We recently went back to Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley to spend an incredible afternoon with Mike and Jonathan Sauer. Mike is Washington state wine royalty. He and his wife Karen established the vineyard in the early 1970s, with his first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1973. Mike also planted the first Syrah in Washington state in 1986. His son Jonathan is carrying on the family tradition. This includes their clone program, which Mike started in 2005 with the late great Master of Wine David Lake. We sat down with Mike and Jonathan on our trip through parts of Washington wine country earlier this summer. As always, it was a fun, educational day!
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Tag Archives: Betz Family Winery
Our Favorite 50 Washington Wineries in 2019
Happy New Year! As we begin 2020, it’s time for our annual Favorite Washington Wineries List for the previous year. The way to get on our list is fairly simple. Above all, wineries must offer great juice and good people who provide an excellent wine experience.
Perhaps we had fun or learned something in a tasting room, a wine shop tasting, or at a wine event. Maybe someone from a winery sent us a personal note or wine samples. Likewise, we were occasionally invited to an incredible winery party.
Most noteworthy, the people who made our experience special are the winemakers, the tasting room staff, and the amazing workers in the vineyards where it all begins.
Our Favorite 50 Washington Wineries
Happy New Year! As we begin 2019, it’s time for our annual Favorite Washington Wineries List for the previous year. The way to get on our list is fairly simple: wineries must offer great juice and good people who provide an excellent wine experience.
Perhaps we had fun or learned something in a tasting room, a wine shop tasting, or at a wine event. Perhaps someone from the winery gave us a call, or sent us a personal note or samples. Or perhaps we were invited to an incredible winery party.
These people who made our experience special include the winemakers; the winery owners; the hard-working staff in a tasting room who went out of their way to make us feel welcome; and the amazing workers in the vineyards where it all begins.
Northwest Wine Encounter at Semiahmoo Resort
We were delighted to hear that an exceptional Washington state wine event is happening right in our backyard near the Canadian border: Northwest Wine Encounter at Semiahmoo Resort. We stayed at Semiahmoo many, many times before moving to this area last year, and it is spectacular.
On April 15-17. some of Washington state’s most talented winemakers will be holding seminars, tastings and attending a gala dinner:
- Bob Betz and Louis Skinner of Betz Family Winery
- Darel Allwine of Col Solare
- Chris Upchurch of DeLille Cellars and Upchurch Vineyard
- Joe Dobbes of Dobbes Family Estate of Oregon
The Master of Ceremonies is Andy Perdue of Wine Press Northwest, who is also a wine columnist for The Seattle Times.
“The inaugural Northwest Wine Encounter at Semiahmoo brings together some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest winemakers for an intimate event with wine lovers,” commented Perdue. “This will be a treat for all the senses.”
The event is packed with educational and fun times, opening on April 15 with a “Meet the Winemakers” tasting, followed by a private beach bonfire at the spectacular resort.
Saturday’s activities include an overview of Washington and Oregon wine country, with sessions on “Sublime World of Pinot Noir” (Dobbes Family Estate); “Succulent Syrah” (DeLille Cellars and Betz Family Winery); and Red Mountain Rising (DeLille Cellars and Col Solare).
There also is guided bird watching on the Semiahmoo Spit. What a great spot — we were recently there as part of the Northwest Birding Festival, Wings Over Water. (Yes, we’re bird nerds in addition to being wine enthusiasts.)
Saturday night caps off with a Winemaker Gala Dinner created by Executive Chef Bruno Feldeisen, held in the Peace Arch Tent. The special five-course dinner will be paired with wines from all attending wineries.
The event culminates on Sunday morning with an exploration of white wines from Betz, Chateau Ste. Michelle, DeLille and Dobbes.
The entire weekend package — including two nights at the gorgeous resort — starts at $375 per person. Details are available at Semiahmoo Resort’s website.
We can’t wait! And we hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Margot and Dave