Guest blogger Heather Hitson is the wine consultant at our Lady Lake store.

 
We started the morning off at Spring Valley Vineyard, in Walla Walla. This picturesque winery is surrounded by farmland, horses, cows, daisies, and golden fields of wheat as far as the eye can see.  A small family-owned and operated winery, it is one of my favorites, producing just 7,000 cases of wine annually, more than half being their red blends, and the rest single varietals. It's sustainably farmed, using natural means of pest control, like keeping houses in the vineyard for the American Kestrel (the natural enemy of the blackbird). We were given a tour and tasting by Kate, the great, great, great-granddaughter of the founder, Uriah Corkrum. We started with a sample of 2008 Muleskinner  (100% Merlot), followed by a 2008 Derby (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), a 2008 Frederick  (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11 % Cabernet Franc, 29% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec), and a 2007 Frederick (54% Cabernet, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot) - on this last one, my knees buckled.  The bouquet was intoxicating.  It's a New World-styled blend that the French would call "Un Vin Charpente," a wine with strong structure, like a roof.  It's a big fruit-driven wine, with a nose of candied plum, blackberry jam, and flowers, leading into a huge, soft palate, the Cabernet Franc adding texture and vibrancy to the big, fruity Cabernet Sauvignon.  I think that you can guess which one I took home.

           Wow, what a morning, and it's not even lunch time! Lunch was at Northstar Winery, also located in Walla Walla, overlooking the Blue Mountains. Winemaker Dave "Merf" Merfeld was in and out, joining us on parts of the tour and lunch. Before we dined, we had a tasting of wines, starting with 2010 Stella Blanca (100% Semillon), then a 2008 Stella Maris Red Blend (45% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah), a 2008 Walla Walla Valley 100% Syrah, a 2006 and 2007 Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot, and a 2006 and 2007 Northstar Walla Walla Merlot. Most all of Northstar's Merlots receive 90+ points by Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. Their Merlots are very layered, with lots of structure, and elegant, silky tannins.

 During lunch we had a cheese course, where we were taught how to taste cheese: you should suck the cheese, let it warm up in your mouth so you can taste the layers of flavors. Okay cheese lovers, start sucking!

 
        Last, but certainly not least, we ended the day at Col Solare, in Benton City. We had a tour, tasting, and dinner, with Winemaker Marcus Notaro.  Dinner was down by the cellar, with the cellar doors wide open so we could watch the sunset over the vineyard as we dined.  Dinner started with a salad of pancetta-wrapped prawns, stuffed with chorizo, on a bed of greens, followed by cherry-stuffed quail, grilled rack of lamb with gnocchi and roasted carrots, followed by a cheese course.  We had several wines to choose from with dinner, but my favorite was the 2008 Shining Hill (Col Solare is Italian for Shining Hill).  The Shining Hill is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Shyrah, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 45% of the grapes came from Red Mountain, 51% from Horse Heaven Hills, and 4% from Columbia Valley. The 2008 growing season featured cool weather throughout, leading to extended hang time for the fruit, resulting in grapes with intense fruit characters and elegant, supple tannins.  On the nose, you get smoky black fruit and spice, following through right down to the lush, soft finish.  Not for wimps.  Only 1000 case production.

Day one was posted 8/16/11; day three will be posted tomorrow, 8/18/11