Today was a gorgeous day to enjoy Red Mountain.  It was my standard Friday afternoon (March 22) where I cruise up to Benton City and visit my friends at various wine tasting rooms to see how the wines are evolving.  The trip started with a visit to Col Solare.  As per usual, the tasting room folks (Mitzi, Felicia and Lisa) were so accommodating….I was able to taste the 2014 and 2015 Col Solare Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as the 2016 Shining Hill (red blend).  But wait!  There’s more!  Not only did they provide me with a tasting of the 2015 Component Collection Syrah but they poured me a generous taste of the 2016 Collector’s Society Red Blend!  This wine is simply DELICIOSO!  It’s a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère.  What a great tasting that was!  And to top it off, I met some new friends as well.  As I’m walking out the door to head to my next stop a group of fine ladies requested a photo with yours truly.  Who am I to turn them down?  So we went out on the balcony where Mitzi performed her photo magic.  In our group photo, far left is Lacey, next to her is Theresa and on the right is Sally.  God Bless Minnesota baby!!

Next stop was Frichette Winery.  This is a requirement for me.  No discussion.  I walk in and the entire tasting room has been re-invented with new furniture and seating and a completely new arrangement where the tasting bar is centralized to the middle of the tasting room.  I really liked it.  So I sit down and enjoy a nice array of Frichette wines, crafted especially for my palate (or so it seems), and as I’m sitting there enjoying the view I remember that I have a Spring wine shipment I need to pick up!  SCORE!  So I finish my tasting and acquire a bottle of the 2016 Ciel du Cheval vineyard (Red Mountain) Cabernet Sauvingon, and a bottle of the 2016 Scooteney Flats vineyard (Red Mountain) Petit Verdot.

Final stop was Cooper Estate Winery.  As I walk in the door, my groupies (the ladies I met from Col Solare) are boisterously enjoying their wines at the bar and a colleague of mine from Pacific Northwest National Lab (Dave Heldebrant) is sitting with some clients at a table nearby!  It was like walking into the bar on the old TV show “Cheers”.  So I tie my horse to the hitching post and make way up to Dave’s table and the party begins.  As per usual…another fantastic tasting at Casa de Neil Cooper!  Sir Cooper was nice enough to provide me with a barrel tasting of his soon to be bottled Super Tuscan (Sangiovese/Merlot blend).  I have to say, it was really enticing!  I love a good Super Tuscan for sure.  I couldn’t leave empty handed, and was compelled to walk away with a bottle of the 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  Always a good decision.