Wineries and Leavenworth (U.S. or Europe?)

  Leavenworth, Washington, United States
Saturday, July 14, 2007

After my morning road trip and stop at the Casmere museum it was about 2PM and I was determined to drive the remaining distance of only 8 miles to get to my campsite and set up.  Suddenly I was derailed by a winery.  I stopped at the Wedge Mountain Winery to taste six wines.  Their most unique was a rasberry dessert wine. 

Now only a few more miles to go to my campsite, but I found two more wineries.  I stopped at the Cascadia Winery (apple wine!) and then went to Icile Ridge Winery which was a gorgeous winery.  The tasting room was a huge modern log cabin with two long wood tables inside filled with people tasting.  I sampled seven varieties here.  Then I met the wine maker and he showed me where he barrels the wines.  Straight from the barrle I got to try a white merlot for my first time.  He wasn't even releasing it for a few more months to the public.  At the end of it all I was urged not to go to my campsite now, but rather to head to the city of Leavenworth.

Leaven worth turned out to be an adult paradise and I could easily have spent some days there.  The entire city is Bavarian styled.  I could swear I was walking around in Germany or Austria.  Front Street was littered with tasting rooms so I took a walk.  I started with Bavarian Cellars who gave me ten samples to try.  I moved along the street for tastings at Kestrel Vintners, Windfall Cellars, and Silver Lake Winery.  By this time I was done!  But I wasn't able to drive to my campsite.  So I did the only natural thing in a Bavarian town...I visited a Beer Garden for a brew and a brat.

Leavenworth

Leavenworth, Washington

Finally I mde it into my campsite and crashed in their swimming pool for a while.  Later in the evening I drove back in to Leavenworth for beverages and then to see the new Harry Potter movie.