Hogue Cellars
Some tasting rooms can take an hour or more to experience. The Hogue Cellars tasting room happens to be such a place.
At the Lee Road tasting room in Prosser, visitors begin by sampling wines under three different Hogue Cellars wine labels: First is Hogue Cellars wine, which includes a full line-up of fruit-forward Yakima and Columbia Valley reds and whites. Next up is Hogue’s pricier Genesis label, which features varietals from select vineyards. The final offerings are Hogue Reserve wines: chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. Among Hogue’s tasting notes is the following description about its Reserve cabernet sauvignon, “Aromas of bright cherry and an undercurrent of earth are followed by flavors of intense berry and cherry, and a pleasant hint of forest floor.” The “hint of forest floor” may require deep concentration to taste but the “intense berry and cherry” are unmistakable.
WineTrail Note: Hogue’s limited-edition “Terroir” wines are sold only at the tasting room; you won’t find these wines in grocery stores or wine shops. These wines also cannot be found among the standard tasting room offerings at Hogue. If you’re interested in sampling the “Terroir” wines, ask your server.
As you work your way down the list of Hogue Cellars labels, it becomes apparent why this winery produces nearly a half-million cases of wine annually. With years of experience under the ownership of Mike and Gary Hogue, access to great fruit from the Columbia and Yakima valleys, industrial-strength winemaking equipment, and top-notch winemakers, Hogue Cellars offers consistent quality throughout its product line. Also, while you are swirling and sampling, note the original museum-quality art featured behind the wine bar, as well as Hogue’s specially concocted red pepper cheese spread (which we discovered pairs wonderfully with its Reserve merlot). Assuming you don’t need to dash to the next winery, check out the amply stocked gift shop. It features many unique wine-related items, including the distinctive Wine Country “Perfectly Balanced” posters.
By now, an hour has gone. My, how time flies when you’re imbibing fine, fine wine!
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Hogue Cellars was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Prosser WineTrail North on page 330!
