90 attend first Taste of Wahluke Slope

MATTAWA - The Mattawa Area Chamber of Commerce has declared the first Taste the Wahluke Slope, on June 22, a success.

There were more than 90 paying guests to sample wines from six wineries. The treats included Cheese Louise cheese and tortas and fruit bowls from Fergus Cafe.

"Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and we've had requests to make it an annual event," organizer Lois Thiede said.

One of the big hits was Bill Krieger and his cheeses from Cheese Louise.

"When we asked people to vote on their favorite wine at the end of the evening, one person wanted to vote for Bill," Thiede said.

Only a little more than half the total number of tickets were pre-sold. A lot of people came at 6 p.m. and paid at the door. In addition to several tastes, many people enjoyed visiting out on the patio of the Desert Aire clubhouse where the event was held.

The tasters were made up of a mix of local residents and out-of-town guests. The six participating wineries were Desert Wind, Gilbert Cellars, Ginkgo Forest, Jones of Washington, Milbrandt Vineyards and Tagaris.

Several Mattawa businesses, including Mendoza Market, Red Apple Market, Columbia Bank and Rosa's Boutique, donated items that were needed for the evening.

The six wineries all have vineyards on the Wahluke Slope. Of the 81,000 acres on the Slope, 6,645 acres are planted to wine grapes with 67 percent red varieties and 33 percent white.

That Wahluke Slope acreage makes up 15 percent of the state's wine-grape acreage. The Wahluke Slope was approved as the eighth American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington State in 2006.