Portrait Cellars

Unedited

Often there is a correlation between the quality of the label's art and bottle's content. The artful care and attention to detail in crafting the wine, is just as important as the work associated with the label. If the label looks bad (i.e., a four year old cranked it out with crayons in a half hour) it’s probably true that the beverage inside isn’t much better.

Take Portrait Cellars as an example. Husband (Ed Shaw) teams with his wife (Eve Shaw) to create a harmonious package that is just as great on the palate as it is on the eyes. Ed heads up the management of the family owned 12-acre vineyard (E & E Shaw Vineyards) and produces amazing Bordeaux varietal wines from cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. Eve uses her portrait and landscape artistic skills to create beautiful labels. Her original works of art adorn the bottles of Portrait Cellars and leaves the loyal fans of Portrait Cellars in a quandary – what to do with the empty bottle? Whether you recycle the bottle or frame it, it’s your choice but the magical part is you get to experience Red Mountain terroir.

Note: for riesling fans, your visit just got turbo-charged. The Shaws have a second vineyard in Prosser devoted to riesling. So if you enjoy the refreshing taste of apples and pears, citrus notes with a little bit of sweetness, don’t pass up sampling Portrait Cellar’s Riesling.

Located in the heart of Red Mountain AVA, Ed and Eve welcome visitors to come and enjoy their wines. My personal favorite is the Black Dog Red, a Bordeaux-blend that retails for 20 bones. If you notice that the image of the black lab on the bottle is the same as the winery dog that’s been wagging its tail in hope for a treat, you are not mistaken. That’s Cabernet or “Cabbie” and he is part of the Shaw family making your visit even more memorable.