Red Mountain & Prosser

By Doug Haugen

The story of Red Mountain is like that of most rock stars: modest beginnings, a little dumb luck, discovery and then fame.  Back in 1975, Jim Holmes and John Williams bought some land on Red Mountain as an investment property, having no idea what they’d do with it.  Just a few months later, they became aware of the research by Dr. Walter Clore, and realized they could grow grapes there.  Jim Holmes had been a wine hobbyist for a number of years, but he didn’t know what they’d do with the grapes other than sell them to home winemakers.  However, the Washington wine industry was beginning to emerge, and they found a market for the grapes among a handful of wineries.  That’s when they decided to make their own wine, and Kiona Winery was born in a Richland garage.

Lake Chelan & North Central Washington

It’s Not Just About Apples Anymore

By Christine Go

North Central Washington? It’s not just for apples anymore! The “Apple Capital of the World” has become one of Washington’s burgeoning wine regions. In the past ten years, the Columbia Cascade region, comprising the two pending AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) of Lake Chelan and Ancient Lakes, along with wineries around Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and the U.S. side of the Okanogan, has grown from three wineries to forty-four wineries. Most of these are boutique wineries, each producing about 800 to 3,000 cases annually.

Wine Trails: Wenatchee2Quincy

By Steve Roberts

Many people ask me, “Hey WineTrail Guy, what’s your favorite Washington WineTrail? I usually get a quizzical look when I answer, “the Wenatchee to Quincy WineTrail.” But, it’s true. I love this WineTrail for its total package of great views, and places to stay, to eat, and to taste fabulous wine.

Puget Sound

This month’s focus region is home of America’s favorite rainy city, flying fish and Ichiro.

By Molly Pumper

Unlike the backdrop of your typical wine tour setting – a scenic drive through the open countryside, rolling green hills abundant with sun-ripened vineyards, charming wineries of modern rusticity, off the dirt road and every quarter mile, not a cloud in sight – the ferryboat ride from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island, home to a handful of the 100-some wineries in the Puget Sound, is both sodden and chilly, much like the region itself.

Washington Wine Trails: Woodinville

By Steve Roberts

Where the hell are the vineyards?” my friend from back east queried. He was in Seattle for a business meeting and had heard about Woodinville wine country. We had pulled up to the Novelty Hill / Januik Winery in Woodinville and his reaction might be like a gazillion other visitor’s. I had to give him the bad news, “Jim, you won’t find vineyards in Woodinville. They get their grapes from the Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington but that’s another trip for another day.”