Take a walking winery loop around the Bavarian style village of Leavenworth, where one million people visit annually to partake of its unique Bavarian village atmosphere, replete with lederhosen-clad people dancing to polka music and the tangy smell of German sausage and sauerkraut wafting through the air. These days, Leavenworth has added yet one more popular attraction for tourists and wine aficionados—wine tasting.
This friendly alpine hamlet is liberally sprinkled with tasting rooms that have sprung up in the past couple of years. We’ve mapped out an easy walking loop to over a dozen of them, all located within a five minute walk of each other in the center of the town’s bustling tourist district.
What better place to start your Leavenworth wine tasting than with Ed and Pat Rutledge’s Eagle Creek Winery, Leavenworth’s first winery? This charming and interesting couple have been making wine for 17 years, and have been in Leavenworth for ten years.
With a one-acre vineyard at their winery outside of the downtown, they also import 12 tons of grapes from Milbrandt, Sagemoor, and Bacchus Vineyards and produce about 4,000 cases each year. They produce five reds and five whites.
Eagle Creek is especially proud of its crisp, traditional German Riesling, and the rich, fragrant, spicy Montage (60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot). If you want to live your wine tasting weekend to the max, book the gorgeously decorated Wine Suite at the Innsbrucker Inn that Pat owns and manages—just 20 paces from the nearest tasting room on Front Street.
Located beneath the Leavenworth Starbucks, Okanogan Estate & Vineyards draws its fruit from its estate vineyards in Okanogan Valley. Winemaker Mike Buckmiller currently produces eleven wines and is primarily known for his sweet whites, including a sweet dessert late harvest Sauvignon with a nose full of tropical fruit including bananas, pineapple, and coconut with a lemon grass finish. The ultra-sweet dessert Chardonnay Ice Wine has a golden raisin aroma and flavors of ripe orchard fruit, and clover honey. Their signature red blend is the 2005 Bench Rock, barreled for 20 months with a spicy aroma of spice and vanilla.
Terry and Vivian Flanagan of Ryan Patrick Vineyards grow their grapes on 70 acres of land in Bishop (on the Columbia River) and 20 acres in Homestead near Quincy that has been in the family for three generations. Their first vines were planted in 1996 with the first release in 2001. Their noted Washington winemaker Craig Mitrakul makes seven wines at their winery in neighboring Cashmere.
Rock Island Red and Naked Chardonnay are perennial favorites but other top sellers include a Barbera with a rich hue, gentle tannins and a smoky taste with blackberry finish. The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has cherry, rhubarb and spice aromas.
Swakane Winery is a family-owned boutique winery with estate vineyards overlooking the Columbia River just north of Wenatchee. They produce three whites, three reds, and two dessert wines. Try the 2007 Riesling, with a hint of sweetness, mandarin orange, white peach and a mineral touch; and the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon with licorice and black cherry aromas and a lingering coffee finish.
Specializing in small productions of an eclectic selection of hand-crafted wines, Icicle Ridge Winery owners Lou and Judy Wagoner and winemaker Don Wood make a diverse selection of reds, whites, and blends.
Try their outstanding floral White Riesling with rose blossom and honeysuckle aroma, and a green apple and hint of lemon taste; and the Vintner’s Reserve Blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. In the mood for something sweet? Take home a bottle of Chocolate Cherry Passion; it’s a great pour on cheesecake or as a sipping dessert wine.
Rob Newsom’s winemaking talent is evident the minute you taste the smooth and deeply complex red wines of Boudreaux Cellars. He’s particularly proud of his Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Newsom sources his grapes from some of the top vineyards in the state including Bacchus, Champoux, Seven Hills, and Wallula Vineyards. Try his 2006 Merlot with a long delivery of sweet hickory smoke, licorice tobacco, and spice. “This could be the best Merlot we ever produced,” says Rob. The 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has good horsepower, lots of fruit, good balance and finesse.
Bob Richards is a no-nonsense horticulturalist who grows his own fruit and makes 120 cases of wine annually at his 8.5-acre Bella Terrazza Vineyards. He loves pouring his wines and discussing them with wine lovers of all kinds, especially beginners.
No pretentiousness here, just a love of the vino and meeting the people who
enjoy it. Try the Cabernet Franc, with a hint of green peppers, a bold and fruity mouth and a plum and walnut finish; or his Estate Pinot Grigio, with an inviting bouquet of grapefruit and orange and subtle taste of berries and melon.
The oldest tasting room in Leavenworth, Kestrel Vintners, is popular for their iconic Lady in Red collectable bottle series, brimming with intense, ripe black and red fruit flavors. Known mainly for their large lineup of reds, their Leavenworth White is emerging as a solid seller.
The dry Rosé is a complex blend of Sangiovese, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo.
Stemilt Creek Winery began making wine in 2003 and just opened their tasting room in Leavenworth last May. The Mathison family has been growing fruit for 100 years, or five generations, and Stemilt Fruits is the largest Cherry Packing Company in the world. So it’s little wonder all their wines are estate grown. They currently produce 14 different wines including Merlot, Cabernet, and Syrah.
Another relative newcomer to the winemaking business, Bergdorf Cellars uses grapes from over 20 vineyards around Washington. Austrian winemaker John Delvo uses traditional techniques for his handcrafted wines, producing over 4,000 cases each year since he began in 2005.
His reds are aged 36 months in French oak and naturally, he makes a spicy Gluhwein for the holiday season (served warm and delicious!) using an authentic Austrian recipe. Other wines in his repertoire include a low sugar Riesling, Chardonnay, Double Cabernet, and Malbec.
Located upstairs in the same large room as Bergdorf Cellars, Baroness Cellars wines are made by Danielle Clements who produces 1200 cases each year. Her Mountain Meritage is very popular, a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot with a ruby red color, a hint of coffee and vanilla on the nose.
On the street level at the east end of Front Street, look for the carved wooden bear and you’ll find Pasek Cellars. They’re known for unique fruit wines ranging from a refreshing, crisp Cranberry, a moderately sweet Raspberry wine and a full bodied sweet Blackberry wine. The fruits are from the Skagit Valley, the passion fruit from Peru, and pineapple from Maui. Sure, you’ve had fruit wines before, but probably not like this. While some vintners blend their fruit with Gewürztraminer or Riesling, Pasek uses pure unadulterated fruit—no grapes at all.
Located in same tasting room as Pasek Cellars, Willow Crest Winery is best known for its crisp Pinot Gris with hints of apple and pear, and Syrah with rich dark berries, a hint of smoke and lingering finish. Yakima Valley wine grape grower David Minick and his family have been growing grapes since 1982, and opened his estate winery in 1995 to monitor control from vine to wine. You can also taste Willow Crest wines at their tasting room in Prosser’s Vintner’s Village.
Written by Roy Stevenson