Yakima Valley – June 17, 2015 – Wine Yakima Valley is giving consumers insider access to some of the best grape growers in the state with its annual Yakima Valley Vineyard Tour on Saturday, August 1, 2015. The tour will feature well-respected winemaker and grower David O’Reilly, and the Yakima Valley vineyard being recognized for testing and perfecting the up and coming Rhone style grapes, Elephant Mountain vineyard. The tour includes a picnic in the vineyard, high atop the Elephant Mountain Vineyard plateau.
Tickets for each tour are $85 and include wine, food, transportation, and a grower education tour. Limited number of tickets available.
Elephant Mountain Vineyard – Reeling in the Rhônes – Elephant Mountain Vineyard sits on a series of gentle, southern-facing slopes at elevations from 1320 to 1460 ft above the irrigated portion of the Yakima Valley. The vineyard receives the same heat units as Red Mountain, but it ripens about three weeks later. These conditions have been paramount in elevating the vineyard as a leader in Rhône style grapes such as Mourvedre and the emerging popularity of GSM, a New World style of Rhone blends that stands for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
Owen Roe Vineyard – Planted to Perfection – Guests will enjoy an intimate tour of this hillside vineyard owned by David O’Reilly, famed winemaker of Owen Roe winery. Taste through the winery’s most sought after wines and see how this 35-acre vineyard was purposefully planted to produce grapes that express the unique terroir that is Yakima Valley. Experience the elevations and slope of this young vineyard and learn why the steep rocky soils are so important to growing exceptional grapes.