First of all, this is my 100th travel blog post. Thanks everyone for likes, comments, support. This is part two of Driving through the Storm.

My fascination with vineyards

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Ever since Sideways and “Brothers & Sisters,” I have been dreaming about running to the hills and operating a vineyard. I would give my wine a humorous name, like Miller White or Peanut Grigio. Or a pretty French name: papillon nuit, which translates to night butterfly, or as we like to call it: moth.   

I traveled to the Yakima region to find out what running a vineyard in Washington would be like.

Turns out, vineyard is just a fancy word for farm. And farm is just a fancy word for a whole lot o’ work.

If she could speak, my oxygen-deprived, on-her-last-stems, comatose houseplant Gertrude would tell you I am not a plant person. I can’t keep her alive, there’s no way I could handle a vineyard or an orchard or even a single row of tomato plants.

And one slight frost could take out a whole crop.

Luckily, I learned the upcoming year for Washington wines is going to be bright. Summer weather conditions were ideal for grapes, so that means more local wine for us.

Wildridge Winery & Tasting Room

The Wilridge Winery & Tasting room is tucked away at the end of a winding road in a storybook setting. Verdant rows stretch far into the hills, the only green in a sea of gold. When you’re driving up, light from ever-changing skies filters through the grape leaves, making you feel like you’re in Greece or Spain. Just to the side of the fields, there’s the Cowiche Canyon, a chasm that stretches for miles.

I tasted three wines, two reds and one rosé as Frederico schooled me on the vin vocab. The rosé came in first for me, but I have always been a big fan of pink.

Wine words:

Crush: When they smash all the grapes. Otherwise known as I-Love-Lucy time.

Tannin: A textural element that makes wine taste dry. Or an upcoming celebrity’s child’s name.

Bright: Sharpness, freshness. A wine with a high IQ.

On a side note, I am headed to France tomorrow and won’t be blogging for a week. Since this is my 100th blog post, go ahead and read my first about moving to Quebec City.