Tour de Rants

[zenda2]

I had a great time touring thru the Columbia, Yakima and Walla Walla area of Eastern Washington the past few weeks. Just ahead of harvest, the grapes were fat and just this side of ripe, miles of 'em, lovely to behold, and lovely to consider the ocean of good wine they'll soon make. I met some swell folks in Walla Walla, Pasco and out on Red Mountain. Between the lovely pour-crew, and the winemakers preparing for the harvest, I was thankful for the time they were able to spend schmoozing. My old college pal is a brewer in Pasco, we took cases of his fabulous beer around to a lot of wineries to swap for wine. The winemakers were happy to see him just before the long hot days of harvest. As my pal says, 'It requires a lot of really good beer to make really good wine'. I enjoyed myself, had great tours and tastings, got some excellent bargains following in his wake, and think I got in ahead of the 'tourist boom' for the region. Suspect I won't be able to do this on such a shoestring budget in just a few years.

In case anyone is asking, you can't go wrong visiting Walla Walla, Red Mountain, the Yakima and Columbia valley the first few weeks of September. Just be SURE you keep the gas tank full..it's a long, long way to anywhere out there! And if you're ever looking for a cold brew while in the region, Ice Harbor Brewery makes the good beer that makes the good wine possible!