Barrel Tasting!

Last weekend eight of us hit up my parents for some free lodging so we could go do Walla Walla Spring Barrel Tasting. Mom successfully got one car schnockered on Friday night while waiting for the second car to arrive. And so began our weekend of debauchery.

Saturday morning we started (according to Dad not-so-)early at 11am. Started at L'Ecole, where Korinke was hit on and received a giant "taste." I believe she may have still been drinking it when she walked out of the building. Next we hit Waterbrook. They had great art, a nice tasting room, and they even washed out glasses for us! They get a gold star.

Cougar Crest was a big disappointment (no surprise there, it was founded by WSU alums). Wine sucked. Cheese was gone. Staff was rude. The only good thing this place had going for them was the Scottish dude making barrels out behind the building. He was polite, informative, and good at his job. He gets the gold star that Cougar Crest fell far short of receiving.

Last stop before lunch was Whitman Cellars. I always like Whitman. They took quite a bit of my money. Luckily, the family is wine club members so we got a discount.

After lunch at the Worm Ranch (delicious) we only had time to hit two more: Amavi and Northstar. We got to see Amavi's new tasting room and pick up wine club shipments at both places. By the time we hit Northstar we were more interested in the cheese table than the wine tables.

As soon as we arrived home, Dad met my friends and poured them all whiskey. And so started the enabling. That is what my father does. He "enables" people to be drunk. How does he do this, you ask? Why, he fills your glass when you're not looking, of course! Can't leave until you finish your glass, right? Well you had better stand on the other side of the room with your hand over it or you never know when he'll sneak in and give you a refill. Doesn't matter if you say no, trust me. He keeps pouring and you keep drinking! Just ask the Neighbors.

And my friends used to wonder where I got it from...

One would think that after the amount of wine consumed on Friday and Saturday we would have had our fill. You'd be right. But that didn't stop us from visiting Kestrel on our way through Prosser. I happened to know that there was a sale on Pure Platinum and had to stop. Only $90 for a case??!? That gets the Red Bird stamp of approval.