Rio Jean Photography - Benton City, WA {Frichette Winery}

Frichette Winery (http://frichettewinery.com/)I have met a lot of winery owners and I would have to say Shae is on my list of favorite owners!  The Frichettes are so down to earth and I immediately felt at ease when I met with Shae and her family.  

One of the aspects I love about this winery is the cozy and inviting atmosphere. When I first walked in, I immediate felt a sense of inviting warmth and a feeling of being among family.  I honestly can say this is the only winery that has given me that feeling.  Shae is like a long lost friend who I hadn't seen in years, we literally could have spent the afternoon catching up and sipping on wine.

Greg and Shae had amazing jobs in California, Shae was a trainer for Black and Decker and was able to jet set all around the world for that position and Greg still works in IT/Marketing.  How cool is this couple, right?  Talk about an awesome combination of skills! On a trip back home to Pasco, the Frichettes decided to visit Red Mountain on a whim.  And of course, they fell in love and decided it was time for a change!

Frichette Winery had its first crush of Merlot in 2011 and opened its tasting room doors in September of 2013.  The first year, the winery produced 650 cases and in 2013, the winery produced around 1,000 cases. The Frichettes hope to be producing about 2,500 cases a year so they can remain a small production winery.

  

 Three words that sum up Frichette winery are fantastic wine, edutainment, and family atmosphere.  All three of these descriptors are definitely seen in the tasting room and in the Frichette brand. 

I really enjoyed all of the Frichette wines, Greg is mentoring under Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas and Greg hopes to take over the wine making process in about two years.  I don’t know about you, but I am excited to try the wines when Greg starts making them! 

If I lived in the area, I would be at most of the edutainment events the winery puts on!  This sounds like a blast, for a girl’s night out or even a date night with your spouse! What is it, you are probably asking, right?  Shae is brilliant!  She wanted to incorporate education into the winery events but also wanted it to be fun (See her training skills coming into play here?) so why not edutainment?  People can come to an event, have a blast, and also learn something new.

This winery has nailed its branding and marketing (now here comes Greg’s skills!) I love the website AND the blog.  I have visited numerous winery websites, and the one thing that really makes Frichette’s website stand out in my mind, is the blog and the use of video.  Video has been the next “shinny object” for a while and I really like how the Frichettes are incorporating it into the website.  The videos provide visitors a chance to hear and see Shae, which is way more powerful than just reading something.  I have to say, after watching the videos, I felt more at ease with visiting the winery and I could tell that Shae is a very approachable person.

The branding and labels are timeless and beautiful.  If you notice the labels, there is an "F" for Frichette and if you flip the bottle upside down, it turns into a "J" which is for the Frichette’s son Jayden.  I had a chance to meet Jayden and let me tell you, he has a head of curls to die for!  You will no doubt have the opportunity to meet this sweet little man when you visit the tasting room as he has his very own space in the tasting room.

Jayden's area

Frichette Winery is truly a family legacy and a destination winery with fantastic views of Red Mountain. So….have I enticed you enough to give Frichette Winery a try?  I promise you will not be disappointed.

Cheers! 
Melanie