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Red Mountain AVA Alliance Block Party 2013


There's a party at the end of the month you don't want to miss. 
The Red Mountain AVA Alliance Block Party!

 Red Mountain AVA Alliance presents the second annual Red Mountain AVA Block Party on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 each available online at
http://redmountainblockparty.eventbrite.com

This all day wine event will be held on Red Mountain, located in SE Washington, just minutes from the city of Richland. I missed the first Red Mountain Block Party last year, I'm not missing out this year. I was told by friends that it was an amazing day of wine, food and wine education.

This year participants will receive a map to start the tour of Red Mountain wineries, then explore on foot or by car; savvy tasters will take the "little red trolley" which they can use all day for free as it drives around Red Mountain. There's an impressive array of premium Red Mountain wineries participating this year, those partaking are in for a treat - see the complete list below.

Ticket holders can ride the red trolley for free all day.

*Note: Certain venues will have specialized tastings with a limited number of participants; if you arrive and a tour or tasting is full, you may have to wait until the next tour or tasting begins.

Your Red Mountain Block Party Ticket will permit you to:

  • Spend time with winemakers, vineyard owners and growers
  • Sample wines at participating wineries
  • Take part in vineyard walks and hikes
  • Gain an intimate education into the unique terroir of Red Mountain AVA
  • Enjoy the intimate nature of Red Mountain through a trolley trip from winery to vineyard
  • Receive a logo-ed wine glass
  • Store your wine purchases at the cold storage truck donated by Vintners Logistics

Some of the Select Events by Venue:

Ambassador Vineyard
NEW! Sit down with owner Allison Engman and learn about aromas in wines as you taste.
Ambassador Vineyard red wines.
Ambassador Vineyard Red Mountain estate vineyard.

Cooper A Red Mountain Winery
With tables set up in the vineyard, guests will taste grape varietals in the vineyard it is grown in.
Neil Cooper at his estate vineyard on Red Mountain.
Neil Cooper at Revelry on Red Mountain.
Corvus Cellars
Owners Randall and Jennifer Hopkins return to open their Red Mountain Tasting Room for the ONLY time this season.
Randall and Jennifer Hopkins at Revelry on Red Mountain.

DeLille Cellars Doyenne
At the Winemaker’s Tent (in the Williams family’s backyard) Chris Upchurch will talk about clones at 11, 2 and 4.
DeLille Cellars Doyenne white wine.
Fidelitas
Learn about Red Mountain by comparing six different vineyard wines made by one winemaker. Owner and winemaker Charlie Hoppes will be mingling with guests and explaining the differences that come from different vineyards out on the patio!
Healthy pour on the patio at Fidelitas winery.
Fidelitas tasting room.
Frichette Winery
NEW TO RED MOUNTAIN! Offering Food Pairing 101 classes on their tasting room lawn.

Hamilton Cellars Vineyard
NEW TO RED MOUNTAIN! Nationally known vineyard guru Dick Boushey will be on hand at various points in the day to explain the process of starting a vineyard from scratch. All guests that stop by will receive a 20% discount coupon and free tasting certificate good for the Richland tasting room.
Hamilton Cellars signature Malbec.
Hamilton Cellars tasting room at Queensgate Village.

The Hedges Family Estate
Pouring their Single Vintage Limited Club wines in the French Country Kitchen with cheese, the winemakers will discuss winemaking techniques. The tasting will be in the French Country Kitchen, and will be limited to 20 people at a time, every 30 minutes.
Hedges French country kitchen.
The Hedges family estate.
Hightower Cellars
A rare opportunity to learn about wine at different stages of fermentation. Tim and Kelly will also have The Butcher’s Grill BBQ on hand for food to purchase for lunch. NOTE: If Block Party guests wish to enjoy a regular wine tasting there will be an additional $5 fee.
Kelly and Tim Hightower.
Tim Hightower pouring Murray Rose at Revelry on Red Mountain.

Kiona Vineyard & Winery
Guests will sample Bordeaux blending varietals in a tasting to learn about what goes into creating/blending a Red Mountain red wine.
Scott Williams of Kiona Vineyard and Winery.
Premium Kiona wines.

MonteScarlatto Vineyards
Golf and wine is the theme at MonteScarlatto, where owner Joel McKay will host a day-long “Closest to the Pin” golf contest ($5 for two swings) with a cash prize offered. A day-long 30% off case discount will be offered. If Block Party guests wish enter the gold tournament there will be an additional $5 fee for two swings.

Tapteil Cellars
Sample wines with Larry Pearson, winemaker and Jane Pearson, owner and artist, and afterwards enjoy an old-fashioned grape stomp.
Jane and Larry Pearson at Revelry on Red Mountain.

Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard
Owner and winemaker Keith Pilgrim will taste through a vertical of Cabernet Sauvignon with guests. Their onsite Café Orsa will offer lunch for purchase.
Keith and ReNae Pilgrim in Terra Blanca wine cave.
Keith Pilgrim in Terra Blanca estate vineyard.

Participating Wineries & Vineyards
· Alexander the Grape
· Col Solare (112 places only requiring pre-registration, not open for tasting)
· Corvus Cellars
· Cooper: A Red Mountain Winery
· DeLille Cellars Doyenne/Upchurch Vineyard
· EFESTE
· Fidelitas Wines
· Frichette Winery
· Hamilton Cellars Vineyard
· Hedges Family Estate
· Hightower Cellars
· Kiona Vineyard & Winery
· Montes Scarlatto Vineyard
· Native Sun
· Obelisco Estate
· Tapteil Vineyard Winery
· Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard

This event has been made possible through the generous support of Trysk Print Solutions.

Tickets are $40 each available at http://redmountainblockparty.eventbrite.com

Hope to see you at this fantastic Red Mountain AVA party.

Cheers!

FAQ: Red Mountain AVA

Red Mountain AVA is the tiny appellation known for it’s south-west facing slopes, proximity to the Yakima River, hot days and cool nights, Red Mountain vineyards produce fruit with incredible intensity and concentration. Located between Benton City and the City of West Richland, the Red Mountain AVA is the smallest in the state at only 4,040 acres. The area has 600 acres under cultivation of primarily red varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. The reputation of the wines produced in this area has brought Red Mountain AVA worldwide acclaim. The vineyards in this appellation have produced grapes for some of the most sought after wines in Washington State. Grapes grown on Red Mountain command the highest prices per ton in Washington.
Jim Holmes in his Ciel du Cheval vineyard on Red Mountain May 2013.

In the 1970s, John Williams of Kiona Vineyards and Jim Holmes, originally of Kiona then Ciel du Cheval vineyards, pioneered grape growing in the area. In the 1980s, wines made from grapes in the Red Mountain area began receiving recognition for their distinct flavor profiles though federal laws permitted wine labels only to carry the designation as being from the Columbia Valley AVA or Yakima Valley AVA. In the late 1990s, Lorne Jacobson from Hedges Family Estates started a drive to achieve federal recognition of the area as its own AVA, which was granted in April, 2001. Hedges Family Estates' appellation petition was joined by Kiona Vineyards, Blackwood Canyon Vintners, Sandhill Winery, Seth Ryan Winery and Terra Blanca Winery.
Source: Wikipedia
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