Fidelitas Wines

10 years Ago this Spring

A lot can happen in 10 years.  In 2007, I was just starting to date my now husband, exploring a transition from education to the wine industry, and paying $800 rent for a condo with a water view…in Seattle (I don’t want to even think about what that place goes for now).  Since then, I started with Fidelitas, got engaged, bought a house, got married, had a kid, expanded my role with Fidelitas, and have accomplished a million things I wouldn’t have thought possible 10 years ago.

10 years ago this spring, Fidelitas was also on the brink of something new.  The doors were about to open at our new home on Red Mountain.  Prior to this, Charlie’s family-owned winery had spent its first six years relying on tasting tables in the back of other tasting rooms and home deliveries by Charlie himself.  I’ve heard countless stories of Charlie hauling a case of wine on his shoulder to this house or that, or people finding our wines in the “Sandhill days”.  To have his own tasting room open, fulfilling a decades old dream, must have meant so much.

It took a lot of hard work to get the Red Mountain tasting room to open, and a bunch more to keep us open for the past 10 years.  It’s beyond Charlie, beyond me, and our staff, and our families.  We’ve had support from growers, fellow winemakers, neighbors, Club members, and extended friends and family that we maybe didn’t even know we had.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be sharing our stories on how we came to be on Red Mountain, what we’ve learned in the past 10 years, and our vision for the years that lie ahead. 

Perfect Easter Wines!

Crazy to think that Easter is right around the corner. Let’s hope the sun is shining because it’s a great day to spend with family, relax, and sip on something delicious. Our family likes to keep things a little more low key but you can guarantee that we will be sipping on some of our Fidelitas favorites. Let’s look at our inventory and see what would pair well with most dishes…

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2016 Quintessence Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc - NEW RELEASE

A great wine to start the day off with and sip on its own, or pair with a nice salad! My Italian sister-in-law will be making her famous “Easter Pie” and this will be right by it’s side.

2014 Canyons Vineyard Red Wine - NEW CLUB ONLY RELEASE

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot. I tasted this the other day and it was smooth, fruit forward, and friendly! Ideal for any meat option you might be making on Sunday.

2013 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon

A heavier style Cabernet that would add just the right touch to those bigger dishes. Plus it’s a Cabernet from Red Mountain…need I say more?

2014 Optu Red Mountain Blend 

Another must have at any holiday gathering! A big Bordeaux style blend will perfect any dish in my opinion.

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Everyone at Fidelitas hopes you have a safe and wonderful Easter! Please note that both tasting rooms will be closed so that we can spend time with our families. 

Happy Birthday Red Mountain

Red Mountain is officially old enough to drive a car. That’s right, 16 years ago today Red Mountain set itself apart and became its own AVA. An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the United States Department of the Treasury. Want to know what makes Red Mountain unique? Check out this post or visit the Red Mountain AVA site.

Originally founded in 1972, Red Mountain had previously been a part of Yakima Valley AVA. To this day Washington state has 14 AVA’s with the oldest established in 1983, although vines were planted long before that.

Yakima Valley – 1983

Columbia Valley – 1984

Walla Walla Valley – 1984

Puget Sound – 1995

Red Mountain – 2001

Columbia Gorge – 2004

Horse Heave Hills – 2005

Wahluke Slope – 2005

Rattlesnake Mountain – 2006

Lake Chelan – 2009

Snipes Mountain – 2009

Ancient Lakes – 2012

Naches Heights – 2012

Lewis and Clark – 2016

We might be the smallest region on the map but Red Mountain is making history with the premium quality grapes planted right here in the region we call home.

HBD Red Mountain!