A plaque hangs in John and Rebecca Otis’ Zillah tasting room with the words, “All because two people fell in love,” setting the tone for the meaningful connections the Otises hold with those in their lives and with wine.
John is no stranger to the winemaking business, having opened Crossroads Winery in Frisco, Texas in 2005. Crossroads was also the place he and Rebecca met when she visited the tasting room with a group of friends, and John admits it was love at first sight.
After a visit to the Yakima Valley for Red Wine & Chocolate in 2015, the pair fell in love with the area and decided it was time to pack their bags and head to the Pacific Northwest. Just months later they purchased a home with plenty of land outside of Zillah and began working on their plan to embrace the fruit of the valley.
“The West Texas wines have a distinctive characteristic, like West Texas dust,” says John. “They are more earthy in style than Washington fruit. I love the wine grapes from the Yakima Valley. The wines are extremely fruit forward.”
That first year, the couple worked on their property and home, and the following year planted an acre of Cabernet Sauvignon. “In 2017 we planted another acre consisting of Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot and began construction of the winery,” says John, who also works as a flight attendant on international flights from Seattle to Amsterdam. “We built the winery from the ground up over a period of a couple years.”
Named for Rebecca’s mother, Vera, and John’s mother, Helen, Velen Winery opened its doors in early 2019 just in time to participate in one of Yakima Valley’s big weekend events—you guessed it—Red Wine & Chocolate. The wines are boutique, solidly crafted and show a distinct sense of place reflective of the Yakima Valley AVA.
The tasting room is located at 1381 Orchardvale Rd in Zillah learn more at www.velenwinery.com.
Below are 3 releases we recently reviewed:
Velen Winery 2016 Rattlesnake Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, $25
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
A lean, well-sculpted style, emanating crushed blackberry, raspberry and red currant flavors tinged with cocoa powder and dried sage. Delivers good range and purity, sporting firm tannins on the sleek finish.
Velen Winery 2013 Yakima Valley Barbera, $28
Editor’s Choice – Excellent (88-90 pts.)
Bold and saturated, filled with intense aromas and robust flavors of steeped plum, raisings, black cherry and sweet tobacco spice. Warm baking spices proliferate on the powerful finish.
Velen Winery 2018 Yakima Valley Sunrise White Wine, $16
Editor’s Choice – Excellent (88-90 pts.)
This floral and fruity Yakima Valley white wine is crafted from equal amounts of Riseling and Orange Muscat, delivering exotic notes of tangerine, apricot, honeysuckle and Asian pear that blend harmoniously on the refreshing and smooth palate with nicely balanced acidity. A perfect match with orange spicy chicken, and other Pan-Asian or spicy Thai dishes.