Beautiful Surroundings and Great Wines At Cathedral Ridge

From Drop Box

How many times have you driven down the Gorge to Portland and seen the many billboards advertising Cathedral Ridge Winery? I know that I’ve seen those billboards 100 plus times and never actually took the time to leave the freeway and make a quick stop. Finally, the signs beckoned, and I found myself taking the exit at Hood River.

After the exit, and a quick winding drive up Country Club Road, we easily found the winery set back into the garden setting that surrounds it.

I was there on a Monday, so I expected it to be a rather quiet visit. Much to the contrary, I didn’t realize that they are one of the few wineries in the area to be open 7 days each week, and they were hopping with tourists.

Cathedral Ridge is owned by Robb Bell, who named the winery after the stunning rock face on Mount Hood that is just a few miles away. His drive to produce top quality wines in the region is evident immediately as you walk through the door of the tasting room. The awards and trophies from various competitions line the walls and shelves.

Robb brought Michael Sebastiani, 4th generation winemaker from the famed Sebastiani family out of Sonoma to be his winemaker. Michael was recognized in 2009 as one of the top 10 winemakers of the year. His love for the Columbia Gorge region comes from the ability to have a full palate of grapes to work from when making his wines.

The tasting room offers five varieties to sample from on any given day. (Being a journalist I was able to swindle them out of a taste or two extra.)

We started our tasting on the 2009 Riesling. I was taken by the off-dryness of this wine even though the sugar is nearly 3% I loved the way the fruit flavors ran free. Fresh apples with a hint of citrusy grapefruit on the mid-palate and a light sweetness on the finish. I bought some to pair with my spicy Mongolian barbecue.

The 2009 Chardonnay grabbed me with a nose and flavors up front of buttered popcorn. It is so rare to have a winemaker be unashamed of Chardonnay as it is meant to be. This wine is up front with butter and a finish of homemade butterscotch. Delicious!

Zinfandel from this region is magical. From the hillsides outside of the Dalles comes the fruit for the winery’s 2008 Zinfandel. Rich nose and flavors of blackberries, cassis, and mocha fill the mouth.

The 2007 Bordheauxd Red is Cathedral Ridge’s blend of Syrah, Cab, and Merlot. The wine offers blackberry, chocolate, and tobacco flavors, with a nice finish and velvet tannins.

I had the opportunity to taste a few other wines, as I mentioned, that were all fantastic, but one other that I want to talk about is the 2008 Bangsund Pinot Noir. For those of you who stray away from traditional Pinots because of their musty earthen flavors I highly recommend you try this one. The nose of plum and maple mix with flavors of bright cherry and cinnamon. Very nice!

Next time you are on your way past Hood River I encourage you to do as I did and stop at Cathedral Ridge.

Enjoy!

Columbia Gorge Passport Week Coming Up

Last weekend I attended a conference down in Portland. Rather than rushing back home late on Sunday night and making it home at 2 a.m., my wife and I decided to stay over until Monday and take in a little rest and relaxation. What a great idea that was! Not only did we get to do some needed shopping, but we got to visit a few wineries along the Gorge that I hadn’t visited before.

I’ll be sharing with you my winery notes over the next couple of weeks, but this week I want to talk about an important upcoming wine event literally just down the street from your home.

The Columbia Gorge became an official AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 2004. Until then this beautiful region along the Columbia River was part of the gargantuan region called Columbia Valley. Just like many of the other AVAs in the Northwest, the Columbia Gorge winemakers have formed a great association, where they pool their efforts, bringing people into the region to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

One of the greatest aspects of the Columbia Gorge region is that it offers an unprecedented number of micro-climates not seen anywhere else in the Northwest. I don’t know if you realize this, but there is approximately 10 inches of rain per year average difference between Hood River and the Dalles.

Along with moisture, there are huge differences in soils, elevations, and average temperatures. All of these differences make it possible to grow everything from the heartiest to the finickiest grapes possible in a relatively small area. You can find estate Pinot Noir, Spanish Varietals, delicate Alsace varietals, and hearty Zinfandels in just a few minutes drive of each other.

Because of that ability to grow and make such a wine range of wines, the Columbia Gorge annual event is called “Passport Week, A World of Wines in 40 Miles”.

The week kicks off on Monday, March 28th from 1p.m. to 4p.m. for a private tasting for people in the wine trade such as myself. Wine writers and industry bloggers, distributors, store and restaurant staff will converge on the Urban Studio at 935 NW Davis Street in Portland. This event is not open to the public, but if you are in the industry I suggest emailing info@columbiagorgewine.com to get in the door.

The event will then open up to the public from 5p.m. to 8p.m. with hors d’ oeuvres, a complimentary wine glass, tastings, and a “passport” to the wineries. The cost for this event will be $25 and well worth it. If you are in the Portland Pearl District area I would highly recommend getting there. What a great way to start the week.

“Passport Weekend” starts on April 1st and runs through the 3rd. 25 Columbia Gorge region wineries will be participating in the event. You can get your passport by going to www.columbiagorgewine.com or search “Gorge Wine” on your iPhone for the passport app. The cost is $15 each, and saves you hundreds of dollars in tasting fees, lodging, and dining for the weekend. You can also pick up a passport at the wineries, but why wait until you’re there to jump in.

As always, enjoy, and be safe when tasting. I encourage eating, drinking water, and assigning a designated driver. 25 wineries in under 40 miles is a lot of wine!