If you’re a regular consumer of wines from Washington State it’s likely you’re quite familiar with Maryhill Winery. Although it’s still a relatively young winery, having first opened its doors in 2001, it’s quickly grown to establish itself as a standout producer in the state.
Based in Goldendale, Washington, about two hours east of Portland, Oregon, Maryhill Winery sits on the right bank of the Columbia River with a gorgeous view of the river and surrounding landscape. The beauty of the region is one of the things that I’m sure has helped make Maryhill a destination winery for many wine lovers in the region.
Being a destination winery is no accident. Maryhill’s founders, Craig and Vicki Leuthold, had a vision of creating a winery that would enable them to create a relationship with their customers. When you visit Maryhill Winery you find that it’s much more than a simple tasting room. They have a beautiful patio where you can relax and enjoy a glass of wine while taking in the view. They have areas where you can picnic and play bocce. They even had a 4,000 seat, outdoor amphitheater at the winery for several years — although they held their last concert in the amphitheater this year. However they do still have smaller musical performances on their terrace.
In addition to the winery in Goldendale, Maryhill also has a tasting room in Spokane, Washington and they’re planning to open a tasting room in Vancouver, Washington.
But what about the wine, you ask? Ah, yes the wine.
One thing that struck me about Maryhill is the vast selection they have available. They currently produce 65 different wines, using 35 different grape varieties, grown in eight different Washington appellations! Talk about variety, holy cow! No matter what type of wine you like, you’re likely to find something you like here. From bold cabernet sauvignon to crisp riesling to sweet muscat canelli. You can even do a tasting of a single varietal like cabernet sauvignon from six different Washington appellations and discover the terroir differences across the region.
The purpose for all this variety, the owners say, is to showcase what Washington is capable of producing. And that, they do.
There’s a good range in prices too, with wines from $15 per bottle up to about $50. Overall, the prices are reasonable and there are plenty of options for the budget-conscious consumer.
I was only able to try a small subset of the wines they produce, but I was impressed with what I tasted. But that should not be a surprise as their winemaker, Richard Batchelor, was just awarded the Winemaker of the Year award for the second time this year at the Indy International Wine Competition.
Here are a few of the wines I was able to taste during my visit
- Maryhill Classic Chardonnay, 2016: The aromas have a round and pleasant presence with fragrances such as lemon, vanilla and other floral notes. The palate delivers bright lemon and green apple flavors with good acidity, a nice mouthfeel and a long finish. $16
- Maryhill Classic Pinot Gris, 2016: White peach and pear aromas with a nice minerality. Peach flavors dominate on the palate with a salty mineral quality on the mid-palate and finish. The mouthfeel is rich. Very good overall. $16
- Maryhill Classic Sangiovese, 2015: Beautifully spicy on the nose, offering cranberry, raspberry, allspice and orange peel aromas. The flavors are equally beautiful with bright raspberry and black pepper on the palate. $26
I’ve barely scratched the surface of what they have to offer and hope to explore some other Maryhill wines in the near future. If you’re in the Pacific Northwest you should have no problem finding their wines. They’re also distributed in about 20 other states and available online.
Disclosure: I visited Maryhill Winery on an excursion related to the 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference. Samples reviewed were provided by Maryhill Winery on this excursion.
