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Washington State Wineries & Golf: An Ideal Blend of Merlots and Mulligans
Written by James Ellsworth Wednesday, 20 January 2010 19:39
The Tri-Cities area has 17 wineries and 9 golf courses within a half hour drive. Expand the radius to an hour and there are more than 160 wineries to choose from. It is a marvellous focal point to sample wine and take mulligans.
The Tri-Cities of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco are situated at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake and Columbia Rivers in Southeast Washington State, about 350 km. from Seattle and not far from the Oregon border. They form the nexus of the Columbia Valley appellation and offer an abundance of wineries and golf courses set in rain-shadowed desert sage. The Cascade Mountains protect the eastern side of Washington State from heavy coastal rainfalls so the area has hot dry summers and cool desert nights; over 300 days of sunshine and plentiful irrigation, ideal for wine growers and golfers.
Tri-Cities Area Attractions
The Tri-Cities welcome visitors to dramatic geography with many delights and sights:
· Hanford Reach, declared a national monument in 2000 is just north. Accessible by boat, this 80 km stretch of the Columbia River presents pristine environments with connections to diverse history such as Lewis and Clark and the Manhattan Project
· Pasco, connected to the Tri-Cities by the elegant 800 m. long Cable Bridge, offers a Mexican ambience replete with panaderia baked goods and authentic cuisine
· Four excellent micro-breweries attest to the area being the largest hop producing region in the U.S., 2nd to Germany. The Atomic Ale Brewpub and Ice Harbour Brewing Company have interesting museum artifacts as well, highlighting nuclear testing paraphernalia and vintage bathing costumes
· Other wine specific events include Red Wine and Chocolate in February, Spring Barrel Tasting in April, Catch the Crush in SeptemberEverything is within close driving especially from a central locale.
The Clover Island Inn , 2007 Business of the Year winner & situated by the Cable Bridge offers comfortable accommodation allowing easy access to attractions. But the Merlots and one mulligan per round of golf each day were our focus.
Meandering with Merlots
Washington State’s Columbia Valley has over 16,000 vineyard acres and 240 wineries. The state is 2nd only to California in U.S. wine production. Kevin Zraly in Windows on the World, Complete Wine Course (2009) observes that the Columbia Valley is on the same latitude as Bordeaux, France. Washington Merlots, with their softer tannins and fuller body, also exhibit the varietal’s ability to be the everyman’s grape, allowing so many aromas and tastes.
The Tri-Cities is the hub for Columbia’s Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills sub-appellations whose wineries have been winning awards for more than 20 grape varietals, including Merlots.Andy Perdue, editor of Wine Press Northwest, advises that “three to five wineries are usually a good day for the best of wine enthusiasts,” [1] especially after a round of golf. Tri-Cities wineries are in close proximity so visitors can maximize their golf and wine experience. For instance:
· Tulip Lane in Richland has four wineries replete with tasting rooms and eateries on one vineyard-bordered avenue. From one parking spot you can stroll to one winery that is the self-proclaimed Starbuck’s of wine-tasting to another with outdoor patio and live music.
· On Sunset and North Sunset Roads, a few miles out in sage land, seven wineries are clustered for convenient samplingOur three favourites (although all were friendly, informative, and family-oriented) were:
1. J. Bookwalter Winery & Bistro advertises that it is close to town yet miles away from the ordinary. It has a cozy bistro atmosphere and features local jazz and blues musicians from Wednesday to Saturday. They also suggest wine pairings with local artisan cheeses. Two Merlots were memorable:
- 2006 Preface: aged 15 months in French oak, this 84% Merlot blend was full bodied, showing dark red, with aromas and taste of dark fruit like plums and blackberry
- 2006 Foreshadow: aged 18 months in French oak, this was 95% Merlot supplemented with Malbec, granite dark and full bodied, more earthy in aroma with a hint of leather in the taste.
2. Kiona Vineyards & Winery is one of the original operations of the area. The owner, John Williams, full of history and lore, is known as the “grape guy” and studied under Dr. Walter Clore, the father of Washington wines.
In 1975 Williams was looking for 75 unfarmed acres with a deep aquifer. He found goat-tracked grazing land and by 1980 was commercially producing award-winning wines. Kiona skill runs deep. Williams’ son Scott was named Grape Grower of the Year and the Dallas Morning News rated the winery #10 among 20 wineries that have won the most medals in 20 years of wine competition.Kiona features Estate Bottled Reserve wines crafted from grapes grown in their Estate Vineyards. One was:
· 2002 Merlot described as a free run, soft pressed process. The result was a full-bodied, well-balanced red vintage, with earth and leather attributes.
3. Columbia Crest Estate Winery is a half-hour drive south-west of the Tri-Cities on a picturesque hillside overlooking the Columbia River at Paterson. It is the largest producer of wine in Washington State but not at the expense of quality. Accolades and awards for Columbia Crest are numerous. Wine Spectator has regularly counted Columbia Crest Merlots among its top 100 wine lists and Robert Parker said it was the best winery for value in the U.S.
- 1994 Columbia Crest Merlot was the only U.S. Merlot to win a gold medal at the Challenge International du Vin, in Bordeaux, France
- 1997 Estate Series Merlot was placed was #83
- 2001 Grand Estates Merlot was #50
- 2004 Grand Estates Merlot made #71
- 2005 Merlot is a veritable treat - fruit forward with raspberry and blackberry, full-bodied with hints of coffee and cocoa, and a soft velvety finish for under $20
Did You Just Take A Mulligan?
The high desert that combines day-time heat and night-time coolness, ideal wine making, also makes for some challenging golf and Tri-Cities’ golfers wink at the odd mulligan.West Richland GC was carved out of the crash zone of a WWII bombing range as a post-war legacy. I used my mulligan on the par-five 15th where I may have been distracted by the looming Red Mountain and any aircraft noise. The pro there, Joe Perdue, brother of the Wine West magazine editor, said that golf in Washington is like Arizona without the crowds. Our three favourite courses were:
1. Columbia Point: a state-ranked course in a parkland setting. I hit a mulligan on #14 where the beach-like sand trap and adjoining lake beckoned my drive like a siren. The course starts with gradually longer par 4s to ease you into your swing. It is lush but the dips and rolls are deceiving with lots of side slope lies.
2. Canyon Lakes: Golf Digest gives it a 4.5 star- rating, the best in the Tri-Cities, the best in Washington State and among the top 20 in the Pacific Northwest. Set in a valley, the irregular links-like bounces can punish. I had to use a mulligan on #12 which also has the largest green in the Northwest, over 12,000 square feet. A hooting quail disturbed my approach and the huge green required reference to the golf book, How To Line Up Your Fourth Putt.
3. Horn Rapids: with greens juxtaposed to desert scrub, with hollows and rises alongside the Yakima River and breezes wafting with wild sage scents, this is dramatic golf. I used my mulligan on the par-5 #3. The layout card advised to hit between a large hill on the left and a monolith to the right. I didn’t. The challenge that day was to score less than the temperature (107 F.).
Washington State, east of the mountains, and the Tri-Cities in particular is a virtual Eden for wine and golf lovers where each day presents great opportunities to sample a boon of grapes and golf.
James Ellsworth is a regular contributor to AmaroneGolf. He has his Level 1 Sommelier Certificate and keeps trying to lower his handicap.