Posts tagged with 'Arbor Crest Wine Cellars'

Arbor Crest Is A Little Slice Of Heaven

  • Posted on March 17, 2010 at 4:35 pm

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, in Spokane, Washington, three times now and each time it is worth remembering the visit.  Built in 1924 by Royal Newton Riblet, the three-story Florentine house is surrounded by an arched gatekeeper’s house, sunken rose garden, open-air pagoda, terraced flower and herb gardens, and a life-sized checkerboard.  Arbor Crest Wine Cellars purchased the National Historic Landmark in 1985.  Kristina Mielke-van Loben Sels is the winemaker and is the second generation of the Mielke family to oversee Arbor Crest.  She came from Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery in Napa and Sonoma, California, one of my favorite wineries from California.  She is married to experienced viticulturist James van Loben Sels, which makes them quite the tandem at Arbor Crest.

During my past visits I’ve experienced music on a sweltering afternoon at Arbor Crest, where they hold live music events each Sunday in the summer, sipping on their Sauvignon Blanc and swing dancing to great music.  I’ve also took out-of-town family members up for a taste of Eastern Washington’s summer and Eastern Washington’s wine.  This last time I went up all by my lonesome to taste some of Arbor Crest Wine Cellars newer vintages.

This time I was the only one in the tasting room and Shelby greeted me with a friendly hello followed by a warm smile.  The one thing I have noticed about the wine industry, with very few expceptions, is that everybody is just so nice.  Oh, sure, I’ve occasionally ran into snobs or people that just don’t want to be doing what they’re doing, but not very many.  This stop was no exception.  Shelby was knowledgable about the wine she was pouring and very easy to talk with. 

I tasted six of their wines this day.  Among them, their Sauvignon Blanc from Bacchus Vineyard, Sangiovese from Wahluke Slope Vineyard, Cabernet Franc from Conner Lee Vineyard, Petite Sirah from Wahluke Slope Vineyard, Malbec from Wahluke Slope Vineyard and Dionysus Meritage Red blend.  Arbor Crest does not grow their own grapes or have their own vineyard other than what you see when you drive in, which is used, according to Shelby, only for their sparklers.

A couple of the wines prompt extra mention.  Their Sangiovese was very warm with an extra zing on the end.  There were rich aromas of plum.  I am not normally a fan of Sangiovese because of the lack of nose and just a bland taste.  I have tasted some $100 a bottle Chianti’s that are 100% Sanviovese that I just didn’t really like until they started blending them with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Sangiovese’s that Washington is producing seem to have a much more defining nose, I’ve noticed.  In fact, we just tried a Maryhill Sangiovese that was very similar.

The Arbor Crest Sangiovese sells for $18 a bottle which makes this a great value.

One that sells for a bit more ($45 a bottle) but I STILL consider a great value is their Meritage Blend Dionysus.  I rated this VERY GOOD.  It consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.  This wine packs a punch and has good depth with many personalities.  There were tannins in this wine, to be sure, but not too tongue ripping.

Next time you’re in Spokane and want a unique experience head on up to the crest of Spokane and visit Arbor Crest Wine Cellars and enjoy the breathtaking view to go with your choice of wine.  And when you do, write me to tell me what you thought of it!

Until next time, thanks so much for reading and bottoms up!

What a Great Surprise!

  • Posted on February 21, 2009 at 11:12 pm

Some things you can never predict.  Have you ever had one of those nights when the stars all aligne perfectly and you never expected it?  That’s what happened tonight. 

As you may or may not know we are living in North Idaho and it’s beautiful.  Today got up to a balmy 45 degrees and the sun was out and it glistened on the snow.  Just beautiful.  Then the Huskies beat USC and kept an arms length to those pesky Bruins of UCLA and the “other” UC school there at Berkley. 

Then the magic started shaping up.  OK, so it was 45 and sunny today but when it’s clear like this the temperature drops fast at night.  So there I was, walking outside with two steaks on a plate and it’s 17 degrees.  And there I am barbequeing.  Chilly yes, but I’m looking forward to a great dinner with a Cabernet Sauvignon. 

We opened a 2005 Cab from Arbor Crest Wine Cellars in Spokane, Washington.  We’ve visited this winery one summer a couple of years ago when we went to listen to some jazz and drink some wine.  At the time I was not very enamored with the wine but the property that the winery sits on is unbelievable.  A Florentine house built in 1n 1924 sits on a bluff overlooking a river valley below.  Arbor Crest Wine Cellars purchased the National Historic Landmark in 1985.

The wine was young but very good, indeed.  I think Cabernet Sauvignon is my very favorite red wine if I had to pick one.  I love the full body and berry nose.  I think if this wine were to be layed down for a bit it would be really very good.

So, now for our surprise.  Remember, the last post I made I told you I was going to explain about Open That Bottle Night.  Here it is, in a nutshell.  Dorothy (Dottie) Gaitor and John Brecher write the Tastings column for the Wall Street Journal.  I recommend everyone read their column any time you have the chance.  It used to run on Fridays but now it is every Saturday.  They write in the most down to earth way that shouldn’t intimidate anyone wanting to know more about wine. 

We stumbled across these two after reading their book, “Love by the Glass” which you can find, and should buy, at Amazon.com.  It is probably the best romantic wine book written.  I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of it.  After we read the book we began to read their column every week.  February 28th will mark their 10th year of Open That Bottle Night, or OTBN.  The idea was born from many letters and e-mails they recieved asking when they should open “that special bottle of wine”?

You know that wine, yes?  Everybody has one.  It’s that special, SPECIAL bottle of wine that the occasion or event never quite seems to match.  So there the bottle sits.  And sits.  And after it’s done sitting it sits a little longer.  Until…it goes bad. 

Open That Bottle Night is for just that sort of bottle.  We sort of jumped the gun by one week.  Shelley pulled out a bottle of Sterling Vineyards Light Zinfandel Port  NV from the pantry.  It’s been kicking around there for awhile and it had not been stored very well.  It even had a slight wine stain running straight through the middle of the label.  So she opened it up and to her and my surprise it was fabulous!  She had bought this in March of 1982 and it was made in 1978  even though it is a non vintage wine. 

I talked with Mike at the winery and he says they don’t even call this Port anymore because to be called Port means it has to be from Portugal and Sterling Vineyards is from Napa, California.  When they make this particular wine now they call it Light Zinfandel Port Styled Dessert Wine.

So we encourage you to take that bottle of wine that you’ve been waiting for “the” special occasion and drink it next Saturday.  Make THAT day the special occasion.

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