Thomas O'Neil Cellars

Unedited

Relatively new to the north end of Richland is a destination winery for Tri Cities locals. Thomas O’Neil Cellars offering premium wine, live music and small plate appetizers is drawing crowds and creating buzz. By providing free WI-FI and a place to play checkers and chess, you can easily fill up an afternoon or an evening. If it’s a weekend night there’s likely to be live music on the patio (weather permitting). Be sure and check out their website’s event section for the schedule of their live music acts.

With a background that includes a degree in enology from Michigan State University, an internship with a tiny winery called Chateau Ste. Michelle and an assistant winemaker stint at Milbrandt Vineyards, Thomas O’Neil had the requisite background to launch his own winery in 2011. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a spouse equipped with a customer friendly smile and an equally good palate. Such are the assets that Tricia O’Neil brings to the enterprise.

Visitors the winery enjoy table side service and have the option of experiencing either wines from the Thomas O’Neil label or the lower-priced Fahrenheit 100 label. If available, be sure and try their flagship “Fusion” wine, a blend of syrah, petite syrah and grenache that has the most interesting color of dark purple in the glass. If hungry, check out the Tuscan Flatbread Chicken with three-cheeses and see if you agree with me that this is the perfect accompaniment for Thomas O’Neil’s Fusion.