Enjoy a fall foliage tour, complete with wine, in your own backyard

Inviting outdoor seating greets visitors to Pomeroy Cellars – near Moulton Falls Park and Moulton Falls Winery

On a fall vacation two years ago we happened upon a beautiful winery in, what was to us, the middle of nowhere during a country drive. I remember thinking ‘Gosh, it’d be nice if we had something like this back home.’ Fast forward a couple of years and we do.

Front of Arrigoni Winery in Portland, Connecticut (Sadly, I’m unable to pull the back patio shot with live music from my disc)

The Fall of 2012 found us exploring six New England states. One afternoon, driving the foliage-lined roads of the 66 en route to the Nathan Hale Homestead, we began to see winery signs which always spark my interest. Moments later we drove up to Arrigoni Winery, ironically located in Portland, Connecticut (who’d a thunk it). We found our favorite in their six-wine line up, took our glasses filled with their Drift Wood red out to their patio overlooking the crisp, vibrantly-colored vineyard and toasted to the unplanned moments that make life worth looking back on while being serenaded by a solo guitarist in this idyllic setting.

The current release of wines at Pomeroy Cellars

Fast forward to the Fall of 2014 and this past weekends’ Grand Opening of Pomeroy Cellars. Residents and visitors alike can enjoy their own Northwest fall foliage tour with a serendipitous stop at Pomeroy Cellars situated nearly on the banks of the East Fork of the Lewis River. Once again their 2012 Lucia No. 47 won my heart. The bold nose of this Bordeaux blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah is just where I like it – approachable enough to enjoy on its own, complex enough to stand up to food.

Armed with a glass, I settled in with my pups on their shaded deck and visited with several other supporters of terrific local wines as they came, lingered and departed-all happily carrying their own favorite bottle(s) of Pomeroy vino with them. Gazing at their sun-drenched picnic tables and farther out to their block of Pinot Noir grapes, I considered the possibilities of a drive in the country right in my own backyard.

Since Pomeroy Cellars is dog-friendly, a shaded walk along the trails of Moulton Falls Park after my visit would be the perfect reward for Challenge and Baby’s best-behavior efforts. Less than five miles up the road is Moulton Falls Winery with its own stunning backdrop, outdoor seating, live music and wood-fired pizzas. Our history may not go as far back as 1776 but Pomeroy Cellars does sit on the historic property of Pomeroy Farms which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the North Clark Historical Museum in Amboy seeks to preserve the pioneering history of our area back to 1910 and beyond.

A drive in the country around here can yield its fair share of vacation-worthy moments while supporting outstanding winemakers investing in our own history in the making.

 

 

 

Several area wineries open today and Moulton Falls Winery has plenty of reasons for a drive in the country

Just a quick note that several area wineries are open today for the Labor Day holiday. Confluence Vineyards and Winery are only open from 2-5 pm so be sure to check Facebook pages before venturing out. Others include: Koi Pond Cellars, Rusty Grape Vineyards, Moulton Falls Winery, Three Brothers Vineyard, and English Estate Winery is extending their normal Monday hours.

Moulton Falls Winery set in the beautiful Lucia Valley near hiking, rafting and kayaking opportunities

Memorial Weekend of 2012 the doors to Moulton Falls Winery in Yacolt opened for business. Owner and winemaker, Joe Millea, presided over the tasting room along with his then-girlfriend-now-wife, Susan. People were greeted by some very nice wines and their 140-pound Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix, Jake.

Between the winter holidays of 2013 and August, they’ve made some modifications to their building and grounds in order to be in compliance with requirements set forth by the Clark County Community Development Office. The County has given Moulton Falls Winery the green light and now Joe and Susan are ready to focus on wine, an expanding food menu and some extremely talented local musicians.

Inviting outdoor seating at Moulton Falls puts wine lovers in the midst of the beauty of the Lucia Valley

Wine offerings include their Big Jake Chenin Blanc which is a tribute to their winery dog, a slightly sweet Riesling with a hint of spice made in the German style, a brand new Syrah/Petit Verdot blend and an aromatic and well-balanced Sangiovese.

Moulton Falls sources fruit from the Red Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area) in Eastern Washington and the Columbia Valley AVA, a little closer to Clark County.

The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, which has been increasing its train rides over the years as they’ve raised money to improve and extend the line, runs right past Moulton Falls so the two began partnering after the winery opened to offer four wine runs a year. The next one is scheduled for September 13. Riders meet and are picked up at the winery, taken on a two-hour excursion through the picturesque landscape of North County and then dropped back off at the winery where ticketholders are treated to a free tasting of Moulton Falls’ current releases.

Expanding on his ‘support local’ theme, Millea has set up the same offer with visitors to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill in Woodland, the Lelooska Museum in Ariel, and North Clark Historical Museum in Amboy. His desire to showcase the natural beauty of the area is gaining speed.

“We’re getting a lot of people from Portland who find out about Moulton Falls. A lot of college kids who want to go swimming (search the internet) and find our winery near the parks (Lucia and Moulton Falls). I’m working with a lot of businesses up here to promote tourism, to showcase just how gorgeous it is up here and how much there is to do,” Millea said.

Talent like Grammy-award winning guitarist, Doug Smith (middle), accompanied by his wife and accomplished flutist, Judy Koch-Smith, and folk -rock acoustic guitarist, Don Mitchell, enrich any visit to Moulton Falls Winery

The quality of talent interested in performing at the winery from Vancouver and the Portland folk scene is a compliment to the stunning natural beauty of the area and the terrific audience coming out to appreciate these musicians.

Names like Terry Robb, one of the top acoustic blues guitarists in the world, Grammy award-winning guitarist, Doug Smith and acclaimed folksinger, Tom May, who’s toured all over the US, Canada, Europe and used to play with Gordon Lightfoot, are just a few examples of the caliber of musicians that shine up at Moulton Falls.

On a recent Saturday night I enjoyed a mushroom pizza drizzled with truffle oil while sipping on a glass of their Sangiovese listening to Doug Smith accompanied by his wife, Judy Koch-Smith, who is also an accomplished jazz flutist, and folk-rock acoustic guitarist, Don Mitchell, who has a natural comedic talent that is absolutely endearing.

A cozy nook in the wood-heavy tasting room of Moulton Falls Winery

Not only was I fortunate to enjoy all this but I saw first-hand how friendly the local crowd really is. I was invited to join Clark (a regular at Moulton Falls who comes out from downtown Vancouver for the finger-picking music) at his table and his appreciation for the style of music being showcased at Moulton Falls was infectious. Joe and Susan are certainly on to something and the town of Yacolt is darned lucky to have them so close.

Back bar detail at Moulton Falls Winery tasting room

Moulton Falls Winery is open Fri 4-9 p.m., Sat noon-9 p.m., Sun noon-6 p.m. and located at 31101 NE Railroad Avenue, Yacolt. For more information, call (360) 686-4070, go to www.moultonfallswinery.com or connect with them on Facebook.