Washington State Wineries
Travel to the middle of Washington State, and you’ll discover some of the most fascinating landscapes in North America. We left Seattle, and headed east of the Cascade Mountains.
Within a couple hours, we were driving past idyllic farmlands with bales of hay piled high. As we crossed over the Columbia River, we saw dramatic steep cliffs and plateaus, created by the Missoula Floods in the last Ice Age.
We explored the area around Quincy, hiked to the Ancient Lakes, and continued our adventures along the Columbia River.
Find out our recommendations on what to do and see, where to stay, dine & spa in the heart of Washington, another incredible Pacific Northwest Getaway!
DO - SEE - GO
What to Do?
While hiking to the Ancient Lakes, we met a geologist along the hiking trail who shared his knowledge about what a coulee is, and how a gigantic wall of basaltic columns with waterfalls descending to an open valley sage bush floor with ancient lakes were formed.
He said, “Long ago, when the last Ice Age began to melt, the cataclysmic Missoula Floods swept across eastern Washington and led out to the Columbia River Gorge. Glacial erratics were moved from Montana to this area, creating bluffs and coulees, and opening up the canyon for the Columbia River.”
About 30 years ago, Geologist Richard Waitt of the U.S. Geological Survey, noted that between 12-15,000 years ago, there were up to 60 flood events spanning a 2,500 years timeframe.
From the trailhead, we continued along the scarred plateau, and found a few forks along the trail, always staying to the left, hugging the coulee wall. A cacophony of birds singing, waterfalls, and winds blowing through the canyon as sagebrush skirted past us. Continuing on the trail, we walked past gigantic rocks about 30 feet high that had been moved from Montana during the flood events. Hikers can continue to Ancient Lakes, a series of pothole lakes that were carved out on the canyon floors.
Cave B shared more outdoor activities with us at this link, click here.
Spa at Sagecliffe: After our day hike, we retreated for spa treatments at the Cave B Spa at Sagecliffe. After relaxing in the constellation room, we surrendered to a facial and massage. Be sure to book an appointment, since this is a popular retreat!
Attend a Concert at The Gorge: Next door to Cave B, is the Gorge Amphitheater with panoramic cliff views and one of the most popular venues for concerts in the Pacific Northwest. Surrounded by natural beauty and some of the best acoustics, book your tickets early!
Take a Drive: Drive up to Dry Falls, Soap Lake and discover the Landscapes created by the Missoula Floods. Click here for some other places to visit that were created by the floods.
Wine Tasting along the Columbia River Wine Country
Winemaker Alfredo “Freddy” Arrendondo was busily harvesting the grapes during our stay at Cave B Inn & Spa Resort. He selects only the very best of grapes that are all sourced locally for Cave B Estate Winery, an award-winning boutique winery located in the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley.
Their 180 acres of vineyards are on the Cave B cliffs, 900 feet above the Columbia River, and the unique microclimates lend to a range of 17 varietals, and 26 different wines.
A former chef, Freddy understands how to find the best blend of wines to pair with foods.
Pete and Katie Beaumont planted their roots in the soil of Washington’s Columbia Valley. For over 30 years, the Beaumont family has grown fruit, and their passion for winemaking has resulted in award winning wines, and a booming business. Beaumont’s Member Program is very popular and members treasure their green wine jugs, and often bring them back to the tasting room for refills.
Carefully nurturing their 120-acres homestead, they started to crush and press grapes on the Crushpad, next to their working warehouse and Quincy Tasting Room. Seasonal dinners are held on the Crushpad, and visitors come to take in the warm sun, fresh rural air, taste the Beaumont wines and savor dinners.
Jones of Washington is a family owned and operated winery, where the family has planted and grown their own grapes for decades. We were greeted by Liane who paired the Jones of Washington artisan wine tastings with her delicious homemade jams – Raspberry with jalapeno, Turkish Fig, and goat cheese and crackers.
“We’ve been farming for decades and know our land really well. We know where it is best to plant grapes and to fine-tune the varietals. It’s second nature to us,” says Megan Jones.
Errant Cellars is a boutique winery producing small quantities of hand crafted award winning wines. What does Errant mean, we asked owner Megan.
She replied, “Errant means to wander without cause” and we were curious to learn more about her winemaking and techniques. Errant also means to stray outside the proper path or bounds, and Megan does this with her winemaking. She turns on music while her grapes ferment and tenderly watches over every batch to ensure the timing and temperature plays out just right. She blends the perfect mix of art and science for each vintage.
At only 33 years old, Megan is one of the youngest female winemakers in the world, and the only female winemaker in Quincy. She set up her boutique winery at 28 years old with this motto: I believe in a low intervention style of wine making, using choice grapes to produce small quantities of handcrafted wines.
Her philosophy is “good grapes produce good wines. For this reason, we select our fruit from a variety of choice vineyards located in Central Washington.”
STAY
Where to Stay?
Cave B Inn & Spa Resort is a unique destination where visitors celebrate wine, food and sense of place!
Cliffhouses and yurts dot the vineyards surrounding the estate winery, all looking out to the Columbia River and spectacular views.
There are four accommodation options to choose from: private Cliffehouses, Cavern Rooms built into the cliff face, gorgeously-appointed Inn Suites or rugged Desert Yurts among the vineyards.
The preferred getaway for romantics, getaways, lots of weddings, and the perfect place to stay when attending a concert at The Gorge.
DINE
Where to Dine?
Located in Cave B Resort’s main lodge, we sat at a dining table where we watched one of the most beautiful sunsets over the Columbia River Gorge.
We savored the clams, seared scallops and halibut dishes from a menu with a diverse selection of homemade pastas, organic produce, artisanal cheeses, herbs, fruits and vegetables from the Chef’s Garden and orchards.
We had lunch with owner Gena, at a local café where you can find healthy salads, delicious panini sandwiches – try the Orchardist, Italian Chicken or Reuben, and homemade soups! Be sure to take a cinnamon roll home – they are a local favorite. If you need a caterer, ask Gena since they cater for corporate events, reunions, and weddings.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Global Adventuress would like to thank Cave B Inn, Resort & Estate Winery for hosting our stay. We also want to thank Beaumont Cellars, Errant Cellars, and Jones of Washington for sharing wine tastings. And to The Grainery and Tendrils for delicious meals!