The world of wine drinking has readily progressed into the hands of the average John and Jane, with the vast array of wineries popping up there is never a shortage to explore. A mere decade ago Washington was hardly recognized as a premiere wine growing region. Not even the repeated awards being garnered by nearly every winery in the region could shine a bright enough light over the valleys. Thank goodness that's no longer a problem!

There are about 600 wineries in Washington state; over 500 from eastern Washington alone. Nestled just south of Yakima is a gem of a growing region- The Rattlesnake Hills AVA (American viticulture association) with well over 20 wineries. Each winery special and unique, surrounded by vineyards, orchards and green fields. Many are family run and have tasting rooms attached to their private homes.

 This region consists of glorious warm sunshiny days, cool nights and fantastic, rich loamy soils. So what does this all mean? Well, if happy cows come from California- Happy grapes come from Eastern Washington! It's joked that the area has 365 days of sunshine. This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is definitely the agreed upon place to visit when Seattle-goers are in need of a little drying out from the rain!

With this kind of growing climate, grapes (and wines for that matter) most commonly found are Cabernet's, Merlot's and Chardonnays. That being said, dozens and dozens of varieties are being grown, and thriving, in the Rattlesnake Hills as well as the whole Columbia Valley. Rieslings, Syrahs, Sauvignon Blancs, Gewurztraminers and even Zinfandels are amongst some favorites to the region.

There is so much diversity and range to be found in each AVA, vineyard, winery and tasting room it would be near impossible to NOT find a great bottle of wine to accompany dinner.  Or a good blog writing session either for that matter! If you truly want an authentic tasting experience when you go to the Rattlesnake Hills region- or any winery period, remember the following points:

1. Wine tasting is an educational, learning experience.  If the point is just to consume alcohol- Go To A Bar!

2. An open mind is key and extremely vitial for a true experience.  If you go into a tasting with a mind set of "I don't like Chardonnay's, or Merlot's", I guarantee you will not like a single Chardonnay or Merlot sample that you taste. You are not allowing yourself to experience the differences that are found in each and every bottle of wine.  That being said, you don't have to LIKE every single wine you sample. In fact it really has nothing to do with what you like or don't like so erase those words from your vocabulary on Wine tasting trips! Instead try using adjectives as your only words.

3. Bring plain flavored crackers and plenty of water along.  This will help freshen up your taste buds between the different samples as well as keep you from getting a bit tipsy! (If you are concerned with over consumption of wines as you're traveling, spitting into a paper cup after sampling is acceptable.)

4. This one is very important. Do not wear heavy fragrances or cologne when you are wine tasting! The majority of what you are tasting is coming from smell so if you've got on a heavy musky cologne and are trying to pick up the aromas of a light Sauvignon Blanc you will definitely be missing out. Needless to say, save the smoking for the end of your trip.

5. Last but not least, take notes.  If you sample 4-5 wines at 4-5 wineries, you may have a bit of trouble remembering that delicious Cabernet Franc from the second winery you visited. Or was it the third winery...?

Happy tasting and touring at the Rattlesnake Hills Wineries!