Scott McKinlay, Editor Vol. 11, Number 5 May 2014
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What's Happening in Wine Country
Welcome to May from Wine Country!
May is always one of the most beautiful months of the year. The passes are clear, the mountain views are spectacular and the pool and spa are open. And not to mention the grass is coming up green and blooms are everywhere. So spring clean your RV and get ready to hit the road for the season.
For those of you who couldn't make it over last month for Spring Barrel Tasting Weekends, make your reservations now for next year. Everyone that attended had a great time.
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Sage Rat Run
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The 2014 Sage Rat Run will be on May 17th and 18th. Located in the wine country of Sunnyside, Grandview, Prosser, Washington. Sage Rat Run is designed to bring communities and people together for a happy, healthy, fun run event while raising money for charity and other causes.
The biggest Half Marathon finishing medal in Washington State? In 2013, Sage Rat Run had an impressive 5 inch Sage Rat Volcano Medal due to the anniversary of the St Helens eruption. The Little Rock Marathon claims to have the largest marathon finishing medal in the country at around 7 x 6 inches. The 2014 Sage Rat Run Half Marathon / 12k Finishing Medal will be a whopping 6 inch monster. Is there a bigger finishing medal in Washington? We think not. Not only will it be big, we are claiming that it will be the coolest finishing medal you will receive in 2014. If we are wrong about having the coolest, biggest, medal in Washington, let us know so we can do better in 2015. For more information login to www.sageratrun.com
Yakima Valley Community College hosts the
7th Annual Grape to Glass Gala Scholarship Fundraiser
Grandview Campus - The Vineyard and Winery Technology Program at Yakima Valley Community College will host the 7th annual Grape to Glass Gala-A Winemaker's Dinner on Saturday, May 31, 2014 from 6:00-9:30pm. The event will benefit Vineyard & Winery Technology student scholarships. Held at the Grandview Activity Center, 401 West Second Street, Grandview, WA the event will include a dinner, wine tasting, a silent auction, live music and dancing.
Schedule of events:
6:00-7:00pm: Social & Silent Auction
7:00-8:30pm: Dinner & Music 8:00-9:30pm: Music & Dancing
Tickets for the Grape to Glass Gala are $65 per person if purchased in advance by May 23, 2014. Tickets purchased after May 24, 2014 until May 28, 2014 are $75 per person. Tickets are on sale now. Contact 509.882.7037 / [email protected] or buy online: www.yakimavalleyvintners.com Wine Country RV Park Update
Another thing that will be happening in May is that the local cable company is going to an all digital format. This may require some infrastructure changes for the park and we are still trying to work everything out. We hope to have workable solutions soon. We will keep you informed of what this means to you once we have more information from the cable company.
Saturday, June 21, 2014 is Prosser's 13th Annual Scottish Fest and Highland Games from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM at Port of Benton Wine and Food Park. For more information visit
www.prosserscottishfest.org
Prosser Farmer's Market
May-October
Nestled in the heart of Washington Wine Country, the Prosser Farmers Market is the place to be Saturday mornings from May through October. Open 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon and located in the Prosser City Park, 7th Street & Sommers Avenue, the Market is a lovely place to spend the morning.
Besides offering a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables; you'll find plants, cut flowers, artisan breads & gourmet cheeses, Espresso, cookies & pastries, woven baskets and unique art & craft items.
The Prosser Young Life offers an amazing breakfast or enjoy fresh pastries with your morning coffee, let the kids play and take advantage of the bountiful products offered by our local growers.
Make sure you read the winery section of this newsletter that also includes our special evening tastings here at Wine Country RV Park.
We hope you will visit us at Wine Country RV Park while you are here this coming year! If you are bringing a friend that doesn't have an RV, login to The Inn at Horse Heaven and reserve a room that is less than a two minute walk from the RV Park.
Happy May and as always Safe Travels,
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CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS
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Easy Recipe by Louann
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Dark Chocolate Merlot Truffle
1 12 Oz Package dark chocolate chips
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
3T Your favorite Merlot
Cocoa Powder, nuts, sugar or Sprinkles
In Microwave , melt chocolate and stir until smooth.
Gradually stir in Heavy Cream until blended.
Stir in wine and cool to room temperature.
Chill until firm. Form balls and roll in cocoa
or sprinkles and chill until serving.
Enjoy!!
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Manager's Corner |
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Spring is in bloom, The grass is now green. RV's are on the move, The park is all clean. My assistant manager job, Is now a thing of the past. I am now the new manager, It all happened so fast. I am a long time baker at heart, So my recipes I will be sharing. The one listed this month, Is meant for wine pairing. We painted all last winter, In the meeting rooms and store. Laying carpet and new tile, You will see as you come in the door. The wine bar is ready and waiting, For the tastings all to start. 7 of Prosser's finest Wineries, Are all excited to take part. So make your reservations now, So you can come visit us this year. 2014 will be exciting and fun, We are here to help have no fear. Louann Rockney
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Monthly Riddle Corner
The answer to last month's riddle was:
Answer: The boys were at a birthday party hitting a pinata.
Here is this months riddle -
Riddle:
There was a window cleaner who was cleaning a window on the 25th floor of a skyscraper. He suddenly slips and falls. He has no safety equipment and nothing to soften his fall, but he is not hurt at all. How do you account for that?
How do you account for that?
The riddles will be collected for 24 hours, to make it fair to our clients that don't get home from work until later in the day. One name will be drawn from those who entered within 24 hours of the newsletter. Email your answer to: [email protected] with RIDDLE in the subject line and the correct answer drawn from the entries to the riddle will receive a free one night stay.
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Featured Winery:
Willow Crest
Willow Crest Winery
590 Merlot Dr
509-786-7999
Open everyday 10am-5pm
www.willowcrestwinery.com
Willow Crest Winery was founded in 1995 by David J. Minick, a longtime grape grower in the Yakima Valley. The Minick Family first planted wine grapes on their Roza farm, North of Prosser in 1982. David wanted to take the love he had for raising grapes to the next level by making handcrafted wine from select blocks of the family vineyard and soon after bottled the first vintage of Willow Crest.
Focusing on aromatic white wines such as Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gew�rztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, Willow Crest Winery uses estate grown fruit that winemaker David J. Minick planted, cultivated, and harvested. By having the control from vine to wine David can monitor every step of the grape growing and winemaking process. This attention and care to the grape is expressed in every bottle of Willow Crest wine.
Tasting Rooms
Please visit our tasting room in Prosser for a personal wine education & tasting, and also enjoy an offering of freshly made / seasonal ingredient menu items on the Patio Cafe (May through October).
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On the Wine Front
Upcoming Events
Wine Country RV Park
330 Merlot Dr, Prosser
1-800-726-4969
www.winecountryrvpark.com
We have our Wine Bar in our lobby ready, and below is a calendar of the wineries that are participating in May. This calendar will help you plan your trip accordingly.
DavenLore Winery
23103 S. Davlor PRSW
509-786-1575
Prosser, WA 99350
www.Davenlore.com
Spring Release
Mother's Day Weekend
Saturday May10, 2014
Sunday May 11, 2014
11AM-5PM
Desert Wind Winery
2258 Wine Country Rd. Prosser
509-786-7277
www.desertwindwinery.com
Wednesday - May 14, 2014
Cooking Class at MOJAVE at Desert Wind 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Join us in MOJAVE for an evening of culinary instruction in a small class setting. Learn tips and techniques for mastering your kitchen from the MOJAVE culinary crew. $70 per person ($60 for Wine Club members) includes class instruction and chef demo, recipes, wine and food and a small gift. Class size limited to 12 participants; reservations required at least one week prior to date of class. Friday - May 23, 2014 Wine Sensory Evaluation Class: All About RedsStart: 5:00pm End: 7:00pm
Taste and learn about different red varietals and what makes them unique. $30 per person ($27 for Wine Club) includes workshop instruction, wine and snacks. Reservations required; class size limited.
Friday - May 30, 2014
Friday Night Farm to Fork Dinner at Desert Wind
6:00pm-8:00pm
Join us for our festive monthly event featuring a three-course family-style dinner highlighting the region's best produce and purveyors. Pre-dinner social begins at 6:00 p.m.; dinner at 6:30. Limited seating available; reservations required one week prior to date of dinner. $65 per person ($55 for Wine Club members) includes pre-dinner social and three-course dinner with wine pairings.
3100 Lee Road, Prosser
Open Wed-Sun 10:00 AM-5:00 PM
509-786-2097
May 10, 2014
Celebrate the special women guiding you through life with our newly released
100% Grenache 2013 Mercer Estate Rose'
Free Tasting for All Mom's Today!
May 17, 2014
BLANC PARTY
Enjoy a relaxed, seated tasting of Mercer's highly acclaimed white wine flight with delicacies paired with each wine.
$20 / Wine Club Members Free
Winery Tours also available - Be sure to RSVP with group size and suggested time of arrival
Milbrandt Vineyards
508 Cabernet Court
Prosser, WA 99350
509-788-0030
Milbrandt Vineyards Patio Kick Off
Saturday 24 May 2014, 01:00pm - 04:00pm The Knutzen Brothers will be here kicking off our patio season. Join us for food and wine specials, great music, and sunny weather. Reservations encouraged. To reserve your spot, call 509-788-0030 or email
[email protected]
Airfield Estates
560 Merlot Drive
Prosser, WA 99350
509-786-7401
Friday-Sunday, May 9-11, 2014
MOTHER'S DAY WINE TASTING
Join us for a special Mother's Day Wine Tasting! We'll be featuring some of our favorite Spring wines and offering complimentary wine tasting to all mothers. Wine flights and cheese platters will be available for purchase. Plus, we will be featuring live music from 1 PM to 5 PM on Saturday, May 10th.
Location:Airfield Estates
Please click on websites below for updated Winery Events
Airfield Estates Alexandria Nicole Cellars Apex Cellars
Coyote Canyon Winery Desert Wind Winery
Gamache Vintners Cowan Vineyards Hogue Cellars
Kestrel Vintners Martinez & Martinez Winery Mercer Estates
Milbrandt Vineyards Thurston Wolfe Winery Willow Crest Winery
Wine O' Clock Wine Bar & Bistro Yakima River Winery
Vineheart Winery Pontin del Roza 14 Hands Winery
These are just a few of the wineries we hope you will visit while you are here this coming year!!
For the beer drinkers who might be coming along too, we have something for you too!!
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