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Seattle
San
Francisco
WASHINGTON
Or eGON
CALIFOr NIA
Yakima
Valley
TRAVEL
West Coast Wine Weekends
FALL 2009
celebratedliving.com
54
YakimaValley isabout 140miles
southeastofSeattle. It’shome to
more than70wineriesandmore than
14,000acresofvineyards.
FRIDAY
Driving there from the
airport,makeyourway to the rural
mountain townof Snoqualmie. It’s
home toa sweet lunch spot called
SalishLodge&Spa,where thedining
room looksout onto theSnoqualmie
Riverandawaterfall. Fight theurge
to stayovernight at thisgorgeous
lodge: Theday isyoungand there is
muchwine tobe sampled.Makea
note to check in to theSalishLodge
&Spaona futurevisit toWashing-
ton. Enjoy theviewasyoudig intoa
house specialtyknownasSno-
qualmieRiverHotRocks: locally
caughtfish, seared tableside, atop
red-hot rocks from thebottomof the
Snoqualmie.
Proceed from theSalishLodge to
Yakimaand theRosedellBed&
Breakfast. It’scentrally located, right
in townandnear the tasting rooms.
Typical of thisarea,whichhasasort
of rusticcharm thatmore-established
wine regions tend to loseas they
become increasinglydeveloped, the
neoclassicalRosedell hearkensback
toagentlerera.
Afterchecking in, explore
charming, historicdowntownYaki-
mawith itscast-iron lamppostsand
brick-pavedstreets.You’ll encounter
aclutchof tasting rooms, andyour
first stopwill beKanaWinery.
Munchonartisanal breadandcheese
asyousipaglassofDarkStar (a
blended red,madeprimarily from
syrahgrapesandapproximating the
tasteof aSouthernRhone).Next,
makeyourway to longstandingGil-
bertCellars,where thechardonnay
isamust-try.ThenhitTim’sDown-
townTastingRoom.Thereyoucan
sampleofferings from twodifferent
wineriesandmunchonchocolates.
Tomellowoutbeforedinner,walk
over toHiltonGarden InnHotel,
whereSeattle’smuch-lovedUmmeli-
na InternationalDaySpa recently
openedanoutpost.Go for thePacific
RimJourney,which includesasoak
in a Japanese tub and anAsian-
inspiredmassage.Oncesoothedand
pampered, findyourway toGrey-
stone,with its2,100-bottlecellar,
cozydining room, andeclecticmenu.
Opt for thePacificOceanhalibut. If
you’re in themood fora littlesome-
thingafterdinner, checkoutPlaza
SocievoleWinery for livemusic.
SATURDAY
AfteryourRosedell
breakfast of eggsBenedict, enjoya
picturesquedrivepast farms and
orchardsasyoumakeyourway
along theYakimaValleyHighway
beforeheading towardRedMountain.
First stop isKionaVineyardsand
Winery.Theselection there isbroad
(with redzinfandels, chardonnays,
and icewineonoffer), pricesare
right, andyoucanenjoy theviewas
yousip.Whileyou’re in thearea, be
sure tohitnearbyTerraBlancaWin-
eryandEstateVineyard,wherea
collectionof librarywines includes
a2002cabernet sauvignonanda
1998merlot.
Onceback in thecar,head to the
townofProsserandVintner’sVillage.
Situated in theheartofWashington
winecountry,Vintner’sVillage isa
communityofvineyardsand tasting
Clockwise from left: Greystone’s wine
cellar; KanaWinery’s Dark Star; riding
through the vineyards at the Cherry
Wood Bed Breakfast and Barn; lunch at
Wine O’Clock; Gasperetti’s spaghetti
marinarawithManila clams; the neo-
classical Rosedell Bed&Breakfast
RIGHT:
© IRENE PEARCEY
