Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery
Cliff Club – Summer 2015
Greetings and happy summer!
Enclosed is your 2015 summer installment of the Cliff Club, a gorgeous mix of wines to quench your thirst for the season. Last year we
introduced a new blend to our product line-up: Petroglyph Red. It was an instant hit and you all screamed for more. We listened and
responded accordingly… With the great “Super Tuscan” wines in mind, our second version of Petroglyph Red is a true Italian Stallion.
Blending Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Barbera, this is a wine we’ll be talking
about long after it’s gone. We’ve made sure you all get a bottle of the new release –
and always popular – Grenache, as well as the cult favorites Goat Head Red and
Blood Red Barbera. Yet another addition to the Cascade Cliffs family is our 2014
Riesling, a beautiful example of this classic German varietal, sourced from the warm
and sunny confines of the Columbia Valley here in the Gorge. And finally, we
thought we’d sweeten the pot for this Cliff Club and throw in one of our Reserve
wines- the 2012 RSV Cabernet Sauvignon, a serious wine made by not-so-serious
people.
By now, you are all aware of the particular benefits of being a club member. But as a
refresher, here are some of the perks for your participation in our winery:
~ Accessibility: Many of our wines are made in small batches (less than 100
cases). As a club member, you have “first rights” to all our wines and, at times, are
the only ones who can purchase these. And you won’t find many – if any – of our
wines in your local grocery store.
~Savings: Our club discounts are the best in the business, period. Club packages like
this one are half-off full retail. Depending on your level of membership, all other
wine purchases are 25-30% off retail. And our on-line deals for club members offer
deep discounts sometimes in excess of 50% off. Finally, our club members will never
pay for any tastings at any of our locations.
~Events: Every month, we hold some type of party or educational theme tasting at
the winery. These are interactive events, often paired with home-made food, where club
members can taste library wines and fire away with questions. And by the way, they
are always free of charge.
These benefits may seem extraneous to some wineries but we believe in the concept of loyalty. If you have chosen to join our wine club, we
promise that you will feel a sense of pride being part of our family. This philosophy has served us well, as our wine clubs continue to grow.
As they say, “what comes around, goes around”…
With good, sunny cheer,
~All of us at Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery
Cliff Notes
2013 Columbia Valley Goat Head Red
The Lowdown: The Goat is back and this vintage utilizes Pinot Noir from Underwood mountain here in the Gorge as its base
(70%) and is rounded out with Zinfandel (15%) and Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache (5% each). This is an incredibly drinkable house red that is easy on
the tannins and acidity but big in red berry flavors.
Food pairings: You name it… Here’s a
wine that can pair easily with a wide variety of foods including pastas, sandwiches, appetizers, and salmon.
Aging: Enjoy this as a young, fresh red wine.
2014 Columbia Valley Riesling
The
Lowdown: We source this fruit from a small vineyard in Oregon within the Columbia Valley AVA. The vineyard receives more heat and light than many other NW
plantings of this German varietal and, therefore, has a soft, rich mouthfeel. Intense aromas of clover honey are followed by ripe flavors of honeycrisp apple, yellow
peach, and golden raisin. While this is not a true “Dry Riesling”, it is not overloaded with residual sugar either.
Food pairings: A great sipping wine without food, our 2014 Riesling would also pair well with goat cheese, fresh summer salads, and lemon-garlic pork
loin.
Aging: Believe it or not, Riesling is
a great wine to age. It has solid acidity which helps preserve the wine for years, and the rich, caramelized flavors that develop over time can be amazing. Drink now or
hold for another 4-5 years.
2013 Columbia Valley Grenache
The Lowdown: This vintage of Grenache is a powerhouse, boasting a whopping 15.7 % alcohol. Highly aromatic and packed with red
raspberry and wild strawberry flavors, this wine will once again be a crowd favorite. This is our third vintage and definitely our most
intense. Only 100 + cases were produced, so don’t wait too long to get your extra bottles!
Food pairings: This wine pairs well with grilled pork chops, corn on the cob, and good friends.
Aging: Not necessarily a wine we recommend laying down for a long while, yet it would benefit from another 2-3 years in the bottle to
soften up a bit.
2013 Columbia Valley Petroglyph Red
The Lowdown: Last year we introduced our newest blend to the CC family, and a star was born. For this vintage of Petroglyph, we
ramped up the fruit and overall intensity of the wine by blending Sangiovese (45%), Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) and Barbera (20%).
Call it a “Super Tuscan-Piemontese”… All three varietals used for the blend were barrel-aged for one year before blending in tank. And
just like the first Petroglyph, it’s unorthodox and utterly delicious. Dark berry and cherry flavors rush the palate while the Cabernet’s
tannin and Barbera’s acid provide structure and length on the finish. A serious yet fun wine.
Food pairings: Pair this wine with grilled steak, ribs, or Italian sausage.
Aging: A great wine to lay down for another few years- blends sometimes want extra time on the bottle in order for all the varietals
and flavors they possess to “marry” and harmonize better. Still, it sure tastes good right now!
2012 Columbia Valley RSV Cabernet Sauvignon
The Lowdown: A stellar example of this noble varietal, our Reserve Cab benefitted from an extra 10 months in the barrel (22 months total), giving the wine deeper and
more complex qualities. Flavors of black cherry, clove, and black pepper abound, while firm tannins and bright spice on the finish round out this wine beautifully.
Food pairings: The tannins in this wine begs for red meat, but try pairing it with grilled Portobello mushrooms.
Aging: A great aging candidate,
this wine will evolve and develop beautifully for another 5-7 years.
2013 Columbia Valley Blood Red Barbera
The Lowdown: Never had the Blood Red before? Buckle up… This is an extreme, modern style of wine made from a historical Italian varietal. We bring the grapes in at a
very high level of sugar (brix) and ferment it slow and cool as to retain a small amount of residual sugar. The result is a wine that has intensity, richness, and a
truckload of flavor.
Food pairings: Because of the
intensity of fruit in this wine, it can overwhelm many foods. But don’t be afraid to pair it with sweet and smoky barbeque.
Aging: Barbera doesn’t have naturally strong tannins, so don’t lay this wine down too long. Drink now through 2017.
Winery News
No, seriously… It’s open!
It was last
fall when we first mentioned “Woodinville Tasting Room” to all of you. Ok, our vision of opening then – or any time soon thereafter – was a bit
ambitious. But hey, all good things come to those who wait. And after countless emails and phone inquiries about this phantom tasting room up north,
you deserve this next statement: We are now open for business in Woodinville!
Many of you are residents of King County or live very close to this area. Please come on by and check us out! You can pick up your club packages there,
taste some wine, and grab a bite at the new restaurant, Tandem, right next door to us. We’re just getting going there, but suffice to say, we’ll be hosting
our own events at the tasting room and taking part in the various winery events within the community. If you love food and wine and you’ve not been
to this small, wine-centric suburb of Seattle, you need to go. There are countless tasting rooms, gourmet eateries, brew pubs, and boutique shops to
explore. We’re thrilled to be part of this dynamic, wine-centric community and can’t wait to convert all comers to the mystical ways of Barbera and
Nebbiolo! See back of newsletter for contact information.
More Press…
We’ve received some more press for our wines as of late and would like to share this information with
you. We’d also like to thank you, dear club members, for alerting us of these write-ups, photos, etc. And
as always, we give a ton of thanks for the kind words, but try and keep a good perspective about awards
and the like- the most important opinions are yours…
~In the May 6th News Tribune article entitled “Barbera grape variety looks to grow in NW”, our 2013
Estate Barbera was one of the five recommended NW examples of this classic Italian varietal.
~Our 2012 Horse Heaven Hills RSV Nebbiolo was one of the six recommended wines in the The
Spokeman-Review’s May 22nd article entitled “Gold-medal hills. Horse Heaven wines among contest’s
best”.
~Our 2013 Estate Barbera received a recommendation in the June 12th Seattle Times article entitled “So
far, so good for 2013 Washington reds”.
Summer Bottling!
Once upon a time, we bottled wine once a year, in the cold of January. Nowadays, we split up our
bottling run with one session in the summer, and one in the winter. This August 20th – 22nd, we’ll begin
bottling some of our 2014 vintage wines, including the long-awaited Estate Dolcetto. It’s loud, it’s fast and furious, and it’s fairly dangerous- just the
way we like it here. Come on by the winery and check it out- it’s a great opportunity to see the final stage of winemaking in action. And you don’t have
to actually do anything except watch and learn... and taste!
On Deck…
As mentioned on the cover of the newsletter. One of the benefits of being a club member is the opportunity to take part in our events held here
at the winery. These gatherings are always focused on our club members and will give you a better sense of our wines. The events also allow
you to meet other “family members”, converse with our staff, and see where the fruit is grown for many of our wines.
Here is a list of dates to mark on your
calendar for the season:
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 Saturday, August 1st: Cliff
Club pick-up party! Where: Wishram.
When: 12-6PM. What: Live music,
appetizers to pair with your club
selections, and extended wine menu.
 Friday, August 7th: First
Friday. Where: Hood River. When: 4-8
PM. What: Monthly celebration of
downtown businesses; live music,
small bites, and extended wine menu.
Friday – Sunday, August 20-22: Summer Bottling and Anniversary Party. Where: Wishram. When:
10 AM -6 PM. What: First bottling run of the year- Goat Head red, Dolcetto, Grenache, Malbec,
and Zinfandel will be bottled on site. Tours of the bottling process all weekend, volunteers
welcome! Sunday the 22nd will be our official Anniversary Party.
Friday, September 4th: First Friday. Where: Hood River. When: 4-8 PM. What: Monthly
celebration of downtown businesses; live music, small bites, and extended wine menu.
Friday – Monday, September 4th – 7th:
Labor Day Weekend. Where: All
locations. When: Open hours. What: Live
music, appetizers, extended wine menu.
Details to come.
Saturday, September 19th: Theme tasting.
Where: Wishram. When: 2 – 5 PM. What:
TBD.
Thank you all for your continued support and
bright, smiling faces! We hope to see you all at
some point this summer and would love to hear
your feedback on the wines. Cheers!
Contact Information:
Hood River: 211 Oak St. Hood River, OR 97031 (541-436-4215)
Wishram: 8866 HWY 14. Wishram, WA 98673. (503-767-1100)
Woodinville: 15029 Woodinville-Redmond Rd., Suite 300. Woodinville, WA 98072. (425-398-9520)