When you get up to the top of the hill at Coyote Canyon Vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills the view is quite expansinve. For miles and miles you drive through dry land wheat till you finally hit this oais of green.
On top of the hill are placed three humugous metal crosses. If you ask owner Mike Andrews about the crosses you get a simple down to earth explanaiton of Jesus Christ's work on the cross for each and everyone of us.
We were encouraged to visit the tasting room at The Winemakers Loft (studio A, in Vintner's Village Prosser) last spring when a good friend of our's John Gabriell started doing some blending for Coyote Canyon's fairly new venture in wine making. You see they have been growing grapes in the region for a very long time. Selling grapes to 27 wineries.
Click here for the list!
We stopped by and to our delight fell in love with so many of their wines, and their great prices. As we found ourselves giving many wine tours this summer to family and friends. The one tasting room we always went back to was Coyote Canyon. As Linda began to recognizes us from our consistent visiting, she mentioned the wine club. The light bulb went on. We had been hoping to find a wine club over the summer's wine tasting tours. We signed up and bought some more of their delicious wine at 20% off, and were immediatly encouraged to join them this fall for the first meeting of The Coyote Canyon Wine club.
We were not quite sure what to expect, but as we got to the top of the hill where the club was meeting we were greeted by this. Owner Mike Andrews giving a talk on the winery and the amazing history of his family on this wonderful piece of property that has been handed down through the generations.
The view was so expansive I was having a hard time focusing on the event :)
Pretty soon though I was drawn in by the musical entertainment, and the down home barbeque. Oh...and of course the wine!
There was a good natured wine stomping contest...the winning team receiving a case of wine!
Free tours around the vineyard. Ours was acompanied by a Nashville singer, as he serenaded us per request. We heard one very soulful version of Desperado that moistened a few eyes...as we toured the property.
It seems Coyote Canyon is becoming a family adventure. As my
sister (click on sister to check out her post) sits on top of her Montana home site enjoying their wine at the end of a long day.
This past weekend, my son, daughter and son-in-law got a peek behind the scenes workings of the winery. Josh and Tyler got to help punch down the grapes. While we all enjoyed a preview of next year's product as John Gabriell who is now working as their wine maker gave us the tour.
Some of our family favorites: Megan "Life is a Rose" Josh "Cabernet Sauvignon" Tyler "Roussanne" Dan "Mourvedre" I am torn between the "Viognier & Sangiovese" and everybody loves the "Albarino"
John has said yes to a request to come to my home in December to do a wine tasting for our WWW club. Let me know who is interested?
