Force Majeure Winery and Tasting Room Plans

Future site of Force Majeure Winery

Our excursion started with a ride to the site of Force Majeure’s new 12,000 sq. ft. winery which is still under construction. They are building the winery in the Rocks District, which is a new AVA within the Walla Walla Valley AVA. For the uninitiated, an AVA is a designated wine grape growing region as established by the TTB (a division of the Department of Treasury). There are currently approximately 242 AVAs in the US. The Walla Walla Valley AVA spans the across the Washington and Oregon border and the Rocks District AVA reside solely in Oregon. This AVA is a low desert and is best characterized by the rocky volcanic soil called basalt. The rocks came from volcanos up in the Blue Mountains and were carried to this region by the Walla Walla River.

After surveying the new winery site, we came to one of my favorite parts of the day. We went to a new vineyard location in what is known as the North Fork of the Walla Walla River. There are currently no vineyards in this region but Force Majeure intends to plant its vineyard by next season. This vineyard will be planted 1900 ft above sea level on this south facing slope in the North Fork. It was amazing to be one of the first people to visit this new vineyard site and listen to the winemaker Todd Alexander talk about his vision for the vineyard. I cannot wait to see this area planted next year and in a few years to taste the wines from this region.

Future North Fork Vineyard with winemaker Todd Alexander

After the various tours, it was time to taste the wine and have some lunch! The winemaker, Todd Alexander, walked us through the tasting. We tasted a GSM, two Syrah’s, a Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend called Epinette, a Tempranillo and a Cabernet Sauvignon. The highlight of the tasting for me was comparing the Syrah from the vineyards in Red Mountain against the Syrah from the vineyards in the Rocks District. Even though the grapes varietals were the same and they were made by the same winemaker using the same techniques, theses were two very distinct, different wines. Even the smell was different. It was the perfect example of terroir. Terroir (pronounced “tear wär”) is French and means a sense of place. It is the characteristic taste and flavor that wine may have due to the soil, water, air and location of the grapes. You could instantly tell the difference between the two and it was amazing. I preferred the Rocks District Syrah.

I cannot say enough good things about this excursion with Force Majeure Vineyards or their wines. These are amazing wines that rival wines from anywhere. Whenever you have passionate owners with a clear point of view, you always will find good wine. If Hermitage or Côte-Rôtie style wines are your jam, you should definitely check out Force Majeure Vineyards. www.forcemajeurevineyards.com

You can reach many wineries and tasting rooms in Woodinvale, about 40 minutes northeast of Seattle. Woodinvale is home to over 100 wineries and tasting rooms which makes visiting a great way to spend a day on any vacation to the Seattle area. I had the pleasure of visiting several tasting rooms in Woodinvale on a recent trip to Seattle. While the landscapes are completely different than Napa Valley, the quality of the wines and the passion of the wine makers is the same.

On my trip, we visited a large producer, Chateau Ste. Michelle and a few small producers, including Barrage Cellars and Celaeno.

Barrage is a family owned winery and a one man operation. The wines were great and you could taste the passion of its owner and winemaker. His focus is on 100% varietals. Celaeno Winery is also a small family run winery, known primarily for its Syrah. I opened a both of Petite Verdot this evening and it is still fantastic.

As much as I adore Napa Valley and Sonoma, I highly recommend that you take the time to visit other wine regions, especially Washington.

Next month, I will visit Walla Walla, which is one of the oldest wine regions in Washington. I can’t wait to visit and share it with you all!

I have to credit my ex-husband for introducing me to Napa Valley wine country and beginning what has become a life-long love affair with the region.  Back when he and I were purely platonic friends, he had a business trip in San Francisco.  San Francisco has long been my favorite city on earth.  In what I’m sure he thought was a casual conversation, he mentioned that he was going to San Francisco the next day and I should come out.  I am certain he didn’t expect me to say ok, but I did, and on 24 hours notice bought a ticket and was on my way to San Fran.  When he picked me up from the airport, he tells me that we are going to Napa!  I was thrilled as I’d wanted to go for some time.

We spent the day going from winery to winery.  The highlight was Opus One, not so much for the wine (which was not my favorite), but it is a visually stunning winery, with a stellar reputation.  The winery has a wonderful tower where you can enjoy the wine and take in a spectacular view of Napa Valley.  I knew in that moment that Napa was a place to where I’d always return.  When I am in Napa, there is a calm that comes over me.  I feel home and at peace.  And no it’s not the wine talking, it’s the breathtaking beauty of the place.  Gentle hills, mountains, vineyards, farmhouses, wineries and farmland.  It’s just beautiful.  And the people are incredibly friendly and so thrilled to share their little slice of heaven with you.

Everytime I return to Napa and Sonoma Valley, I experience that same joy.  It’s one of the reasons why I love taking people to Napa.  I love to share that experience and that sense of joy.

Kenny and his girls

But I have greatly enjoyed the ability to go and spend time in another place just for a few days. I have one friend that has a farm. The property has a quaint main house as well as a barn that houses their growing collection of farm equipment. There are large fields and open areas. They have a small personal garden and free range chickens and guinea hens. It is amazing how long you can sit and watch the chickens and hens roaming the yard, interacting with you and mother nature. Its fascinating to see how protective Kenny, the rooster, is of his harem. I would go harvest the eggs and at night we lock up the chicken house, hoping that they’ve all returned for the evening. Because despite all of its bucolic splendor, this is real wilderness and there are foxes that love the hens and chickens. Sometimes they don’t all make it home. But I am happy to report that all wildlife and people made it through safely the weekend that I visited. I cherished spending that time with my friend, catching up, sharing our dreams, talking about our troubles and appreciating the time spent with Kenny and his harem. In fact, the farm can be so intoxicating that another friend bought his own weekend house on “The Ridge” after spending a weekend at the farm.

“The Ridge”, in contrast to the farm, is in a heavily wooded area at the base of a mountain. Weekends at the Ridge start with good intentions of hiking, canoeing and perhaps biking. They end up being filled with food, laughter, good natured ribbing and lots of drinking. Its like adult camp since there is always a group of people there. We all pitch in and bring food or drink for the group for the weekend and we all take turns being responsible for cooking a meal for the group. Once again, I have no complaints as it is nice to connect with nature and with friends. I usually spend time communing with the dogs who have the run of the place at the Ridge. My dog, Zoe, is wonderful but she shares her mom’s wanderlust. She likes to wander any and every chance she gets. Therefore, she must remain on leash at all times unless she’s in an enclosed space. The Ridge is no place for her.