Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard

Terra Blanca has it all, with the exception, perhaps, of communal jackets and sweaters. So don’t forget to bring your own when you visit, even if it’s 100 degrees outside. Puzzled? The reason for the warm clothing is Terra Blanca’s cave system, which retains a constant temperature of 57 degrees for housing barrel upon barrel of aging wine. However, be sure to call ahead if you decide you want to experience the caves; cave tours are by appointment only.

Inspired by the extensive use of natural caves in Europe, Terra Blanca’s creators built two extensive cave systems to store row after row of French oak barrels. Fabricated in 1997, the first cave houses 1,000 58-gallon barrels. In 2004, the construction of a second, larger cave system, with a capacity of 3,000 barrels, was completed. If you’re looking for stalagmites, head for Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but if you’re curious to see cave barrels, head to Red Mountain.

We mention that Terra Blanca has it all and we think you will agree. Its Tuscan-inspired architecture includes a tasting room complete with a baby grand piano and large enough to accommodate busloads of weekend visitors. Remaining indoors, you will discover a wine library with shelving systems rising at least 15 feet high, a complete gourmet-style kitchen, and several banquet rooms. One banquet room seats as many as 180 guests and makes an excellent venue for a high school reunion, corporate affairs or weddings.

Outside, a cobblestone path leads you to a waterfall, a recently completed amphitheater for summer concerts, and, of course, Terra Blanca’s famous caves. Its patio is huge and well appointed, with furniture reminiscent of the Smith & Hawken brand. From the patio, enjoy what WineTrails Northwest rates as a “Top 10 View.” With the vineyards of Red Mountain behind you and the beautiful Horse Heaven Hills in front, you won’t want to leave.

Winemaker Keith Pilgrim is in the enviable position of having access to Red Mountain fruit, state-of-the-art equipment, and those caves to produce a full range of reds and whites. There is a fee for tasting Terra Blanca’s reserves. Fork it over - samples of roussanne, reserve merlot, “Onyx” (a red blend), chenin blanc ice wine, estate chardonnay, reserve cabernet sauvignon, and reserve syrah await your palate. Now you understand why you witnessed a half-dozen visitors carting boxes of wine to their cars as you entered the parking lot.

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  Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Red Mountain WineTrail on page 372!