Patricia Butterfield, PhD, Co-owner, Winescape
Wine. Road Trip. Well, you had me at ‘wine,’ so ‘road trip’ is just icing on the cake. So let’s head out for some enological exploration. Better yet, let’s start on the West side of the state, you know, the wet side. Let’s start there. But before we head out, it’s time to review the one mission critical rule of wine trips. Here it comes….and the rule is….put an insulated cooler in the back of your car before you leave home. And maybe a couple of cold packs as well. Here’s why. Wine is easily ruined by heat. Bulging corks, vinegar-y or prune-y tastes; that’s what happens to overheated wine. Treat your wine just as you would ice cream, cut flowers, or a furry dog; don’t let them overheat. Prevent wine spoilage by getting your cooler (or two or three) in the car before you leave home; that way you’ll be ready to protect your precious wine purchases from the get go.
Whew, we’re finally on the road. Since we can pick our own metaverse, let’s start in Woodinville. Home to 130+ wineries across four winemaking districts, Woodinville provides a perfect opportunity to cover a lot of ground quickly. Start by downloading the Woodinville Wine County app and charting your plan. This is truly the place where the metaverse begins. Woodinville offers an array of “day pass” options ( https://woodinvillewinecountry.com/tasting-passes ) for guests that want to drill into a particular style of wine or vibe. Options include a : 1) Bodacious Bordeaux pass ($45), 2) Rose all May pass ($45), 3) Women Winemakers pass ($45), and a 4) Wine and Dine ($50) pass. Like anything, it’s good to read the fine print so that you know what passes can be used on specific days, etc. And if you really want to amp it up, time your visit with one of the concerts at Chateau Ste. Michelle. This year’s summer line-up includes Rodrigo y Gabriela (definitely my top choice), Elvis Costello, and Kelsea Ballerini. Woodinville has definitely got it all.
And now for something completely different, our next metaverse is the Yakima Valley. Why there you ask? Well, 40 years ago the Yakima Valley became the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the Pacific Northwest. That’s a big deal. In this country AVAs are used to denote unique geographic or climatic features that define wine. What you taste in every bottle of wine is really an expression of its AVA. That’s why a bottle of Washington Grenache differs so gloriously from a bottle of French Grenache (they can both be amazing by the way). Anyway, back to the Yakima Valley and all it has waiting for you. Get your bearings by downloading the Washington State AVA map ( https://www.washingtonwine.org/resource/washington-state-ava-map/ ). As opposed to Woodinville, you’ll need to cover more territory between each winery. Keep your eyes open because Central Washington is really where the action is in regard to grape production. Depending on the time of year you may see workers pruning vines, the year’s growth emerging, or vines laden with fruit. It’s definitely the circle of life out here. Wineries in this neck of the woods range from family-run estate wineries to some of Washington’s (and this country’s) largest producers. Pick a few places then sip and take home bottles or cases of your favorites. This is where Washington wine began and, lucky you, it’s been there waiting for you all along.
Our final wine metaverse begins with a song and how can it be anything but “we always find our way back home.” That chorus is such an earworm. Spokane pulls its weight and more in the Washington wine world so any day is a good day to get out and go wine tasting. The Spokane Winery Association website ( https://spokanewineries.com/ ) has the skinny on local winery hours and events. Whether you’re heading downtown to visit a few tasting rooms or out further to check out one of our production wineries, rest assured knowing that premier Washington wines are right around the corner. Sipping local means you will have an opportunity to learn about specific wines over time. With each visit you have to learn about particular wines deeply. Loved that 2019 Malbec? Well, let’s see what the characteristics of the next vintage will be. It will reflect all the temporal vibes of the following year, and then the year after that. That’s the thing about the wine metaverse. It’s always changing, teaching us new ways to think and new ways to be.