It was a tonne of information to absorb this week, though my liver handled it quite well.
It’s amazing how easily Pat and Matt at Two Mountain Winery can distinguish between different varieties and vintages. There is definitely a lingo that is associated with the wine world and the ability to articulate even the slightest of flavors. I am still at the, “That ones good, but I don’t like the other one” stage in my tasting development.
The winery is located out in the country and the vineyard is beautiful. I would love to come back during summer when everything is green. We were able to take the 4 wheelers for a ride through the vineyard which was a lot of fun and I learned how to properly prune. It is a lot of work being a Winemaker and I think I got off pretty easy this week; Matt was telling me that during harvest time it is not unusual for them to be working 18 hour days!
On Saturday, John with the Yakima Visitors Bureau took me out to other wineries in the region so that I could see the spectrum ranging from big corporate wineries to small independent family run operations. There are around 60 wineries in the Yakima Valley so it was great to go for a tour and get a “taste.”
I love small towns. The couple of times when I ventured into the small town of Zillah for lunch with Pat, I got many interesting looks. One woman looked at me with a smile and said, “You’re not from round here are ya?” Not sure what gave it away.
Before I knew it, it was time to leave. John and Katie were so nice to meet me at the airport with a beautiful gift basket and some Yakima post cards. Everyone was so kind and welcoming to me which helped make it a really fun week.
A special thanks to Bellair Charters who provided me with a complimentary ride on The Airporter Shuttle from Yakima to Seattle, WA and then North to the Canadian border where my parents were waiting to pick me up.
I will be working in Vancouver this week so that I can be home for the holidays. It has been a while since I have been home and so I am really looking forward to spending some time with my family.
-Sean