Cooper Wine Company Grand Opening

Every once in a while you get to feel as if you are part of something special. It’s a feeling that you belong, a feeling that you are where you need to be at this exact moment. That is the feeling my husband and I felt last weekend at the grand opening of Cooper Wine Company on Red Mountain.

We first met Neil Cooper last spring at the Fidelitas wine club event in Seattle. I had read a little about him online - I knew that he had bought the old Seth Ryan location on Red Mt and that he had enlisted the help of his neighbor, winemaker Charlie Hoppes. Neil was helping pour for the Fidelitas event and we introduced ourselves and had a great conversation. What struck me first about Neil is the sparkle in his eyes when he talked about his project. His enthusiasm is contagious.

Throughout the summer, I read Neil’s Facebook updates about the progress being made on the winery and when he announced his Grand Opening date I was ecstatic. It was the same date as our wedding anniversary. I knew exactly what we were doing; we were going to Red Mountain!

Saturday morning we awoke to perfect wine country weather. We hadn’t been to Red Mountain for three years and when we turned onto Sunset Road, we were blown away. The location looks amazing. The big red building is a fitting welcome to Red Mountain.

The grand opening was such a resounding success. At one point I witnessed people parking up on Sunset Road. This was the event to be at. With good reason, the wines speak for themselves. Included in the lineup are two whites: a Pinot Gris and an estate grown Chardonnay, and three reds: a Bordeaux style blend called L’inizio (which fittingly means “the beginning”), a Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon. All of them are fabulous; however my favorite is the Walla Walla Cab. It is lush with a perfect balance of oak and fruit and a lingering finish reminiscent of Walla Walla.

We both agree that this was one of the best anniversaries we have had. We ate
fantastic food, drank amazing wine and even busted a few moves on the dance floor. Most importantly we forged some genuine and lasting friendships. A huge thank you goes out to Neil, Cyndy, Tim, Cheryl and LeAnn. Thank you so much for making our anniversary memorable!

“World-Class Wine In Your Own Backyard”

The Washington State Wine Commission has done a tremendous job at the promotion of Washington State wine. From amazing charity events like the Auction of Washington Wines to Taste Washington, an event showcasing the bounty that Washington has to offer.


Well, they have done it again. They just announced their first ever locally focused promotional campaign.

More than 70 Washington restaurants, over 50 winery tasting rooms and 9 retail stores are participating in “World-Class Wine In Your Own Backyard”. Consumers can download and print the World-Class Value Pass from www.washingtonwine.org/backyard and use it to save on Washington wines as many times as they like for the next two months. There is even a mobile version of the pass that you can download to your mobile device (how cool is that?!).

The timing on this couldn’t be better with the Wine Advocate releasing their scores and 469 Washington wines scored 90 points or higher, up nearly 40% from 2009. Washington wine just keeps getting better!

The values to be had from this pass are immense. From waived tasting fees at wineries to 50% off a bottle of wine with dinner! So hurry and check out www.washingtonwine.org/backyard for a complete listing of participating locations.