660 Frontier Road | Prosser, WA |  800-852-0885 |  509-786-5558

Map to Snoqualmie Vineyards Winery & Tasting Room

Wine Orders:  425-415-3703

Email:  info@snoqualmie.com        Website:  www.snoqualmie.com

        During her more than two decades of  Snoqualmie winemaking  history,  Joy has acquired an intimate working knowledge of  Columbia Valley vineyards and the the grapes that grow there -- the type of knowledge gained only through many seasons and vintages of first-hand experience.  Her accumulated knowledge of individual growing regions within Eastern Washington, and her familiarity with grape flavors distinct to those areas, are her most important winemaking tools, says this veteran winemaker.  

        The first Snoqualmie wines were introduced in 1984.  In September of 2003, the doors of a new state-of-the-art winery were opened and the public invited in to enjoy Snoqualmie's new Prosser home.  Located just off Interstate 82, the winery's location is ideal for Snoqualmie Vineyards and wine enthusiasts alike.  Its relatively central location to Eastern Washington winegrowing regions provides convenient access to winegrowers that work with Snoqualmie's winemaking team; the central locale also facilitates prompt shipping of ripe grapes and finished wines.  The area's growing in number of wineries and vineyards make it more and more popular as a wine-touring destination, which in turn encourages an increase in the number and caliber of wine-country services and conveniences for travelers.  The production portion of the winery is 44,816 square feet.

        Joy Andersen approaches winemaking like a master chef.  The quality of her ingredients must be insured.  During the growing season, winemaker Andersen is in the vineyards, assessing grape development.  In the cellar, she experiments with yeast strains and a variety of oak barrels; her familiarity with grapes from nearby vineyards enables her to carefully blend Snoqualmie wines to capture the best of the Columbia Valley.

Vineyards of Snoqualmie wines

        Snoqualmie wines come from vineyards that lie within three distinct growing regions of the Columbia Valley, the Wahluke Slope, the Yakima Valley and Horse Heaven Hills. It is one of the first wineries in the state to make wines from USDA-certified, organically grown grapes, and as of 2008, it has the largest certified organic vineyard in the state.

Wahluke Slope, one of Washington's newest AVAs (appellations) is situated not far from such established Columbia Valley sites as Indian Wells Vineyard.  This is one of the warmest areas in the state and grapes from here are usually the first to ripen.  Over the years, Anderson has found these grapes to offer outstanding varietal expression and structure. White wines from the Wahluke Slope are crisp, with generous aromatics. Wahluke merlot and cabernet give longevity and backbone to Snoqualmie wines, an important component of the winery's soft, lush wines, styled for easy drinking. 

Yakima Valley, Washington's oldest appellation, is a cooler-growing region, with a shorter season, than either of the other two areas where Snoqualmie's vineyards are located. Yakima Valley grapes work well in Anderson's blending scheme to give Snoqualmie wines interesting, subtle overtones. These vineyards contribute a hint of mint, just the right touch of eucalyptus or a bit of licorice to Snoqualmie's white wines.  Yakima Valley merlots and cabs are substantial, giving tactile pleasure to the wines.

Horse Heaven Hills, another newly authorized Washington appellation (2006), is located above the Columbia River in the south central Columbia Valley.  White grapes are marked by a "dribble-down-your chin" juicy character.  Like the whites, Horse Heaven reds are intense. Nothing bashful about these grapes.  Merlot shouts blackberry, cherry and currant. Cabernet Sauvignon is classic.

Featured Snoqualmie Wines

   Naked Wines                 Reserve Wines    
Columbia Valley Wines

Naked Wines

Snoqualmie's Naked Wines program is designed to produce wines made from organically grown grapes.  Grapes used in the Naked wine series are farmed as “au naturel” as possible.  “Naked” is made with certified organically grown grapes, and “Nearly Naked” is made with grapes grown using organic practices, but not yet certified organic. Every effort is made to minimize winemaker intervention in organic winemaking.  Very true to the varietal, these wines fit in perfectly with Joy's philosophy that it is best to leave mother nature alone - let nature take her course, then try to capture the natural essence of the vineyard in the bottle.
 

2007 Naked Riesling
Horse Heaven Hills
100% Organically Grown Riesling
89 points - Wine Spectator

Winemaker Comments: “Organically farmed and produced, this Riesling offers bright aromas of spicy apple and pear. These spice characteristics are carried through the palate. The off-dry finish is clean and soft. This wine pairs wonderfully with assorted cheeses.”  Alcohol: 12.3%.  Residual sugar: 2.87g/100ml.

Winemaking:  Fermentation temperatures were carefully maintained at 50°F to preserve the natural aroma and flavor profile of the grapes.

Notes From The Vineyards:
Grapes are grown in certified organic vineyards.  Every effort is made to minimize winemaker intervention in organic winemaking.

2006 Naked Merlot
Columbia Valley
100% Organically Grown Merlot
88 points is a Critic's Pick in Wine & Spirits Magazine

Winemaker Comments:  “Pure varietal fruit expression in the nose, with ample structure and lingering natural fruit flavors on the palate - like eating fresh Merlot berries off the vine.”  Alcohol: 13.9%.

Winemaking:  Three days on skins. Malolactic fermentation induced; after fermentation, the wine was aged 10 months in French oak.

Notes From The Vineyards:
After inoculating with Prise de Mousse yeast, the grapes were fermented on the skins for three days with gentle, twice daily spray-overs to achieve additional extraction of color and tannin.
 

Columbia Valley Wines

Locals often describe Snoqualmie's Columbia Valley wines as "Naturally Northwest." They offer a classic varietal flavor profile, while reflecting the unique terroir of specific appellations within the Columbia Valley.  Joy pulls the grape's natural fruit flavors to create distinctive wines with bright, bold tastes. Available nationally, these award-winning wines provide excellent value and are approachable food-friendly wines that can be enjoyed as part of any occasion, especially the family dinner table.

2008 Winemaker's Select Riesling
Columbia Valley
R.S. 6.50 g/100ml

Winemaker Comments:  "This Winemaker’s Select Riesling is crisp, refreshing, and bursting with aromas of spicy pear and dried apricots. The richly textured palate is characterized by spice and fruit as well as lingering notes of honey.”  -Joy Andersen, Winemaker

Food Pairings:  Fruit desserts, pasta with grilled chicken, scallops with cream reduction sauce.

2007 Chardonnay
Columbia Valley
95% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier

Winemaker Comments:  “Rich, tropical fruit aromas mingle with sweet oak. Adding a touch of Viognier complements the tasty notes and the citrusy flavors on the mid-palate. The creamy and soft finish encourages yet another sip.” Alcohol:  13.5%

Winemaking:  Chardonnay grapes came into the winery at 25.5 brix, bursting with ripeness. After a gentle pressing, the fresh juice was inoculated with Chanson and Prise de Mousse yeast to initiate fermentation – 15% barrel fermented (French and American oak) and 85% stainless steel. Fermentation lasted 16 days.  30% of the wine saw malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lie for two months, with twice weekly stirrings for a creamier mouthfeel. A small amount of Viognier was added to the blend to enhance the floral and citrus aromas and flavors.

Food Pairings: Crab cakes, Jerk Chicken, Grilled Fish with Mango Salsa.

2006 Cabernet-Merlot Whistle Stop Red
Columbia Valley
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot

Winemaker Comments:  “Vibrant fresh fruit aromas of black cherry and currant combine with hints of rosemary in this Bordeaux-style blend, named for the whistling trains that pass through the landscape of Eastern Washington’s vineyards. The palate is full of the same black fruit flavors matched with soft supple tannin and sweet oak.”  Alcohol:  13.5%

Winemaking:  Grapes are crushed and allowed to soak on the skins for 48 hours, extracting color and tannin before fermentation is initiated with Prise de Mousse yeast.  Three times daily gentle spray-overs extracted color and tannins.  After 6 days on the skins, the wine is pressed off and placed in stainless steel tanks to complete fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is then initiated. Wine is aged 11 months in French and American oak barrels. Whistle Stop Red is Snoqualmie’s classic Cabernet-Merlot blend, suited for pairing with everyday meals.
 

Reserve Wines

In making her reserve wines, Joy highlights what she feels is the best of the varietal, vintage and the terroir. As harvest nears, Joy is frequently seen tasting and re-tasting in the vineyard, ensuring that the fruit’s quality and structure is worthy of a Reserve designation. Individually selected vineyards are then hand harvested and gently brought to the winery. Although these steps are time consuming, they ensure that only the best of the best make it into Snoqualmie’s Reserve program. In the bottle, these wines offer elegant complexity with plenty of structure to endure the test of time. Snoqualmie produces a very limited quantity of Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 4.8% Petit Verdot

Winemaker Comments:  “Red currant and berry aromas give way to rich sweet oak and soft, supple tannins on the palate.” Alcohol: 14.2%

Notes From The Vineyards:  Vineyards are hand-pruned and grapes are hand-picked for the Reserve bottling. Grapes are sourced from Rosebud Vineyards. The vineyards receive only 6-8 inches of rainfall annually and soils are deep and sandy with low water-holding capacity. These vineyard characteristics stress the vines and ultimately yield concentrated fruit with depth and varietal expression.

Winemaking:  Grapes were picked and crushed, then fermented on the skins in open top fermenters. Gentle punch-downs extracted intense color and soft tannins.  After 7 days on the skins, free run juice was placed in small stainless steel tanks to undergo malolactic fermentation.  The wine then aged for 20 months in 80% new French oak barrels.  Every three months, gravity racking occurred to naturally clarify the wine and enhance aromatics.  The wine was bottled unfiltered.  The handcrafted wine showcases the best of the varietal and terroir.

2005 Reserve Syrah
Columbia Valley
94.2% Syrah, 5.8% Mourvèdre

Winemaker Comments:  “Rich aromas of black fruit mingle with herbal, smoky tones. The palate shows ample fruit with subtle oak impressions and luscious, soft tannins. A perfect wine to pair with roast duck or turkey.” Alcohol:  13.25%

Notes From The Vineyards:  Washington’s long, warm and dry growing season creates ideal conditions for intense aroma and flavor development in ripening Syrah grapes. Cooler evening temperatures during the ripening season concentrate aromatics and enhance complexity. Vineyards receive only 6-8 inches of rainfall annually and soils are deep and sandy with low water-holding capacity. These vineyard characteristics stress the vines and ultimately yield concentrated fruit with depth and varietal expression.  To ensure optimal ripeness and maturity, grapes were harvested just as they began to shrivel. Vineyards are hand-pruned and grapes are hand-picked for the Reserve bottling.

Winemaking:  Grapes were picked and crushed, then fermented on the skins in open top fermenters.  Gentle punch-downs extracted intense color and soft tannins.  After six days on the skins, free run juice was placed in small stainless steel tanks to undergo malolactic fermentation.  The wine then aged for 20 months in 80% new French and American oak barrels.  Every three months, gravity racking occurred to naturally clarify the wine and enhance aromatics.  This Reserve bottling of Syrah and was handcrafted to showcase the best of the varietal and terroir.

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Snoqualmie Vineyards, Prosser, Washington
Use Exit 82 off I-82