"When the frogs are barking, it is a sign of peace and harmony in nature."  According to their web site this is from Northwest story tellers and explains the origins of this curious name. Indeed if you are looking for a little piece of harmony, you are sure to find it at the 'Frog'.  I for one have left there on many occasions over the last decade with considerably more satisfaction in my soul than when I entered. To sum it up: the atmosphere, the people, the wine, and of course the food are all food for the soul.

Perhaps most noteworthy is the wine list which leans heavily toward Washington State Wines and has been picked as a Wine Spectator Excellence winner for five years running. To heap on the honors it has also received special recognition from the Washington Wine Commission for its "most innovative wine list".  The wine list and table side wine service are currently in the capable hands of Matt Davis (formerly of Pearl restaurant) and Jennifer Schmitt.  At the helm of the kitchen is Bobby Moore, a talented chef who continues to innovate with style, featuring the best in seasonal Northwest ingredients.

Upland Vineyards 

Gnarly Old Vines at Upland Vineyards

Those of you who were on our 2011 vineyard tour in June will not easily forget the views from the top of Snipes Mountain looking across the Yakima Valley. The Upland Vineyards, with a rich history in Washington State, has many elements worth remembering, not the least of which is the quality of their grapes and resulting wines. While my history only dates back to the nineties when I first visited the vineyards and purchased grapes there, grapes have been planted at the location of the current vineyard way back in 1917 when a visionary named W. B. Bridgman saw the potential for making great wines in the Yakima Valley.   Bridgman actually had a winery, parts of which still stand, that produced more than 40,000 cases at its peak in the 1950's.  In many ways Bridgman can be considered the Grandfather of the Washington Wine industry, because of his connection with Walter Clore whom many consider the father of the industry. Not only did Bridgman encourage Clore to experiment with grapes at the  WSU research station in Prosser,  but even provided him with some of the first vinifera  (European wine grape) cuttings that were used in Clore's experiments.  In honor of the contribution that he made to our industry, I started bottling wine under the W.B. Bridgman label in 1993, while making the wine in nearby Sunnyside.

Today the Bridgman property is owned and operated by the Newhouse Family where they farm 1300 acres in total including 700 acres of wine grapes. Their vineyard constitutes the majority of the vineyards planted in what is one of Washington's newest federally recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVA's). I have to think that the fed's had little trouble recognizing this area because of its historical background combined with its geographically distinct hillside location and unique rocky soils located above the Missoula flood soil deposits.  Because of the east west orientation of the hill the majority of the vineyards can be divided into two distinctly different growing conditions namely the warmer south facing slopes, dominated by heat loving varieties and the north facing slopes dominated by varieties that benefit from a cooler environment such as Chardonnay and Merlot.  While I have received a number of different varieties (among the 30 some types they grow today) from the Newhouse's over the years Brian Carter Cellars sources are primarily in the south facing block dedicated to Iberian varieties.  These include our port varieties Touriga, Suzao and Tinto Cao used in Opulento, as well as Tempranillo and one of our newest varieties destined for the Corrida blend the Graciano. Having been part of that block since it's planting in 2007, I have some special pride in the future of these vines.  Another significant addition in 2011 is our contracting for some of their old block Cabernet Sauvignon, originally planted in 1973.