Chandler Reach Vineyard

If you have ever traveled on I-82 between Richland and Prosser, you might have wondered about the Tuscan-style villa near exit 93. Wonder no more. That, my wine-tasting friend, is the site of Chandler Reach Vineyard. Inspired by a trip to Tuscany in 1997, owner/winemaker Len Parris decided to create a Tuscan-style winery/tasting room at his Benton City location.

Located on a north-facing slope overlooking Red Mountain, the 42-acre Chandler Reach Vineyard supplies the fruit for a number of wineries. The heat index in this part of the state is high and this could be responsible for the intensity of Len’s fruit. However, not all the ripe grapes leave the Chandler Reach Vineyard. Select lots become the fruit for 2,500 cases of Chandler Reach’s own estate wines: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, and sangiovese.

If your tastebuds are seeking something other than intense, full-flavored wines, keep driving. However, if you are ready to try some serious reds, take exit 93 and head for the villa. The tasting room downstairs provides a warm environment for sampling the estate wines. After all, you are here to taste the terroir. Juxtaposed against Red Mountain, an area famous for its cabernet sauvignon, Chandler Reach is all about the “taste of the land.” Bellissimo!

Be sure and check out the value-priced 36 Red. At around 13 bones a bottle this might be the best deal in the state!

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  Chandler Reach Vineyard was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Red Mountain WineTrail on page 368!