Three Brothers Vineyard and Winery

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Dan Anderson, owner and winemaker of Three Brothers Vineyard & Winery in Ridgefield, WA operates with a moral compass of the Christian kind. Inside the tasting room on the wall a plaque reads, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The connection between wine and Christianity entwines through the ages. After all, Jesus’ first miracle involved turning water into wine at the marriage of Cana reported in the Gospel of John. There are over 200 references to wine in the Bible – mostly in a good way. It is a part of our Christian fabric although the word “alcohol” ironically is Arabic in origin.

Named in reference to Dan’s three sons, this relatively new winery includes 15-acres of grapes, several event venues, a wine production building and tasting room. When they say, “stroll through our grounds” you might want to pack a comfortable pair of sneakers. It’s big. Big enough to sponsor a popular summer concert series with stage and advanced sound system located in the amphitheatre. It’s large enough to accommodate large-scale weddings by the pond. Even the barrel event room next to the tasting room can easily handle a private corporate event with 40 in attendance.

But even if you’re not there for an event, packing a picnic is strongly advised. There’s loads of space to throw a blanket and sponsor your own private function. Late summer is particularly a good time to explore the on-site vineyards and snap pictures of maturing pinot noir, cabernet, syrah, merlot, chardonnay, gewürztraminer, tempranillo and chenin blanc. The interesting thing about these vines is the fact that they will go dormant in the winter and resurrect in the spring. The clusters of grapes you see are born-again.

A word of caution is in order. Drinking too much leads to debauchery, which I think, means that you’re doing something with the sheep that you shouldn’t. There’s a reason that Romans banned the Bacchanalia festivals forcing the believers of Bacchus to go underground – too much celebratory decadence. Still, if you imbibe with one too many sips of Three Brother’s Brethren Cuvee I’m sure you will be forgiven.