Arbor Crest Wine Cellars
Arbor Crest Winery is a labor of love from a family with a shared vision of producing high-quality wines at affordable prices. With a spectacular view overlooking the Spokane Valley, Arbor Crest Winery is a must-see. But equally gratifying at this stop are some serious wines certain to brighten anyone’s day. It’s no wonder Wine Spectator named Arbor Crest one of the “50 Great Producers Every Wine Lover Should Know” for quality and price. For example, Arbor Crest’s high-end syrah sells for $20 a bottle.
Keeping things in the family, Kristina Mielke van Loben Sels is the daughter of one of the winery’s founders as well as its winemaker, and her husband, Jim von Loben Sels, is the viticulturist and chief operations manager. Nice marriage. Together they produce about 20,000 cases of wine annually.
Back in 1985, the Mielke brothers purchased the Cliff House, a designated national historic landmark that sits 450 feet above the Spokane River. The mansion, which was built in 1924 by inventor Royal Riblet (honest, that was his name), houses Arbor Crest’s tasting room. (The actual wine-production facility is located about a mile down the road.) The tasting room staff is well-versed in the nuances of the wines and equally adept at making WineTrails adventurers feel at ease. There is a small 5-acre vineyard at the site, and its fruit is used to produce an estate-bottled sparkling wine. All other Arbor Crest wines are made from grapes grown in the Columbia Valley AVA .
The grounds feature gardens, picnic areas, scenic views, and a man-made waterfall. But one of the unique little pleasures of this winery is the presence of a manx cat, who can often be found lounging around the tasting room and gardens. As you may have guessed, this is a dog-free zone.
WineTrail Note: Check out Arbor Crest’s website for details on its summer concert series and other events, such as the Art & Glass Fest in August.
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Arbor Crest Wine Cellars was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Spokane Valley-Kettle Falls WineTrail on page 558!
