value for our guests in other ways,” says Mussman.  “There’s no charge for Wi-Fi, or parking, in-room coffee or breakfast.  What we provide is exceptional guest experiences for every guest,” says Mussman.  “To us, that’s not a mission statement, that’s part of our culture.”

4PM: TERO Estates & Flying Trout
Take the elevator to the ground floor lobby for more wine tasting.  That’s right, three local wineries have opened tasting rooms inside the hotel.  They are Don Carlo Vineyard, Locati Cellars, and lastly, Tero Estates and Flying Trout Wines.  The latter is actually one winery but has two different winemakers making two distinct styles of wine.

Tero Estates winemaker Doug Roskelley and his wife Jan are a dynamic duo.  Along with partner Mike Tembreull, they are responsible for reviving Windrow Vineyard, one of the oldest commercially planted vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA.  Be sure to sample their esteemed Cabernet Sauvignon this summer, including the 2007 Estate Cabernet.

Ashley Trout is the winemaker for Flying Trout and divides her time between Walla Walla and Argentina, where she makes her Torrontes, which is a refreshing white grape varietal laced with soft flower aromas and light tropical fruits.  Trout has developed a cult following for her Malbec.

5PM: Dinner at The Marc 
Cross the lobby for dinner at The Marc restaurant.  The new executive chef, Antonio Campolio (formerly with The Broadmoor 5-star resort in Colorado Springs), has his signature on every dish coming out of the kitchen.  He’s a food purist with great reverence for his product.  “Find the best, give it a little love, salt, pepper, treat it right and let it go.”

Chef Campolio has revamped the entire menu into a culinary wonder using extraordinarily fresh ingredients.  An example of this are his lobsters, flown in from the supplier to the James Beard Foundation and numerous “celebrity” chefs.

If you can put together a party of six, book the Chef’s Table and be treated to one of the best food and wine pairings you’ll ever have.

DAY TWO
10AM: Hearty Breakfast
The complimentary breakfast at The Marcus Whitman is like none other we’ve seen: eggs benedict, housemade granola bars, house yogurt with seasonal toppings, and turkey bacon are some of the choices.

Afterwards, walk a couple blocks south to the Farmer’s Market for organic fruits, vegetables, and baked goods from local producers.  Even with the grape invasion, Walla Walla continues to be famous for its sweet onions (freshly harvested through August) and asparagus (mid to late June).

11AM: DaMa Wines
Meet Mary Derby and Dawn Kammer of DaMa Wines.  Spanish for lady and combination of their first names, DaMa is a collision of Mary and Dawn’s discerning palates.  Mary served as the secret weapon behind Spring Valley’s high scoring wines; Dawn grew up near the Napa Valley and became part of College Cellars’ winemaking team.

Together, they transformed an otherwise forgettable and awkwardly configured space into a wine destination.  The modern tasting room is bestowed with crystal chandeliers, and doubles as an eclectic boutique with select jewelry, logo-wear and DaMa lip glosses.

Their rotating window display always tells a story, and there’s usually a saddle or cowboy hat somewhere—in homage to their mega-popular Cowgirl Cab and the area’s rich rodeo history.

12 Noon: Picnic Lunch
Round out your selections from the market with gourmet meats and cheeses from Salumiere Cesario, a gourmet grocery across the street from the hotel.  Take your picnic to Walla Walla Wine Works and enjoy it with a glass or bottle of wine on their patio.

1PM: El CorazOn Winery
Further uptown is El Corazon Winery, which means “the heart” in Spanish.  Winemaker Spencer Sievers is truly hip with heart.  The winery has the feel of a funky bar in Austin.

El Corazon’s business is mostly word of mouth, and Sievers’ wines fly right out the front door.  Most of his wines are single varietal, single vineyard, but look this summer for the second vintage of his red blend Fenix.

2PM: Charles Smith Wines
A block away is the new Charles Smith Wines tasting room.  It’s hard to miss the billboards and ads: Charles Smith in sunglasses, his mass of hair cascading, named Food & Wine’s 2009 Winemaker of the Year.

The Tom Kundig designed space is like Dwell magazine on steroids.  The tasting bar and lounge area are on wood ‘rafts’ with casters, that can be reconfigured to create a stage for bands, and wood panels that close to create a movie screen.

The creator of K Vintners and The Magnificent Wine Company, Smith has dubbed his latest venture, The Modernist Project, as “a response to how people generally consume wine today, that is immediately…as in immediately after being purchased.”  His goal is to make wines you can drink now, but that retain complexity and varietal character.

You can also purchase library wines of both the Charles Smith and K Vintners brands, only available in the tasting room.

3PM: Walla Faces and Art
Stroll up East Main Street into Walla Faces tasting room and art gallery (with inn suites upstairs) for a taste of their silky, elegant wines.  The whimsical face paintings that grace the wine labels and interior are the work of artist Candice Johnson.

6PM: Dinner and Live Music
Though French in approach, dinner at Brasserie Four is not a formal affair.  Try the Penn Cove mussels served in a broth of white wine, Pernod and fresh herbs; or the steak frites.

If dining al fresco, you might hear jazz and blues music flowing out of Sapolil Cellars across the street, which hosts live acts on weekends.

8PM: Vineyard Lounge
Finish your day at the Vineyard Lounge at The Marcus Whitman.  It’s more than the bar at the hotel, it’s a gathering place.  Lounge manager and sommelier Dan McAffrey is the affable host, available to offer suggestions on his ever-growing wine list.

On any given night, you’ll find an eclectic mix of chefs, winemakers, farmers, and long-time residents bellying up to the bar next to visitors.  There might even be the occasional wine lover whose wanderlust has them dreaming of a life in Walla Walla wine country.  Stranger things have happened.

VISIT WALLA WALLA
From Seattle: 4.5 hours
From Portland: 4.5 hours
From Spokane: 3 hours

BOOK A STAY
The Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center
Six West Rose St, Walla Walla
Ph: 509-525-2200
www.marcuswhitmanhotel.com

DOWNTOWN INFO
For a complete list of downtown Walla Walla wineries and restaurants, visit online at
www.wallawalla.org

Go wine touring in a hot air balloon over vineyards in eastern Washington 

Photo by Dawne Rushkarski

IMAGINE WATCHING the sun rise while aloft over wine country in a hot air balloon, gliding over vineyards and a lush patchwork of farms, dipping for a moment in the Yakima River before climbing high again for breathtaking views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier to the west, the Horse Heaven Hills appellation to the south, and the Yakima Valley below.  Wine Country Balloon Tour, based in Prosser, Washington, offers daily chartered balloon flights in the Yakima Valley from springtime through the autumn season.  The company hopes to eventually add regular Walla Walla flights but for now accepts bookings upon request.

Balloon tours can be a fun and unique way to kickoff a wine tasting trip or celebrate a special occasion—even get married aloft!  Every balloon ride concludes with a 200-year-old traditional toast.  Wine Country Balloon Tour has a flawless safety record and all of their pilots are FAA licensed professionals.  To book a flight, visit www.winecountryballoontour.com.

Downtown Yakima is an ideal base camp for winery hopping in the Yakima Valley

PHOTO:  Pete and Linda Ziemke of Puyallup, WA enjoying several days of wine tasting and touring in the beautiful Yakima Valley.

Click here to preview the article as published in Tasting Room Magazine.

IN THE HEART of the largest wine grape producing region in Washington State, Yakima is surrounded by 70 wineries and four viticulture regions with over 15,000 acres planted in vineyards.  Wine appellations Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, Snipes Mountain and Yakima Valley skirt the Yakima River in a 65-mile swath between Yakima and Benton City.

Family is everything in the Yakima Valley where orchardists lay claim to three and four generations and many restaurants are operated by husband/wife or father/son combinations.

Plot your Yakima weekend with a winery stop at the north end of the valley, and then cruise the delightful downtown wineries and shops.  Next day hit a few central and south valley wineries before heading home.

SATURDAY 10AM: LET THE TASTING BEGIN

At the northern tip of the valley, Tasting Room Yakima’s 1900’s farmhouse sets the stage for a down-to-earth wine weekend.  With a flower festooned wrap-around porch overlooking the Yakima Valley and Cowiche Canyon Nature Preserve, the co-op tasting room offers over 20 wines from Harlequin Wine Cellars, Naches Heights Vineyard and Wilridge Winery.

“It’s the soil,” says owner Paul Beveridge.  “Plus over 300 days of sunshine.  Up here (elevation 1,731 feet) the wind drops the temperature at night.  The grapes can rest, allowing more acidity. Our wine is more European in style.”

Down the hill and around a couple of sharp bends, Barrett Orchards is a wine fortification stop.  OK, I made that up, but if you’re preparing for a serious day of wine tasting, you’ll need nutritional reinforcements.  Fourth generation orchardists Mark and Cheryl Barrett manage thriving orchards and a general store stuffed to overflowing with gifts, kitchen items and healthy snacks.  Build a wine-to-go snack pack with fruit of the season, Cougar Gold Cheese, smoked salmon and chocolate.

SATURDAY 12:30PM: HEARTY LUNCH

Head into town and enjoy a bountiful lunch at Gasperetti’s Restaurant.  Italian family recipes rein supreme at Gasperetti’s, a Yakima tradition for over 40 years where owner and patriarch John Gasperetti is likely to stop by your table to check your satisfaction level.  Start your meal with Aunt Rose’s tasty antipasto or lightly-breaded onion rings.

SATURDAY 1:30PM: TASTING & SHOPS

Time to hit downtown tasting rooms, sip and buy your favorite wine, and start your corkage-free experience.

Palmer Wright, owner of Kana Winery, is a winemaker, otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat), facial plastic surgeon and retired Dead Head.  He laughs at the latter but admits he borrowed the names of Dark Star and Katie Mae from the infamous band.

Beer and wine take equal billing at Tim’s Downtown Tasting Room offering five brews from Yakima Craft Brewery and wines from Upland Estates, Naked Winery and Tim’s own label.

If you’re in need of retail therapy that does not involve grapes, visit Garden Girl, a French country inspired boutique where GG the kitty welcomes even dog-lovers, and goods include everything from harmonicas to gardening gear.  Down the street, explore Garden Dance, an eclectic boutique that’s all about fashion frivolity.

SATURDAY 4PM: CHECK IN

Make your way to the Hilton Garden Inn where recently renovated rooms and a staff on super-service steroids erase all feelings of a chain operation.  Don’t miss Stems adjacent to the lobby, where you can banter with owner Brad Baldwin while you browse a broad array of wine and gift items.

Also adjacent to the Hilton, Ummelina Day Spa offers dozens of exotic treatments in a heart-calming salon reminiscent of an elegant Balinese estate.  Hopefully you have called ahead and booked your session since Ummelina is busy (but peaceful) on weekends.

6:30PM: WALKING DISTRICT

Wining, dining and entertainment venues are all within a four-block radius, so leave your car at the Hilton.  Enjoy a bottle of your newly purchased wine at Santiago’s, Yakima’s foremost Mexican restaurant, where Chef Jar Arcand has perfected the art of fish tacos.  No soggy hunks of mystery seafood here, you’ll enjoy a plate big enough to share of lightly floured Alaskan Cod, spicy ranch dip and all the trimmings.

Or sample a bit of history with your dinner at The Barrel House, located in a 1906 building that was once a saloon and, um, hotel.  (The oversized safe located behind the bar used to store patrons’ guns and money while they visited the ladies upstairs.)  Chef/owner Tim Schroeder runs the kitchen while his wife Robin keeps the restaurant humming with an extensive wine list and inventive menu choices including scrumptious desserts built around seasonal fruit.

After dinner, walk to Gilbert Cellars and see what happens when a young and slightly restless third generation orchardist is seduced by the wine industry.  Twenty-nine-year-old Sean Gilbert’s family has grown apples, peaches and nectarines on their property since the 1890’s and eight years ago converted 80 acres to grapes.  “Strong root, great fruit,” a Gilbert family saying, has produced award-winning wines from Chardonnay to Malbec.  Sample tapas and wine in the sleek tasting room, then head downstairs to enjoy local musicians.

One last nightcap.  Stroll to funky, down-home Yakima Sports Center where margaritas and martinis are squeezed from fresh fruit and locals dance to live music.

SUNDAY 9:30AM: TOURING THE VALLEY

Before you leave lovely downtown, fortify yourself for a big day of touring and tasting with breakfast at Essencia Artisan Bakery where a full platter of eggs, meats and more is under $8.

A bevy of wineries await you.  Such abundance can make it hard to decide which wineries to visit, so we’ll offer suggestions.

Bonair Winery, a chateau-like affair with a duck pond and grassy picnic grounds, celebrated its 25^th birthday this year with a sense of humor.  How else can you explain a wine called Bung Dog Red named after the family mascot?

An authentic 1900’s mercantile is home to Piety Flats Winery and general store.  Stroll across the creaky wood floor, belly up to the old-style bar and sample from an extensive wine list.

Commanding a magnificent view of the Yakima Valley, Windy Point Vineyards looks and feels like a Frank Lloyd Wright creation if Frank was mellowed by fine wine.  Warm wood interior and sink-into leather furniture compliment an array of award winning wines, and the gorgeous grounds invite you to purchase a bottle of your favorite and linger a while in a teak lounge chair.  The breeze blowing up from the valley has a message for you: Come back soon.

Click here to view a full panorama of the Toppenish mural painting featured in the Fall 2010 issue.

Wandering the boardwalk-lined main streets of Toppenish you can practically hear the crackle of gunfire, the beating of horses hoofs, the rhythmic pounding of Yakama Indian drums during a pow wow.  Accurate accounts of Toppenish as an early frontier settlement in the mid-1800′s are vividly captured in over 70 murals painted on store fronts all over town.  Toppenish is ten minutes from Zillah wineries in the Yakima Valley and makes a great cultural activity when you need a pause from wine tasting.  These action-packed murals will turn a lunch break and stroll through town into a slide show from the wild and woolly west.  While this era has long since vanished, its history and memories live on in Toppenish.

Wine travel adventure to Spokane’s downtown arts district exploring tasting rooms, hip hangouts and cool eateries

Photo above: Rebecca Gunselman draws a barrel sample at Robert Karl Cellars

Click here to preview the article as it appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Tasting Room magazine.

Washington’s second largest city has morphed into wine central with eight downtown tasting rooms, a European style wine bar and an impressively stocked wine shop. A half dozen more wineries fall within a ten-mile radius of the city limits.

Spokane’s historic downtown Davenport District—anchored by the Davenport Hotel—has come into its own as a trendy, vibrant pedestrian-friendly hub bustling with live theater, music, art exhibits, and performances.  Along with superb wine tasting, you can now eat your way from China to Italy and back to the Northwest, sip exotic drinks at Bistango, down craft beer at Steamplant Square, and shop at a plethora of galleries and specialty stores.

DAY ONE: 4pm Check In

Across from the Davenport Hotel and within easy walking distance of downtown wineries is the boutique European style Hotel Lusso where a burbling fountain ushers you into the right mood for a relaxing weekend. The elegant Lusso has old-world charm with softly furnished rooms, high ceilings and spacious bathrooms of marble and stone.

4:30pm Wine Tasting & Art Walk

Most downtown wineries are weekend-only operations, but if you arrive on the first Friday of the month when wineries are open late, you can maximize your time and join the locals for wine tasting and art gallery hopping.

About a dozen years ago, attorneys Greg Lipsker and Michael White, took up winemaking as a hobby, concocting home brews that were, to their surprise and to their taste-testing friends’ delight, quite good. Today they operate Barrister Winery beneath the train viaduct on Railroad Avenue in a faithfully restored 100-year-old brick building. An occasional passing train adds to the atmosphere as you sample Barrister’s signature Cabernet Franc. And you must try the Rough Justice red blend, they had me at the name.

Next stop is Whitestone Winery, one block west on Cedar Street.  Whitestone’s roots run deep.  In fact, they are the only winery in Spokane that grows their own grapes. Years ago while Walter and Judy Haig enjoyed a glass of wine and the view from the deck of their Lake Roosevelt summer home 60 miles west of Spokane, they learned that the area had been a prolific wine grape producing region before the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. One can only imagine how that discovery and a few glasses of wine led them to establish an estate vineyard followed by a downtown tasting room.

Son Michael Haig is winemaker and his school chum Heath Kays handles marketing and usually staffs the tasting room.  Pieces of Red is the winery’s signature blend and Lake Roosevelt Red is a perfect accompaniment to grill fare.

From their renovated fire station facility on Pacific Avenue, Robert Karl Cellars produces wines that consistently garner national awards.  Convinced that Washington’s Columbia Valley grew the best wine grapes in the world and that Spokane would be a great place to raise their three boys, Joe and Rebecca Gunselman moved to Eastern Washington in the late 90’s to start a family winery.  The name Robert Karl is a salute to family members.

Rebecca handles the tasting room and business side and Joe wears the winemaker hat while juggling a full-time career as an anesthesiologist.  Grapes come from the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area, known for excellent fruit, and sweat equity comes from the entire family and a cadre of friends.

Steve Trabun jokes that Barili Cellars on West Second Avenue is “a hobby gone wild.”  He was a kitchen wine crafter who met fellow hobbyist Russ Feist by delivering a load of grapes to him.  They decided to take their pastime to the next level in 2006.  Last year marked their first releases, including high octane Double Barrel Red, big, bold and 15% alcohol. Steve’s wife, Dana recently completed Washington State University’s Enology Certificate Program, another example of the friends and family ties that run strong through many of Spokane’s wineries.  (Note: Barili Cellars is closed until Mother’s Day weekend in May.)

7pm Comfort Dinner

Behind the scenes at Wild Sage American Bistro on West Second Avenue, petite Alexa Wilson is a sauce mistress with a 10-burner stove and a penchant for layering flavors.  Wild Sage crafts all of its pasta, bread and the best popovers in the state, and this is a good place for sophisticated comfort food like Rosemary Gnocchi with Oxtail Ragu as well as international fare with a Northwest influence.

9pm European Nightcap

One more stop and you can call it a night. As a lumber industry executive, Aaron Kelly traveled the world with his wife Katrina and fell in love with Venice’s Caffé Florian, inspiring them to open the European styled LeftBank a year ago. The bar is packed with an international array of wine and is the perfect spot to top off your evening with a glass of champagne and dessert.

DAY TWO 10am Sleep In

Start leisurely with the Lusso’s continental breakfast that includes the owner’s special recipe coffee cake.

11am Head to the Mall

Arbor Crest Wine Cellar’s downtown tasting room in Riverpark Square shopping mall is two blocks from your hotel.  Angie Tann worked at the historic Arbor Crest Wine Cellar eleven miles from town for a decade and handles the downtown tasting room with aplomb.  She’ll give you her own specialized tasting lesson and lead you through the winery’s offerings that range from blended and single vineyard Chardonnays to acclaimed Dionysus Red.

12pm Hearty Pub Grub

Make a pit stop before more wine tasting at Post Street Ale House, next door to Hotel Lusso.  Along with typical pub fare, you can try their famous fried pickles.

1pm Three More Wineries

Big buzz in the downtown wine scene: Don Townshend of Townshend Winery purchased Caterina Winery last year, creating a sublime marriage of tradition, history and fine wine making. Caterina has been wooing customers with Italian style blends at the former Broadview Dairy building since 1993, and sitting at a patio bistro table beneath old style street lamps is like a quick flight to Tuscany. This spring you can sip wine created especially for Caterina by Don Townshend, who’s garnered numerous awards for the wine he produces at his Green Bluff winery.

Dave Westfall, part owner and tasting room manager at Grande Ronde Cellars, says he grew up drinking French wine. When pressed for details, he admits that he was an alter boy in the Boston Diocese and worked as a wine wholesaler for most of his adult life. That storied background created a philosophy that wine should be sold when it’s ready, not when the cash register calls. Grande Ronde also sponsors painting and cooking classes while showcasing local art at the Second Avenue tasting room. Be sure to sample 2005 Bridge Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine produced in the saignee method where some juice is drained before fermentation. Grande Ronde also sells Mountain Dome sparkling wine, crafted in the foothills of Mt. Spokane.

Long before a little blue tweet bird became ubiquitous in our society, Lone Canary Winery had Clooney, an artistic rendering of Washington’s state bird the American Goldfinch. That gentle little fellow is a lot like Mike Scott’s philosophy of creating restrained, European style wines that, as he says, reign in the fruit rather than letting the grapes overpower the taste. Lone Canary’s signature Sauvignon Blanc is such a wine, perfected from Mike’s 20-plus years in the industry. The tasting room is tucked in an industrial area on the east edge of the downtown.

4pm Vino, Cheese & Chocolate

Be sure to drop by Vino! A Wine Shop on Washington Avenue where you’ll find a wonderland of 1,000 Northwest and international brands that have been carefully taste-tested by owner John Allen and his staff.  On a Friday or Saturday night, this specialty wine retailer packs in a crowd to taste the store’s newest offerings, and the winemaker is often there to talk you through the samplings.

Cheese lovers will think they’ve died and gone to heaven at Saunders Cheese Market next door.  Owner Kim Morin stocks the shop with as many as 150 artisan cheeses from around the globe.

There is no doubt you have found heaven on earth at Chocolate Apothecary.  Hundreds of years ago, chocolate was prescribed to cure all manner of ills and owner Susan Davis followed her comfort food indulgence by opening a 1600s, European style chocolate “pharmacy” in the historic Flour Mill, less than a mile from Caterina Winery.

7pm Dinner

Scratch on West First Avenue has a big city vibe, but much of the food is local, sourced from the fields and farms surrounding Spokane. Chef Jason Rex changes the menu every couple of months and their signature dish is the Seafood Trio with crab cake, scallops, prawns and lobster risotto.

Download a map of Spokane area wineries or get Spokane Visitor Info.

Lush gardens, art walks and a resort spa make Willows Lodge an ideal base camp for superb wine and food

“WHERE CAN WE put our bikes?” I ask as Sandy and I check into the Willows Lodge.

Operating under the accepted theory that vigorous exercise burns excess calories, we are launching a girlfriend getaway that includes both.  We have driven to Woodinville, home to 60-plus fabulous wineries, where we’ll indulge in local wines and gourmet food with nary a guilt complex because of the cycling and kayaking that will balance whatever treats come our way.

Operating on the equally well-accepted theory that “we’re worth it,” we’ll indulge in spa treatments and stay at the Willows Lodge, an
84-room boutique hotel that repeatedly receives top accolades for service, style and wine selections.

“We have racks outside, or you can put them on your deck,” the front desk receptionist tells us.

This luxe lodge will let us wheel our bikes through the elegant stone and timbered lobby, down high-quality carpets and into our plush rooms?

“Sure, no problem.”

A Wet-Nose Welcome

Following that super-service surprise, a wet nose pressed against my calf.  Ruthie, the Willow’s 9-year-old Basset/Rottweiler mascot, welcomed us canine-style, then moseyed back to her palatial doggy bed next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Within minutes, a woman leading a standard poodle descended the stairs and headed out for a walk along the Sammamish River bordering the hotel’s lushly landscaped five acres.  Not only is the Willows pet-friendly, they offer the WVIP (Willows Very Important Pet) program that includes a welcome note from Ruthie, a doggie bed and evening turndown with a rawhide bone.  Room service, too, if Rover gets hungry in the middle of the night.

Woodinville Wine-cation

Dozens of wineries and tasting rooms are scattered within the city limits and most visitors come to Woodinville for wine-cations.  This oasis of viticulture heaven is just 30 minutes from Seattle and 15 minutes from Redmond (home to Microsoft and Nintendo).  You’ll see few vineyards, however, because almost all of Woodinville’s wineries grow their grapes in Eastern Washington’s Columbia Valley.

Across the street from the Willows, the granddaddy of Washington wineries, 75-year-old Chateau Ste. Michelle, draws thousands to sip its award-winning wines and attend summer concerts ranging from Diana Krall to Tears for Fears. The Columbia Winery, known for innovation, quality and near ubiquity in Northwest grocery stores, is next door to the Willows, making this an ideal tasting-walking hub.

Miles of Nature Trails

Exercise before wine, however.  What’s commonly known as the Burke-Gilman Trail (accessible right behind the hotel) is actually a string of non-motorized, paved paths that stretch 42 miles from Issaquah to Fremont.  On summer weekends, the trails are packed with cyclists, joggers, dog walkers and families, and on this glorious sunny Sunday, we opt to kayak the Sammamish River and postpone cycling till the next day.

Sandy’s friends have offered to supply boats and know-how, and we rendezvous at Woodinville’s Wilmot Gateway Park.  New to the sport, Sandy has beginner jitters, but her friend Tim—a kayak instructor—settles her nerves with paddling instructions and safety tips.

The Sammamish is more of a gentle canal than river, cutting a swath of green through suburbia from Redmond to Lake Washington.  Sometimes we hear distant traffic hum and cyclists on the trail above us, but for the most part we paddle in silence.  Small flotillas of ducks scoot along the shoreline, then suddenly a Great Blue Heron swoops out of the reeds, flies over us like a pterodactyl and squawks as if to say, “See, Mother Nature still has a toe hold here.”

Next morning, armed with a map from the front desk, we jump on our bicycles and head out for a long trail ride.  Once we leave Woodinville, the park-like route takes on an urban/suburban feel as we cycle through Bothell, passing million dollar homes along Lake Washington.

Uncommon Surprises

A 35-mile cycling day deserves at least an hour at the spa.  I knew the Willows was an uncommon urban escape when Ruthie nuzzled my leg on check in, and as soon as I leave the main building and enter the North Courtyard, I know more surprises
are in store.

The gravel path skirts an alpine pool rimmed with pink Astilbes and blood red Japanese maples.  Hulking green-colored bronze heads reminiscent of Native American totem figures guard the peaceful pocket garden.

Eagle Song, the Willows head gardener, tells me the grounds are completely sustainable and have earned the lodge a top ranking as a 5-Star Environmental Landscape.  “I move energy around,” Eagle Song smiles and opens the bamboo gate to the enclosed garden.

OK, I think, breathing in the warmth of the outdoor soaking pool surrounded by ferns and sedums, noting the candles discreetly placed on stone outcroppings: the energy here deserves a boyfriend weekend.

Spa Serenity

We head to the spa for rejuvenation.  Sandy opts for a 90-minute Swedish massage that she will later pronounce “A God-send after two days of kayaking and bike riding.” I go for the Carita™ Facial. After an hour of exfoliation as gentle as a feather to the face, plus a head, neck and shoulder massage, I am silly putty.

A bottle of vino is scheduled in half an hour beside the water-rimmed fire pit outside the Willow’s Fireside Room, but I want to hold onto this serenity just a while longer.  I plop onto a sunny patch of grass by the alpine pond and attempt to follow the Willow’s motto, Find Your Inner Peace.

Melding two days of you-go-girl-friendship, hearty exercise, pampering, fine food and wine have filled me with so much tranquility I think I’m dreaming when another surprise pops into view.  Ten feet away, a tiny bunny hops out of the shrubs and nibbles on some grass.
It’s Thumper, right here in the
garden with me, just seven miles
from Microsoft.

Head to downtown Walla Walla for live music paired with local wines nearly every day of the week

ON MONDAY

Vintage Cellars Wine Bar

10 North 2nd Ave, Walla Walla

Live music Monday, 7-10pm

509-529-9340, www.vintagewinebar.org

Celebrate the start of the week with live music at Vintage Cellars.  This wine bar is a stepping stone to nearby wineries and offers over 100 different wines, many of them hard-to-find releases like those from Rotie Cellars.  Vintage Cellars Wine Bar is known for marching to the beat of a different drummer with their theme parties.  Check the website for their party nights of dance and mayhem, such as their Angel and Demon themed costume party.  Monday nights (and some Saturday’s) you’ll discover a live music event, ranging from regional and funk bands, open mic nights, impromptu gatherings of locals strumming together, even DJ’s spinning sounds.  Wine may be purchased by the glass or bottle, along with appetizers ranging from small plates to Tapas, including artisan cheeses, paninis, hummus and pita.

ON WEDNESDAY

Walla Walla Wine Works

31 E. Main St, Walla Walla

Live music Wed, 7-9pm

509-522-1261
www.preceptwinebrands.com

Let your ears guide the way to Walla Walla Wine Works (formerly the Waterbrook Tasting Room) for their Music Wednesdays event.  Bright red patio umbrellas deck the beautiful plaza adjacent to First and Main Streets at the heart of downtown Walla Walla.  Music Wednesdays feature local bands and solo acoustic entertainment, while showcasing a wide selection of their Precept Brand award-winning labels such as Apex Wine Cellars, Pendulum, The Magnificent Wine Company and Waterbrook.  The events are free and are held indoors during the winter months and outdoors during warmer months.  Wines are available by the bottle or glass, and if you get hungry, sandwiches, spreads and cheese snacks are available for purchase.

ON THURSDAY

Walla Walla Village Winery

107 South 3rd Ave, Walla Walla

Live music Thurs, 7-10pm

509-525-9463
www.wallawallavillagewinery.com

The tasting room at Walla Walla Village Winery was destined to create music.  It’s standing room only during Open Mic Night every Thursday evening.  The framed works of artist Stanley Mouse, who created album covers for the Grateful Dead and Journey, are showcased throughout the tasting room.  Mouse’s familiar 1960’s style artwork also adorns their wine labels.  The high ceiling walls are studded with rock legend guitar replicas.  Open Mic Night creates an intimate acoustical space featuring eclectic music from solo sets to improvisation jam sessions.  The word on the street is Walla Walla Village Winery is the place where musicians can jam with friends and even meet future band mates.  Open Mic Night is free and of course, wine is available for purchase.  Taste the Bordello red blend, it rocks.

ON FRIDAY

Sapolil Cellars

15 E. Main St, Walla Walla

Live music Friday, starting at 7pm during winter months

Cover charge: $5

509-520-5258, www.sapolilcellars.com

There is a block party going on at Sapolil Cellars every Friday night.  Sapolil Cellars is a little winery cranking out some mighty big tunes.  The focus of their tasting room is an old piano that originally started as their tasting room bar.  But it didn’t take long for the ivories of the old piano to be tickled by local musicians.  And ever since, Friday and Saturday nights on the block have never been the same.  Blues, jazz, and good ole rock ‘n roll are featured from local and regional acts.  Their wines are available by the bottle or glass.

Backstage Bistro

230 E. Main St, Walla Walla

Live Music Friday, Saturday evenings

509-526-0690, www.backstage-bistro.com

One of the originals to bring music to downtown Walla Walla is Backstage Bistro. “There’s been a piano here since the day we opened ten years ago,” says proprietor Bob Parrish.  This elegant yet casual restaurant is a favorite among locals for their steaks, salads and world famous BBQ at down-to-earth prices.  Their wine cellar features an impressive selection of 200 wines, many from Walla Walla.  A classical pianist tickles the ivories for dinner guests every Friday
and Saturday, followed on occasion by live jazz or blues performers.  The artwork exhibit of Ian Boyden is currently on display, titled, The Terroir of Walla Walla.  Between their wine, music, local artwork exhibit and fabulous food, it’s truly an experience that will engage all five senses.

11 tips to protect your wine purchases on-the-road

Tip #1

Keeping wine at a cool consistent temperature is always your goal.  Ideal wine storage conditions are 55-65 degrees.  Bear this in mind when loading wine into your car.

Tip #2

Keep bottle purchases in the air-conditioned passenger seat of your car, not the trunk.  Although tempting, trunk conditions can exceed well over 100 degrees, which can bring wine to near boiling conditions, causing it to taste “stewed.”

Tip #3

When traveling overnight, it is a good idea to bring wine inside your room to keep the bottle temperature as consistent as possible.

Tip #4

It is always advisable to store bottles on their sides or upside down, in an effort to keep the cork in contact with the wine, and avoid cork dry-out, which can lead to oxidation.

Tip #5

Keep a cooler with ice packs in your car, to keep wine cool on warm days.  Opt for ice packs instead of submerging bottles in loose ice which can damage labels.

Tip #6

Most wineries will hold your purchase until you are ready to pick them up at the end of the day or trip.  Just ask.

Tip #7

Federal regulations currently restrict wine from being included in carry-on luggage, although transporting wine via checked luggage is still an option.

Tip #8

If you plan to pack a few bottles in your checked luggage, be sure to cushion them as much as possible.  It is wise to invest in a wine travel bag specifically designed for this purpose.  Such accessories can often be found in winery gift shops or purchased online in advance.

Tip #9

Having your wine purchases shipped can be a convenient option, especially if your purchase is large.  However shipping laws vary greatly from state to state, sometimes county to county.  It is a good idea to confirm the laws specific to your area in advance.

Tip #10

When shipping alcohol, do anticipate that an adult over the age of 21 will need to sign for the delivery.

Tip #11

Once your wine has arrived intact to its final destination, you’ll want to let it rest for several weeks.  Vibrations from a long car ride or airplane can negatively affect the taste of wine, making it seem off.  This phenomenon, known as travel shock or bottle shock, is temporary and can be reversed by simply letting your bottles rest in a cool, dry environment.

A few days unwinding at Cave B Inn and winery along the Columbia River Gorge creates lasting memories.

Click here to preview the article from the Fall 2009 issue of Tasting Room magazine.

I’M NOT SURE WHETHER TO LICK MY ARM or just let the wine soak into my pores.  This is vinotherapy at its best, a Chardonnay Sugar Exfoliation followed by a massage at the Spa at SageCliffe on the grounds of the Cave B Inn and Estate Winery.  Slathered in a heady scrub of sugar, shea butter and chardonnay extract and wrapped like a mummy in plastic and blankets, I spend the next half hour contemplating the best way to ingest chardonnay.  Outside, the wind is whipping up the Columbia Gorge but the massage therapy room is so calm, I think I can hear the sugar dissolving.

Smack-dab in the middle of the state, 160 miles from Seattle and the same distance from Spokane in Quincy, Washington, the Cave B Inn and Estate Winery is a high desert Shangri-La where wine, food and luxury accommodations defy logic in this rocky, inhospitable landscape.

Scientists believe cataclysmic ice age floods scoured the Northwest from Missoula to the Pacific Ocean 12,000-18,000 years ago when an ice dam ruptured, sending a 1,200-foot-tall wall of water across the Idaho Panhandle, Eastern Washington and Oregon. The Central Washington portion of this onslaught is a rocky scabland of low-growing sage brush, wildflowers, dramatic coulees, boulder fields and gravel bars cut by the 80-mile long Columbia River Gorge with the wide, blue-green Columbia River at its base.

Nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Vince Bryan and his wife Carol purchased 300 acres of apple orchards and farmland in Quincy, a small town (population 5,700) dedicated to agriculture.  Their initial goal was to grow a few acres of grapes and give their children and themselves a mellower perspective and an escape from their busy Seattle lives.

That simple plan became a mission of hospitality and sharing as the Bryans began creating a place where people could gather, relax, and appreciate this uncommon landscape.  In its present incarnation, Cave B Inn is a 30-room destination resort, winery, restaurant and spa perched on a 900-foot basalt cliff overlooking the Columbia River.  Future plans call for an arts education and exhibit facility, a golf course and high end homes.

The Bryan’s vineyards have grown to 120 acres producing 5,000 cases of wine a year under the tutelage of animated, gregarious winemaker Alfredo “Freddy” Arredondo.

Freddy spent his teenage years learning basic food preparation at his family’s Mexican restaurant in Southern California, and admits his early beverage pairing was usually beer. But culinary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, and six months at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners followed by an internship at an Italian pastry shop, introduced Freddy to the magic of food and wine pairing.  Returning to the United States, Freddy taught restaurant occupations at his high school alma mater, challenging his students to view food as more than fuel.  A degree from the Institute for Enology and Viticulture in Walla Walla sealed Freddy’s love affair with food and wine.

Varying elevation, an assortment of soil types, and topography that ranges from flat to sloping and north to south exposure, all contribute to Cave B’s ability to produce 18 varieties of grapes and 17 wine varietals.

“Each wine has its own little thing,” Freddy says, “and some varietals are harder to create than others.  Most of the time it’s easier to get the grapes attention than it was to get my students attention, but sometimes the grapes have attitude too.”

The “attitude” of my SageCliffe 100 White, an unoaked chardonnay, was a perfect, sunny match for my lunch at Tendrils.  My husband, Bob, zeroed in on his favorite wine, hard-to-find Barbera.

Freddy’s wine and food pairing skills meet executive chef Shauna Scriver’s culinary talents at the inn’s Tendrils Vineyard Restaurant.  Her philosophy of doing it well rather than over-thinking menu selections has led to healthy offerings built around locally-sourced produce, Puget Sound seafood, Columbia River sturgeon and Idaho trout.

“I change the menu seasonally,” Shauna says, “and Freddy and I always collaborate on the wines to pair with food.”

From summer through fall, the kitchen’s garden provides a steady stream of lettuce, melons, beets, green beans, tomatoes, chilies and more, and when supply outstrips demand, guests can pick a bag of produce to take home as an edible souvenir.

The winery and restaurant make Cave B a worthy stop, but a few days at the inn create memories, to say nothing of imparting exactly what the Bryan’s hoped: serenity and a sense of place.  I will admit that Cave B gave me a much needed attitude adjustment.

The architecturally ambient, low-profile bungalows scattered across the bluff seem to have eased themselves out of the basalt.  Our Cliffehouse room’s double-sided fireplace dividing the sitting area and bedroom and its vine covered terrace facing the sunset created a romantic place to unwind after a hard day of wine tasting.  Or an exhilarating day of hiking with Cuvee, the inn’s enthusiastic Black Lab.  Dog lovers note: your pup is welcome at Cave B and special Dog Day packages are available at certain times of the year.

Bob and I filled two days traipsing the hills and plateau between the inn and the Columbia River.  The first afternoon we ambled down the steep path to the river past an unceremoniously dumped 50-year-old car, then plopped ourselves on a log facing Quilomene Bay.  We sifted through tiny seashells, watched geese skim the river, and let the quiet sink into our souls.

On our second day, we took off across flat stretches of basalt fragrant with the scent of sage and speckled with early wildflowers.  Pink and lavender Clarkia seemed too delicate for the harsh terrain, but Hedge Hog Cactus with its brilliant pink blooms looked right at home.  As if to remind Cuvee whose yard she was roaming, a coyote sent up a series of mournful howls that echoed through the canyon like a baby’s cries.

Cuvee’s a fickle hiking companion though.  Minutes after escorting Bob and me to our room, she bounded toward a young couple heading out on their own walkabout.  With little more than a flick of the tail, Cuvee was off on her second hike of the day.

Bob and I wandered onto our terrace, settled into deck chairs facing the sunset, and opened, what else?  A bottle of fruity, well-balanced Cave B Viognier.