Driving north on Highway 221 from the Columbia River you travel about 25 miles to Prosser where Snoqualmie is located. At the base of the Paterson Grade, you turn onto Frontier Road and there you are.
Winemaker Joy Andersen has been crafting quality wines at Snoqualmie since 1991. An alumnus of Chateau Ste Michelle and Columbia Crest, Joy has come into her own at Snoqualmie. Her delicious Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has been a staple of the winery for years. On our previous visit we tried her 2001 Snoqualmie "Rosebud" Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a light ethereal Cabernet and really grabbed our attention. We purchased a case and have been enjoying it ever since.
Snoqualmie has been constantly staying current with the newest advances in wine making. This is evidenced by their "Nearly Naked" and "Naked" white wines that are either sustainable or organically grown grapes. Their Naked Riesling was particularly good when we sampled it at the winery.
Here are some recent Snoqualmie highlights:
2007 "Naked" Riesling
Sweet, but balanced with racy acidity, offering apricot, peach, nutmeg and cream aroma flavors that lingers expressively as the finish persists. 89 points Wine Spectator. $12
2007 Winemakers Select Riesling
Sweet and light, with beautifully focused pear and cream aromas and flavors that remain pure and beguiling as the finish persists. 88 points Wine Spectator. $8
2003 Reserve Merlot
Pure and classy, this is a bowl of cherries and raspberries in a glass. It is a bright, tart, vivid and delightful wine built solidly upon a round, sweet core of pretty fruit. Great balance and pleasing texture, with a nice citrus kiss on the finish. 90 points Wine Enthusiast. $23
The tasting room at Snoqualmie is a comfortable and inviting setting to enjoy their wines in. They have two different tasting flights. Their complimentary flight includes over a dozen wines to choose from Here you will find their "Nearly Naked" and "Naked" wines to sample for free. You can also elect to try their Reserve Wine flight for a mere $5 that gives you five of their best wines to sample. We enjoyed and brought back their winery exclusive Chenin Blanc and Muscat Canelli with us. Wow! Great stuff. There are some wines that can only be purchased at the wineries you visit. They are usually small case productions and there is not enough to put them in to wider distribution.
We encourage you to visit the Snoqualmie link on this page to find out more about this fabulous winery and the people responsible for these great wines.
Northwest Wine Fan has very limited quantities of these and other Snoqualmie wines available for purchase. Inquire by email or by telephone. |
