Three Rivers Winery Blog

Gift Shop: 10% off All Merchandise in Store

Starting today we are offering a 10% discount on ALL merchandise in our gift shop.  If you spend $150 or more we will give you a free can of WSU Cougar Gold cheese as a gift.  Nothing is excluded from the discounts except wine, so come in early for the best selection.  We have French linens, cheese knives, wine-related cookbooks, Italian pottery, dinnerware, artwork, gourmet foods and more!  Great wedding gift ideas too!  We will honor the 10% discount and gift with purchase of $150+ through the end of August. 

New Benefits of Three Rivers Wine Club

We have some exciting wine club news to share with you!  After much thought, we have added some incentives to make membership in the Three Rivers wine club more rewarding. 

1. Bigger Re-order Discounts:   The more bottles per wine club shipment you sign up for, the bigger the re-order discounts will be.  The standard 2 bottle shipment discounts will remain the same at 10% off bottles and 20% off cases. If you elect to receive 4 bottles per shipment you will receive 15% off bottles and 25% off cases.  If you elect to receive 6 bottles per shipment you will receive 25% off bottles and 35% off cases.  These re-order discounts will apply only to the current wine club selections and will remain effective until the next shipment goes out, at which point the selections will change again.        
2. Anniversary Rewards:   As a thank you, each year you spend as a member of our wine club, you will receive a gift certificate to spend on anything you like in the tasting room or on our website.  Gift certificates will be mailed out in January of each year and will be rounded to the nearest year. Gift certificates will not be redeemable for cash and must be used up in one purchase.                           
3. Wine Club Member Receptions: During Walla Walla Valley Spring Release and Holiday Barrel Tasting weekends we will host special member events/receptions.  These receptions will include special foods, promotions and gifts.

We hope you find our new wine club incentives exciting and beneficial to your experience in the Three Rivers Wine Club.  If you are a current member of the wine club and wish to increase the number of bottles you receive in each shipment, or if you would like to sign up for the Three Rivers Wine Club, please give me a call at 509-526-9463. 

Cheers!  Amy Locati, Wine Club Manager

Al Stewart Concert

Despite temperatures in the 100's, Al Stewart took the stage and gave the performance of a lifetime with guitarist Dave Nachmanoff playing alongside him. Nachmanoff opened the show with some songs and guitar riffs from his own albums. When it was time for Stewart to take the stage, he joked that he thought it would be a good idea for Nachmanoff to continue playing until the sun went down so he could start his own performance in cooler conditions.  Everyone in the sold out amphitheater loved the performances of both artists and sipped wine until the concert ended at dusk.  Many people took advantage of the free shuttle service from the Marcus Whitman Hotel, and we would like to thank Blue Stocking Tours for providing this service for us.  This ensured that no one had to park near the highway and also ensured a safe ride home after drinking wine.  We will be providing this service again for our next concert this summer:  Geoff Tate on September 20, 2008.  We would like to thank Walla Walla Catering for providing the delicious picnic dinner for our concert-goers.  To everyone who attended the Al Stewart concert, we all had a great time talking, laughing and enjoying the afternoon with you.

Summer Sale on Estate Rose'

Summer is in full swing and we thought it might be nice to offer our 2006 Estate Rose' at a special price so you can stock up while it is hot.  This dry Rose' of Cabernet Franc is perfect for your pool parties, backyard barbecues, wedding receptions and even makes a nice granita! (See recipe below).  We have priced this irresistible Rose' at the even more irresistible price of $8.00 per bottle.  Get it before it's gone!

Three Rivers Rose' Granita Recipe Courtesy of Sunset Magazine

The crisp and fruity flavors of Rose' shine through in this light, snowy frozen dessert, so use a wine that you'd enjoy drinking. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Pour mixture into a 9- by 13-in. freezer-proof baking dish, stir in 1 bottle (750 ml) rose wine and 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours. Stir mixture, breaking up any chunks, re-cover, and freeze at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. When ready to serve, scrape mixture with a fork (using the back of the fork to smoosh any chunks) to create soft mounds of icy "snow." Serve immediately.

Estate Vineyard in Bloom

The Estate Vineyard at Three Rivers Winery is a little behind normal but this week's temperatures should put us back on track.  The Cabernet Franc block is about 95% complete with bloom.  The Cabernet Sauvignon block just started bloom June 13th and should be finished up towards the end of this week.  We have had a crew go through the vineyard three times this past month desuckering the trunks of the vines, shoot thinning, and training the shoots up into the catch wires.  The vines look to be in great health and have survived through the Winter with little or no damage. 

Wine Rack to Fit Magnum Bottles

Having trouble displaying that nice magnum of wine you have?  We found a really nice metal wine rack that is created by a couple right here in Washington State.  On their search to find a wine rack to display their own magnum of wine, they found that there were not any wine racks on the market that would fit a magnum.  This lead them to design and create their own winerack, which they now sell to the public.  The wine rack is created of welded metal in a nice black color with hints of dark copper veining.  It is called the 'Magnum Maid' and is available in both single ($65) or double ($75 shown in photos) to showcase your favorite magnum of wine while keeping it at the correct angle for optimum storage.  It can also fit a regular 750ml bottle of wine. 

This would  be a great Father's Day gift for that wine lover who has everything!  Even better...add one of our limited edition magnums of wine signed by Super Bowl XXVI MVP Quarterback Mark Rypien ($70) for a one-of-a-kind gift!

 

Queensryche's Geoff Tate Creates "Insania" Red Wine at Three Rivers Winery!

Queensryche front man Geoff Tate has teamed up with us to create a new red wine signature blend called Geoff Tate "Insania."

"Insania" is a Latin word meaning insanity, irrationality, madness. 

Tate, who has been deeply involved in the development of this special blend, states that "Insania is a creative project similar to the process of making music. Wine has been an important part of my life and the creation of Insania is yet another avenue to express my creativity and give my fans something more they can enjoy. With a limited production, I hope everyone who loves wine will join me in this wonderful new venture."

Winemaker Holly Turner is equally excited about the new offering. "Geoff Tate simply rocks and so does his love of wine," says Turner. "We share this passion for wine and have put together a powerful blend that represents Geoff. We feel so fortunate to be working with such a well-respected artist that is also a friend."
We hope to launch "Insania" at the Geoff Tate concert on September 20, 2008 at the winery. The show will mark Tate's first solo performance in six years.

With mutual respect for the artistry of wine and music, the bond between Tate and Three Rivers was instantaneous.

"Here's to fine wine and Rock and Roll," comments Tate. "Cheers!"

May Bottling

Well, it seems like we just did this but I guess it is a never-ending cycle.  Bottling happens twice a year, and this time we are wrapping up our 2007 white wines and our 2006 red wines, for the most part.  This will allow us to clear out some barrels and make room for the fruit from the upcoming 2008 harvest.  The wines being bottled are: 2007 Chardonnay, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (Yes, this is a new one), 2007 Grenache, 2006 Boushey Vineyards Syrah, 2006 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2006 Malbec-Merlot.  This actually comes at a great time since we are just about sold out of our current Chardonnay and Malbec-Merlot wines,  and the Grenache has been sold out for a few months now.  We hope to start releasing the white wines late this summer and the red wines this winter.  As soon as they are ready they will be listed on our website so check back often!

Blind Tasting Glasses

Most of us have been to a blind wine tasting event or two, but has anyone ever used the Riedel Sommelier black tasting glasses?  The idea is to have a double-blind tasting so that not only do you not know the maker of the wine, but you do not know the color of the wine.  I must tell you many have been fooled by some white wines, mistaking them for reds when tasted in a blind/black glass.  We carry the black Riedel Sommelier 'O' series wineglasses in the tasting room, as well as a black Riedel Cornetto decanter.  I challenge anyone who thinks they can tell the difference between red and white wine to try a double-blind wine tasting.  You might be surprised! 

Besides the obvious purpose of the blind glasses and decanter, the black color really makes an elegant and modern statement on the dining table.  They are an individualists dream glass!

   

The Great Wineries of Washington

A new book by Fred and Mardi Nystrom features Three Rivers Winery, along with 30 other exceptional wineries.  Fred and Mardi visited hundreds (but not all) of the 540 wineries in Washington, but they had three main requirements to pass their personal test to be included in the book.  First, the winery must have a welcoming facility for customers to enjoy while sampling their wines.  Second, they must have a trained staff that provides you with both an educational experience and a warm sense of hospitality.  Third, they must produce a great product.  If the winery did not have all three traits, they did not include them in this book. 

This is a great book for someone who wants to plan a driving tour of Washington's best wineries.  The book is laid out so that the tour starts in Seattle, heads over to Chelan and Wenatchee, and then South through Yakima, Tri-Cities and then east to Walla Walla.  The final stop in the journey is Spokane.  The book features beautiful color pictures, background information on each winery, and some personable insight from winemakers.  Also included is an easy to follow guide listing out wineries by the varietals they produce.  This is great at narrowing down the list for anyone interested in visiting a winery based on what it produces.

Other Walla Walla wineries included in the book are: L'Ecole No.41, Reininger, Cougar Crest, Dunham Cellars, Five Star Cellars, Walla Walla Vintners, Whitman Cellars, Pepper Bridge, Northstar, Va Piano, Saviah and Basel Cellars.  We are excited to be in such good company!