Chateau Ste. Michelle

A few weeks ago my Dad and stepmom, Dorian, came to Seattle for a short visit. We didn't get a lot of time together but we sure made good use of what we had. One of my favourite parts of the trip was a side-journey we took to the local Chateau Ste. Michelle. 


I usually prefer a good beer to wine, but I appreciate the history and process of each variety. And since last year was my first introduction to a brewery, I thought this would be a nice introduction to a winery. 


We started off with an explanation that yes, I am over 21, and therefore eligible for the tasting. I opted to try all four of their proffered white wines, while Dad and Dorian shared some of the reds. 

The sweeter the wine the more I like it, so their Chenin Blanc and Muscat were my two favourites. After the tasting we took a tour which was far too short. It wasn't a bottling day and since the vineyards are actually in eastern Washington, there wasn't much to see. Not that this prevented me from getting a few good photos in. 

After the tour there was another short tasting during which ice wine was hailed as a great breakfast wine. Someday I will put that tidbit of knowledge to good use. Then it was out through the gift shop where we failed to purchase anything and into the grounds. There were a few vines lining the drive that I wanted to check out since we weren't actually going to see a full vineyard. I ate a purple grape right off the vine; the pulp was very sweet and very tasty but the skin and seeds were a real problem for me. No wonder I like white wines more. 

It was a fun little experience that I hope to repeat many times. I would love to add wine culture to my resumé of interests- maybe when I have a little bit more of an income. Speaking of which, I got a tiny promotion at work to Holiday Keyholder! It doesn't really mean that much more responsibility and I don't think there is a pay raise, but it is a nice complement from a job I really like.