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.

2006 Chardonnay

This 100% un-oaked Chardonnay is from the Willard Family Farms in Prosser, Washington. We produced just under 300 cases of this special "ode to summer" wine.

 

 

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!

 

50 Frenchtown! Wahoo! (You must yodel to get this right.) For any of you that have moved this year you can feel our pain and joy. We will be spending the next couple of weeks between now and Grand Opening weekend moving offices, wine, stemware, etc. to our new facility. We have been experiencing growing pains over the last couple of years but are finally approaching our new beginning at 50 Frenchtown just off Highway 12 and Frenchtown road.This 3.2 million dollar "green-friendly" facility has everything from the Hansens' wish list.

Grand Opening festivities include a barrel raising with Sequin Moreau, cooking demonstrations, food, wine, and two local artists; Jeffery Hill and Karen Ehart. Thursday, April 10th is our media, trade and industry night; we invite all those in the industry to stop by between 6-9pm for a sneak peek. Friday, April 11th we host our Salud! Wine Club members between 5-8pm for food, wine and some Washington State bubbly. Friday through Sunday we will also be open 10-5 for tasting. In honor of our Grand Opening weekend we will be offering free tasting, and special wine purchases, including a very special Grand Opening Magnum; etched, signed and numbered to commemorate our new facility. We hope you can attend as many events throughout the weekend as possible. Please RSVP to info@cougarcrestwinery.com.

Whew... another winter passes and no subzero freezes. Winter pruning is approaching completion and the buds on the vines will be swelling and showing green tips. Overnight the shoots will pop open and start to grow vertically, looking for sunlight and warmth.

Now begins the time of year we have looked forward to all winter. Along with the vines we love, as every home gardener knows, come the WEEDS. Dave will be shortening their eager growth by using the French Hoe. This device its on the front of the tractor and has a cutting blade that cuts under the soil surface and lifts out the weeds. The weed is separated from its roots and dies, thus alleviating the need for herbicides, preventing the weeds from stealing soil nutrients from the vine, and stopping pests from using the weeds as an escalator into the vine. The first mowing of the groundcover will be done with a mulching mower that chops pruning and organic debris and mulches it into the soil. Every year these tools get a work out in order to reduce chemical usage and keep our farming sustainable.

 

Scallop and Endive Salad

12 large scallops
2 heads endive, cleaned and separated
4 oz. pancetta, chopped in small pieces
1 tsp. shredded fresh ginger
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 cup Cougar Crest Viognier
2 Tbsp. honey
1 mango, chopped in 1⁄2 inch pieces
1⁄2 cup coarsely shopped green onion with tops
1⁄2 tsp shredded orange peel
4 Tbsp. peanut oil

Preparation
Arrange an endive bed on six plates.
Brown pancetta. When almost done add garlic and ginger. Saute until soft then set aside with pancetta.

Scrape pan and add 2 Tbsp. peanut oil and turn heat to high. Add scallops and sear 2 minutes on each side for rare, or longer if desired. Get a well browned crust on each side, and position 2 on each bed of endive.

Return pancetta mixture, Viognier, honey and 2 Tbsp. peanut oil to pan and simmer until alcohol is evaporated and reduce by 1⁄3. Add mango, green onion, orange peel stirring to let the heat bring out the flavor.

Spoon over scallops as a warm dressing.
Garnish with an edible flower like jasmine, rose petal or mint leaf.

April 6th

Taste Washington Seattle
Quest Field Seattle

April 10th

Grand Opening Press, Trade and Industry Night
6-9pm at Cougar Crest Winery
@ 50 Frenchtown

April 11th

Salud! Wine Club reception
5-8 at Cougar Crest Winery
@ 50 Frenchtown

April 11-13th

Open for Tasting
10-5 at Cougar Crest Winery
@ 50 Frenchtown

April 12th

Feast Walla Walla
1-4 Downtown Walla Walla

May 2nd

Salud! Wine Club reception
5-8 at Cougar Crest Winery
@ 50 Frenchtown

May 2-4th

Spring Release

May 9-11th

Balloon Stampede and Mother's Day Weekend
Walla Walla

June 6-7th

Vintage Walla Walla
Whitman College Walla Walla

July 11-12th

Washington Wine Festival
Camp  Korey at Carnation Farms

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)