Yakima

Bunnell Family Cellars   Bunnell Family Cellars hand-crafts two types of wine. Vins de l'endroit (wines of a place) are designed to capture the terroir of the vineyard or appellation from which they originate.Vins de l'esprit (wines of the creative spirit) are traditional and non-traditional expressions of the art of blending.  Winemaker Ron Bunnell has been making world-class wines in California and Washington for twenty-three years. He has worked for a number of prestigious companies like Beringer Vineyards, Kendall-Jackson and Chateau Ste. Michelle. He also has experience in medium sized wineries including Chateau Souverain and Cambria.They focus on Syrah and other Rhone varieties but are also exploring varieties such as Barbera, Sangiovese, Malbec and Petite Verdot which have been recently introduced to Washington.

River Aerie   Although continuing their focus on Syrah and other Rhone varieties, the Bunnells’ are also exploring varieties such as Barbera, Sangiovese, Malbec and Petite Verdot. In the process of this exploration, they created RiverAerie, a new brand that sports Ron Bunnell’s signature traditional and non-traditional expressions but introduces new varietals to the winery’s range of delicious blends. RiverAerie is about quality, affordable Washington wine. Its featured wine “Fete” presents a unique combination of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec, and Petite Verdot.

Cañon de Sol   With a helpful hand from Charlie Hoppes, Victor Cruz is making award-winning Washington wines. Victor grew up in the Yakima Valley with the distinct heritage of knowing how to grow crops and take care of the land. He’s the first Latino winery owner in the state and his wines are quickly gaining a near, cult-like following. Victor overseas everything at the winery including all of the operations, and he assists Charlie with all of the winemaker duties from crushing to bottling ensuring the quality of every bottle. Victor is also quick to “give credit where credit is due” citing the reputation of Charlie Hoppes as being a huge catalyst behind the success of Cañon de Sol. These wines are rich and sophisticated – we hope you enjoy them!

Chandler Reach   One evening while traveling in Italy with their families in 1996, Len Parris and Richard Corella were either mesmerized by the gorgeous Tuscan sunset or blurry from too many tasty bottles of wine. “Let’s plant a vineyard and start a winery”, Len said. His late father owned some acreage overlooking a bend in the Yakima River at Chandler Reach near Benton City. It was prime agricultural property and it didn’t take long to rev up the D-8 Caterpillar and start moving dirt. Today, Len and Richard have over 40 acres of vineyard planted and they are producing more than 3,000 cases of wine. Their wines are exceptional and they are winning awards all over the country. They’re living the dream – it couldn’t have happened to two nicer guys. Bravo!

Eagle Haven   Located east of Sedro Wooly, you will find the Eagle Haven Winery as you head over the beautiful North Cascades Hwy toward Winthrop. Jim Perkins owns an apple orchard there and is working with Chuck Jackson, a winemaker with 30 years of experience. Eagle Haven is a relatively new Washington winery, but what first comes to mind is how can anyone grow grapes for winemaking on the west side of the Cascades? Well, believe it or not, Jim grows Angevine and Siegerrebe, two German varietals, for his white wine and he brings Syrah and Sangiovese over from eastern Washington for his reds. Chuck is making very balanced wines with a lot of varietal character, and he also makes some very tasty European style fruit wines.

Hestia   Based on fruit sourced primarily from the Horse Heaven Hills appellation near Walla Walla, Hestia Cellars is a small family-owned business focused on making rich, smooth wines in perfect balance. Unlike some Washington wines that I believe are a little over the top with too much fruit and alcohol, and with too little acidity, the Hestia wines come across showing wonderful balance and drinkability that will only pay dividends the longer they spend in the bottle. Currently, Hestia has two reds and one white available: a 100% Semillon from the Charbonneau Vineyard, one of the oldest vineyards in Walla Walla; a Merlot consisting of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from Horse Heaven Hills; and the Meritage which is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 12% Malbec all sourced from the Alder Creek Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. In case you’re wondering, Hestia was the virgin goddess of the hearth and the home. She presided over the cooking of bread and the preparation of the family meal. Shannon Jones, proprietor and winemaker of Hestia, is of Greek descent where the lifestyle is very much about the meal. His style of winemaking fits the Greek philosophy – these wines are superb with food and will get only better with time.

Tefft Cellars   Joel Tefft is dedicated to producing handcrafted wines from his own estate vineyards as well as other special sites in the Columbia Valley. More importantly, in a day when Washington wines have skyrocketed to forty and fifty dollars a bottle, Joel has always focused on bringing wine lovers top-quality products for value driven prices. Joel views winemaking through the eyes of an Italian. He hails from Idaho, but his spirit comes to us via Sicily. Joel loves everything Italian and that’s why he makes great wine to be enjoyed for every meal. You see, Italians never enjoy wine unless there is food, and they never enjoy food, unless there is wine.