Our first stop in Lake Chelan Wine Country was at Rio Vista Winery on the Columbia River.
RioVista Winery On The River hosted a welcoming reception for our #WBC13 wine bloggers pre-conference tour. We were so happy to arrive at Rio Vista after a long bus ride from Seattle airport. Here are a few highlights of the
Lake Chelan Wine Valley "winery on the river" that welcomed us to the valley.
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| Rio Vista Winery On The River © Spaswinefood |
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Rio Vista Winery On The River © Spaswinefood
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We soon discovered that Rio Vista Winery is a fun place to taste wines.
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| Tasting at Rio Vista Winery On The River © Spaswinefood |
I enjoyed tasting their very refreshing white wines.
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| Rio Vista Riesling, Columbia Valley 2012 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Wacky White, Columbia Valley 2012 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Chardonnay, Columbia Valley 2012 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Viognier, Columbia Valley 2012 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Sunset On The River, Columbia Valley 2012 © Spaswinefood |
There was a very tempting Rosé.
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| Rio Vista Wild Rose Rosé, Columbia Valley 2012 © Spaswinefood |
Yes, there were tempting red wines too.
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| Rio Vista Merlot, Columbia Valley 2009 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Looney Red, Columbia Valley 2009 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2009 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Tempranillo, Columbia Valley 2011 © Spaswinefood |
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| Rio Vista Malbec, Columbia Valley 2011 © Spaswinefood |
I really liked the relaxed pace at the winery. I liked their light and refreshing white wines, that tasty Rosé - all perfect for hot summer days. From the award wining reds the Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 was my pick. For other reviews see
Great Northwest Wines (Rio Vista Looney Red 2009),
2HollywoodWinos and
Yelp.
Getting to Rio Vista Winery On The River
Since winery is located on the Columbia River you can arrive by bus or car, by boat and oh, yes! by float plane.
Lake Chelan Seaplanes offers tours to Rio Vista Winery from downtown Lake Chelan. In fact when we arrived at Rio Vista my group was up next for a seaplane tour down the river and cross the lake. It was so much fun to tour before settling into a wine tasting.
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| Lake Chelan seaplane docked at Rio Vista © Spaswinefood |
Special thanks to the pilot who let me ride co-pilot with him. No, I did not fly the plane but it was a perfect seat for picture taking.
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| Lake Chelan seaplane pilot just before liftoff © Spaswinefood |
Besides wine tasting I also had some time to check out the vineyards and relax before moving onto the next event.
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| Vineyard view © Spaswinefood |
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| Vineyard view to seaplane on the river © Spaswinefood |
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Lake Chelan seaplane taking off from Rio Vista © Spaswinefood
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After our Chelan Wine Valley tour we continued onto the Wine Bloggers Conference #WBC13 in Penticton, British Columbia. The first grapes were planted in the Lake Chelan area 1891. However, it was not until Lake Chelan became a popular tourist destination that today's modern wine industry began. Today you will find over 50 wineries in the area. We were so fortunate to be able to visit Lake Chelan in north central Washington State enroute to #WBC13. The Lake Chelan AVA is a sub-appellation of the Columbia Valley AVA. The Lake Chelan AVA is defined by its location at an higher elevation, unique soils and the overall effect of the lake on the growing season. Wines Northwest describes this area as the newest and amongst the most scenic of Washington State's wine growing regions.
If Lake Chelan Wine Country is in your travel plans put Rio Vista Winery your list. You might even arrive by seaplane. You will be glad you did. You will discover some amazing wines and see great vineyard views. I look forward to writing more about my travels in Lake Chelan Wine Valley and elsewhere in Washington State at Spaswinefood.
Lake Chelan Wine Country, Washington State
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