When you think of wine country in the western part of the US everyone always thinks of California. But I would challenge you to get out of the traditional and discover wine country in Washington State. In particular the Red Mountains.
Geology
The Red Mountains have the hottest growing region and is very dry. The topsoil from Horse Heaven Mountains blows onto the Red Mountains, so the topsoil is free and abrasive forcing the grapes to produce a thicker skin, maximizing the flavor profile.
The soil itself is a product of the Mazulah floods created by glaciers many years ago. During this time the top 150 ft of the Red Mountains poked up resulting in a lot of mineral rocks landing there leaving an abundance of calcium carbonate.
All of these things make the growing region similar to Bordeaux and Burgundy, France.
Terra Blanca Winery
One winery situated in this region is Terra Blanca. Growing 19 different varietals, this winery has some of the best red wines the region has to offer. But not only that they try to minimize their impact on the environment.
They reuse the seeds, skins and yeast putting it all back into the vineyard for compost. They are also Salmon safe certified, so though they are not certified organic they do not use pesticides and prefer to grow organically.
History of Terra Blanca Winery
Started in 1992 the Pilgrims purchased 300 acres of land in the Red Mountains. Keith Pilgrim was a trained geologist from California who took a very roundabout way of getting to be a vintner.
During his younger years, Keith worked on the Beringer vineyard in California. After beginning a career in geology, which took him all over the world, he couldn’t put away his passion for winemaking.
His wife, ReNae, is an accountant by training, and along with helping with the beginnings of the vineyard, she manages the accounts.
Growth to bottle
Take a group tour of up to 10 people ($20/person) and listen to the wealth of information provided by their enthusiastic guides.
With a season beginning in April, the vineyard has 12 crew members managing the whole thing, from picking to bottling.
The owner takes the time to taste the various grape varietals and based on that he decides if they are ready for harvest. This is also done with the wine barrels to ensure the best product possible for bottling.
All the grapes are handled as gently as possible, so as not to disrupt the flavor. The grapes are no longer harvested by hand but with a picker, which is then brought to their newly purchased sorter.
This piece of equipment has a camera that picks out the bad grapes, stems, leaves, and other undesirable pieces and with a puff of air they are removed. The remaining grapes, that pass the test, are moved up the conveyor belt. From there, they are pushed into a tube that takes the grapes to the fermentation vats.
After fermentation is complete, the wine is placed in various barrels shipped directly from France for aging. They use the more expensive France oak barrels because of their finer grain, which imparts a more even, full bodied flavor into the wine.
The vineyard creates around 35,000 cases of wine per year and it’s an absolute incredible feat of science. The owner mixes the various barrels of aging wine to create a unique flavor. It could be ½ a barrel of one, a ¼ barrel of another and 2 cups of a third type.
Tasting
After walking around the vineyard, you can head over to their tasting room. This huge expansive hall is a great option for big groups, such as those traveling with UnCruise, or there is a smaller, secondary room for smaller, more intimate groups.
As a large group the tables are set up with a multitude of glasses, allowing you to taste each wine while the guide talks about the winery beginnings as well as the wines.
I would highly recommend purchasing a glass of your favorite wine and taking it out onto their patio, where you can look out towards the breathtaking views of the Horse Heaven Mountains.
Once you have a favorite you can purchase wine to be shipped to your home or boxed up to take on the plane. On a side note, if you fly with Alaska Airlines, they will allow you to check your wine for free, as long as it is from the Pacific Northwest.
Concluding thoughts
Sometimes, when you are on an adventure it’s nice to slow down for a day and enjoy some amazing scenery and some top-notch wine. The Pacific Northwest is steadily becoming known for their award-winning wines and should be on everyone’s list for their next visit.
Make sure to also check out my picks for the Best Adventure activities along the Columbia River.
