The "Estate Grown" designation is an important feature of our winery. In order to qualify for this closely regulated designation, our wines are made from grapes grown in our own vineyards and fermented, aged and bottled at our family winery. Estate grown wines deliver unsurpassed quality and consistency from year to year.

2005 CABERNET FRANC, 93 POINTS

This wine is going to be gone by Christmas, reserve yours for the holidays.

2003 RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON,
93 POINTS

This is only available at the winery.

2003 RESERVE SYRAH, 92 POINTS

The Syrah is only available at the winery and in limited supply.

2005 MERLOT,
91 POINTS

Yes, another home run in Wine Spectator, an amazing value.

Special Notice

To our mailing list:
We will soon be offering limited amounts of library wine for sale in our climate controlled, glass walled wine cellar.  Call for special holiday gifts. (509) 529-5980

 

 

Our best to you -
Debbie and David Hansen

We hope you enjoy our new electronic newsletter. Please feel free to pass this along to a friend!

 

Finally found his home.

Crush is a hurry up and wait game, with spurts of frantic activity, three times daily punchdowns and pumpovers, and waiting for the grapes to get here, intermingled. The young wines are big in color and fruit intensity, and the acidity is coming out beautifully balanced. This promises to be the best year yet since the freeze of 2004. The absolutely best part of crush this year has got to be our new Willmes press. It is so gentle yet thoroughly presses the wine off the skins. But the best part is how easy it is to clean. No more crawling inside the horizontal basket, laying on top of or underneath the bladder, and scraping grape skins out of the screens. Better living through science!

We have finished the move to the new winery, and with the completion of our commercial kitchen we have discovered that our crush crew is ready to have their own cooking show! Steak, meatloaf made with wild moose, lasagna, barbecue chicken, tacos, homemade soups... who knew we were such a talented group. And that’s not the only good thing about our new building. Our entire crush pad is covered and protected from the weather - no more rain, hail, and dark of night to deal with. All of our tanks are inside, and we have plenty of room to spread barrels out for filling and racking.

Our tasting room is a major change from the little building at the airport too: over 2000 square feet painted in warm harvest colors, modern furniture, custom designed cherry wood bar, (see photo at top of page), clerestory windows for natural light, and a stone fireplace that invites you to linger. Our library wines will soon be on display in their own sunken cellar with floor to ceiling windows for viewing. Let us welcome you and show you our new home.

 

*** NEW *** NEW *** NEW *** NEW *** NEW ***

Introducing Walla Walla River Winery at our old location at the Airport. Five limited production varietals made by Cougar Crest Winery. Reisling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah, and Confluence, a red blend. In the future, look for Sangiovese, Barbera, and Gewurztraminer. This new label has allowed our winemaker to branch out to other parts of Washington to bring you interesting, non-estate wines of high quality.

Cheers for your holiday season,
Dave and Debbie Hansen

 

In spite of a cool, late spring, this year’s crop ripened beautifully. Then in October, as if a short growing season wasn't enough of a challenge, old man Frost showed up for six days. Dave (just think Goliath) battled him at night and in the wee hours of the morning, (while the rest of us slept!). Of course you know the good guy won, and we are now enjoying the warm days and cool nights of autumn, giving the grapes a chance to develop color and flavor that the hot summer sun doesn't allow. The vines will be able to go dormant gradually which helps them survive the harsh winter.

 

December 4

Winemaker's Fete
Cougar Crest Winery

December 5

Holiday Barrel Tasting
Salud! Wine Club Reception
Cougar Crest Winery

December 6 & 7

Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekend
Cougar Crest Winery

January 16, 2009

Burdigala Winemaker's Tasting
Portland OR.

January 17, 2009

Winemaker Dinner at Zupan’s Burnside
Portland OR.

February 2, 2009

Taste Walla Walla New York
New York, NY

To Your Health!

Salud is dedicated to reminding our friends that wine is a part of a healthy lifestyle that combines good food, good friends, and abundant love. Our wine club lets you choose shipments of 3, 6, or 12 bottles.

Join today! Simply provide the required information on the order form. We would enjoy hearing from you and having you as part of our Cougar Crest family. Please contact us with any questions, or to enroll in Salud! by phone at 509 529-5980.

Four times each year, you will receive a convenient and reasonably priced trio of wines from Cougar Crest Winery just when you need it the most.

February:

St. Valentine's Day

May:

End of School

August:

End of Summer

November:

In time for the holidays

Wine club membership entitles you to:

Club Discounts

Ability to purchase "sold out" wines (limited quantity)

No tasting fee for members' guests

Invitations to wine club receptions

Library wine tasting

 

 

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)