Rio Jean Photography - Prosser, WA {14 Hands Winery}

Mama Stortini’s did it to me! I never heard of 14 hands wine until I went to Mama Stortini’s at Kent Station about. . . maybe two years ago? I had two glasses of the 14 Hand’s Merlot at Mama Stortini’s and I have been a fan ever since! I. LOVE. 14. HANDS. WINES. There are few wines I LOVE and I am very happy 14 Hands Wines are on my list!

Of course, I HAD to visit their winery. We were driving home from the Tri-cities and I wanted to make an impromptu stop at 14 Hands Winery. To my surprise, 14 Hands is where Snoqualmie Winery’s tasting room use to be and apparently Snoqualmie moved to Columbia Crest, I will have to check them out sometime this year.

We stopped in at 14 Hands Winery, and they were doing their soft opening, their official opening was the Thursday of the coming week ( 4.10.2014). The service was excellent and the tasting room is gorgeous! Very rugged and rustic feeling, which is beautiful! Check out the light fixtures, the wood grain, and the furniture, all very well put together. The only thing I wish was different about this tasting room was that it was closer to the tri-cities and ..ok two things, that it had a small restaurant. This place is perfect for a date night, to cozy up to the fire with a glass of wine and a plate of something good to nom on.

I bought two of their reserve wines, those wines you can only buy in their tasting room at about $30 a bottle. One I gave to a friend of mine, and the other bottle I kept for myself and will store it in my “precious” wine room, aka under the stairs! Another thing I like about the winery, is their attention to detail. Look at the bag I brought home that contained my precious wine! Look at the little details. I tell you, it’s the little things that made my experience and will keep me a fan.

If you haven’t tried a 14 Hands wine, get to it! You won’t be sorry! I look forward to visiting their tasting room again in the future and doing a formal review!

Cheers!
Melanie

Rio Jean Photography - Richland, WA {Bookwalter Winery}

Bookwalter Winery( http://www.bookwalterwines.com), Surprise, Surprise. . . . I haven’t been to this winery since 2006 for Catch the Crush – when the Crush was a part of the Washington State Wine Commission and the Crush was awesome! When I first went to Bookwalter Winery, the winery was making mainly sweet white wines and red wines.

 I went to Bookwalter on a whim, I was en route to another winery when I passed Bookwalter and thought hmmm… I haven’t been to Bookwalter in years, so I thought I would stop by and give them another try. I usually plan my winery visits but since I didn’t plan this one I wasn’t really expecting to be able to speak with anyone about the winery. However I was lucky enough to be able have a short impromptu interview with the Chef, Mark Schwegel and the marketing manager, Kendra Guzek.

The grounds have now evolved to include two bocce ball courts with a seating area that is overlooking rows of grapes. There is also a tent structure on the east side of the main building which has some comfy seating available (perfect for a small party). A barrel room on the west side of the main building is now available for larger events.

The actual restaurant/tasting room has changed a lot! I remembered it had a yellow background with the shirts hanging up as a backdrop. The yellow paint is now replaced with a beautiful neutral colored paint, the shirts have found their new home in a tower by the door, and the backdrop is a chalk board where events/wines specials/beer are listed.

 Jbistro is the name of the restaurant at Bookwalter. JBistro is ” a locally driven, chef inspired dining experience. We want this bistro to reflect the farm-to-table experience with a casual and friendly atmosphere we serve market-driven dishes made with the freshest organic and local ingredients possible. We believe if we focus on the people who grow our food and the environment in which it is grown, it will inevitably produce a higher quality product” (http://www.bookwalterwines.com/VISIT-US/JBISTRO). Before I had a single bite of chef Mark Schwegel’s locally sourced-inspired food, I was in very intrigued by the avocado fries. (WHAT!?) These lightly breaded little morsels are paired with a with Spicy Remoulade: the combination of the two is like heaven! I think Chef Scwegel has breathed new life into Jbistro! Eating there feels new, but not unfamiliar —like visiting an old friend. I think my new favorite place will be Jbistro. The menu involves: robust and inventive plates that range from Bacon Wrapped Dates and Arancini, to 28 day aged Wagyu Rib Eye and Raspberry Tiramisu.

And now, the wine. . . . Bookwalter has switched from sweet whites to big bold reds – LOVE! I tasted the 2011 Foreshadow Merlot ( 75% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 11% Cab), 2010 Foreshadow Cabernet ( 89% Cabernet, 18% Merlot, 3% Syrah), 2011 Cabernet ( 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah), and the 2011 Conflict (80% Cabernet, 20% Syrah). What can I say about these wines? I was impressed, these wines had character and complexity: These reds were very aromatic and balanced . As stated previously I won’t be adding my tasting notes, you will have to try these wines for yourself! (check out the new branding on the bottles!)

 I am looking forward to many cozy date nights at Bookwalter with my sweetie, sitting under the heat lamps and enjoying the live music. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for an intimate experience, gorgeous red wines, and a delicious menu: Bookwalter has founds its grove and I highly recommend stopping in!

Cheers!
Melanie