Tag Archives: Zillah

Tarry at Cherry Wood Bed Breakfast and Barn

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In Zillah we found a most unique place to stay – Cherry Wood Bed Breakfast and Barn.

Teepee interior at Cherry Wood

You sleep in tall teepees that are completely furnished with real beds, a refrigerator and mirrors. The floors are either stone or brick depending on the teepee. You do have to venture outside to use the porta potties or the showers, but it’s worth it for the view of the Yakima Valley and experiencing the sites, sounds and smells of nature.

Try the “Twilight Tubs” for romance or bonding with your BFFs. Bath salts are supplied, and you can enjoy candles and drink wine while relaxing in the soaking tubs. Pepper Fewel, the owner, drew a vivid picture of what it’s like to recline in the tubs under the stars and it was a mighty appealing picture.

After breakfast in the morning, you’ll want to get dressed for a winery tour on horseback. For four hours, you’ll ride a horse, fit to your riding level, to three different wineries, which might include Cultura, Agate, Silver Lake or Two Mountains, and have lunch. If you choose to buy wine at any of the wineries, it is picked up for you and brought back to Cherry Wood so it’s there to enjoy when you return.

Getting the horses ready for a winery tour

Fewel says most of her horses were rescued and then trained for trail rides. Horses that run up to the gate in the morning are the first ones chosen for the winery tour that day. The ones that hang back don’t have to go.

This is a tour I’d love to try. What better way to enjoy the countryside, experience the lushness of the wineries and get a little exercise to boot.

Wine and Dog Lovers Unite in Tri-Cities

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A typical vineyard in the fall in Eastern Washington

So far on this blog, I’ve not taken you to Eastern Washington, which is the home of some of our most famous wines. A section of Eastern Washington shares the same latitude as the Burgundy and Bordeaux wine regions of France and averages two more hours of sunlight a day than California during prime grape growing season.

And lots of our wineries in the Tri-Cities area, which includes Richland, Kennewick and Pasco, plus some in nearby areas, love dogs almost as much as they love their wine. If you want to take man’s best friend along with you on a self-guided winery tour, you’ll both be rewarded.

Bung, the Wonder Dog, at Bonair Winery.

Bung, the Wonder Dog, hangs out at Bonair Winery in Zillah. While you’re outside enjoying wine and tapas by the duck pond, Bung will hop in an empty chair and appear to have a conversation with you. Although he’d like to sample your appetizers, he’s not at all forceful or aggressive about it.

He’ll gladly show your dog around, too. Bung’s likeness, although it was a previous Bung who lived at the winery for 12 years, appears on Bonair’s Bung Dog Red wine.

Dogs are often seen hanging out on the patio at Kiona Vineyards in Benton City. Located on Red Mountain, Kiona’s tasting room was named the Best in Washington State in 2009 by Seattle Magazine, probably because of the breathtaking panoramic view of the estate.

Aurora, a loveable shepherd mix, who graces the label on Sleeping Dog Wines’ Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, can also be found in Benton City welcoming all, both human and canine, to the Sleeping Dog Wines tasting room. Here the vineyards give pups a place to stretch their legs. Water and peanut butter treats are almost always on hand.

You’ll find Riley at Hightower Cellars, also in Benton City, where dogs are allowed to play off-leash outside or partake of the water bowl in the tasting room.

In Richland, Barnard Griffin Winery welcomes canines and also supports them through a partnership with the local Humane Society. Their 2009 Rose of Sangiovese just brought home its fifth gold medal in a row from the San Francisco Chronicle Competition.

I’m sure there are many more wineries that are dog-friendly as there are more than 160 wineries within a 50-mile radius of Tri-Cities. Just call and ask if you find one you’d like to visit.

For more information on what to do and see in the Tri-Cities area, head over to www.visittri-cities.com.