Tips and Tricks for Visiting Wine Country
We are open and the wine is tasting great!
If you find yourself with some free time, swing by one of our two tasting rooms on Red Mountain or in Woodinville. We’re open daily from 11am to 5pm, featuring a flight of summertime wines, and cheese plates by prior request while they last. Wine tasting is one of my favorite ways to spend a sunny weekend or random day off work. Best of all I like to visit when I have friends and family in town! Stop by anytime or let us know you’re coming for a special tasting.
Use your Club Concierge Team
With hundreds of wineries in Washington it can be overwhelming to know where to visit. The Fidelitas Club Concierge Team has recommendations of wineries to visit, and places to stay and eat in Wine Country. We’re always around to send you some of our favorite places to visit! Contact us by calling or texting 509.554.9191 or email us here.
Map out your plan of attack
Schedule tastings with wineries in advance and start early. You can usually plan for tastings to take between 45 minutues to an hour at each winery. Bring snacks like cheese and crackers and drink plenty of water in between tastings to maximize your trip. Make your dining reservations ahead of time so you know where you’ll refuel at the end of the day!
Bring dad in this weekend to celebrate Father’s Day!
Can’t make it in? Ship orders placed by 9am on Wednesday, June 14th, are guaranteed to be delivered by Friday or give him the gift that keeps on giving with a membership to the Fidelitas Wine Club.
Jun 13, 2017 at 3:31 PM
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The Grand Reveal of the Fidelitas Library
This winter we started a big and exciting project that Charlie had always envisioned for Fidelitas. We dug deep in the archives and pulled pallets worth of wine from our offsite storage facility to find the rarest Fidelitas wines in existence. Last Friday, May 5th, as we celebrated our 10th annual Feast of St. Fidelis on Red Mountain we were able to unveil the grand addition to our home on Red Mountain, the Fidelitas Library.
The Fidelitas Library, located in what was once our barrel display room, houses a new version of our iconic wine wall spanning over 18 feet wide and 12 feet tall, it holds 1,260 bottles. Wines dating back to our very first release of 2000 Meritage cover the wall and include some of our most sought after vintages and limited release wines.
Here’s what Charlie has to say about some of his favorite vintages to date:
1994 - I worked at Chateau Ste. Michelle at the time and we were really starting to figure things out in our new facility at Canoe Ridge. First vintage of Col Solare made with the Antinori's.
1999 - Very interesting vintage in that everything seemed to get ripe but also retained incredibly high acids. Very old world with high natural acids.
2005 - Right now for me the best wines we have made for Fidelitas since we started and the best vintage I have been affiliated in Washington since my first vintage in 1988.
2007 - Beautiful wines with incredible balance. Maybe not quite the same ripeness as 2009 but close.
2009 - Wonderful wines that have great potential for aging. Warm vintage and very ripe fruit.
2010 - A very nice vintage, and very much like the 1999 vintage from Washington.
2013 – A great, great vintage.
Other Great Ones - 2001, 1995 & 1989.
Best Vintage That I Tasted But Did Not Make: 1983. Considered by many as one of the greatest vintages ever from Washington. Had the opportunity to taste a vertical of all Woodward Canyon Cab Sauv/Old Vines in or around 2000. The 1983 Cabernet Sauvignon from Woodward Canyon stood high above the rest.
Finally, after years of aging, these wines are available for your enjoyment. In an effort to manage these limited wines the best way possible, wine requests may be submitted and we will follow up with you to confirm the availability. All requests will be managed on a first come, first serve basis, and have a 2 week fulfillment turn around.
Ready to get your hands on some of those special bottles from years past? Email us at wine@fidelitaswines.com for more information.
May 11, 2017 at 2:52 PM
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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!
Apr 3, 2017 at 6:30 AM
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Why Red Mountain Cabernet is My Trusty Go To
- Who doesn’t love Cabernet from Red Mountain? With so many great Cabs coming out of the Red Mountain AVA it can sometimes be overwhelming to know what to grab at a moments notice without digging into research behind the bottle. Our Red Mountain Cabernet gives it to you straight: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Clone 8 (the Washington clone!), 100% Sourced from Red Mountain Vineyards.
- It’s the perfect glass pour. I remember a fond memory of last September when we released this wine. I took one home the night we released it because I just wanted one glass before bed…this easy drinker had me through most of a bottle before I even realized it! There’s an excellent balance in the silky and rounded tannins, plus the oak on it (35% New French Oak, 26% New American Oak) is just right.
- It’s great to take to parties…or give to friends, family, strangers who do a kind deed for you. Whoever may be on the receiving end will probably fall in love with this wine. It can be hard to pick out wine for somebody else! From our experience sharing this wine (which is quite a bit) we haven’t found a skeptic around who didn’t enjoy this bottle.
- The price is right! A 100% Cabernet sourced from top vineyards including Quintessence, Fidelitas Estate, The Canyons, and Red Heaven is typically going to veer toward the higher end of the price spectrum. This Cab is priced for consumers to be able to enjoy a premium Cabernet on a regular basis…plus we sweetened the pot by offering it at an even lower price for the month of March!
MARCH PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
2013 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Regularly $50 - now $45 through March 31
shipping including on purchases of 6 or more bottles
Mar 1, 2017 at 8:02 AM
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Tasting Notes To Make Your Mouth Water for Malbec
After a long spout of winter weather bringing us down there could be no better way to kick off the year (and shake off the winter blues) than with the arrival of our first release, the 2014 Red Mountain Malbec.
I’ll put in my vote in for this wine being one of the most versatile wines in our line up considering I’ve literally never met someone who didn’t like it! Whether it’s enjoyed at parties, paired alongside exquisite meals, or if you enjoy it by the glassful after a long day you’re sure to find a consistent pleasure.
While I’m guilty of skipping over tasting notes half the time and going straight in to taste the wine for myself, I couldn’t help but find the notes for our 2014 vintage to paint the perfect description for this wine.
“Red Mountain Malbec, the Fidelitas fan favorite in the phantom bottle, is sourced from a few of our favorite Malbec vineyards on Red Mountain.” Isn’t that the truth? This 100% Malbec is a blend from Scooteney Flats and Kiona Vineyards both of which are our neighbors on Red Mountain. Scooteney is known for its course soil and concentrated grapes, and Kiona for some of the more mature vines on the mountain.
“True to the varietal, this wine gives us loads of fruit tones: Aromas of blueberry, marionberry, cocoa, and white pepper swirl in the glass, met by blackberry, marjoram, roses, and vanilla.” Tell me this doesn’t make your mouth water for a big glass of the stuff? Better yet, pair it alongside this Balsamic Roasted Berry Bruschetta (made with burrata which I’ve been catching on more and more restaurant menus recently, and I am definitely not mad about it).
“Even more fruit on the palate provides a juicy and soft mouthfeel for easy enjoyment.” I’d say this is the perfect line to describe Fidelitas Malbec. Juicy fruit, balanced tannins, and a bold spice hit your pallet in perfect harmony which makes it such a crowd pleaser.
Click here to read the tasting notes in full or to order this wine for pick up or FREE SHIPPING through January 31.
Jan 18, 2017 at 2:56 PM
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Your Concierge Team is On-Call This Season!
We're excited to share that we've doubled up this holiday season to give you the greatest experience ever at Fidelitas!
Introducing your Club Concierge Team.
Michelle and Skye are here to help with anything you bring to us (even recipe ideas or deciding what wine will pair best with irksome in-laws).
Need something special shipped to your cousins across country, no problem! We'll even wrap it up in shimmering paper, tie it with a bow, hand write your gift note, and ensure that we ship it to arrive on time.
Trying to come up with a gift that keeps on giving for that special someone who deserves something special all year round...look no further! We'll help you set up a customized gift Wine Club Membership.
Know someone who is already a Fidelitas fan and want to pick out something unique? We'll gladly ponder their wine history to see what their favorites are and dig around in our Library for something comparable or find a Large format they will enjoy.
Did you know that we'll even hand deliver local gifts for you? We pack up the trusty Subaru with cases of wine and find our way to your office to give those hardworking employees of yours a gift they will be sure to enjoy.
We even have something for the novice wine drinker!
No task is too big or too small. We are on call to do the work for you this holiday season!
Contact your Concierge Team at club@fidelitaswines.com or 509.554.9191
P.S. Please help us in welcoming Skye Dissette as a permanate addition to the Club Concierge Team!
Nov 25, 2016 at 6:00 AM
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Five Fall Weeknight Pairings
And just like that, it's November. I've been getting happily settled into my fall routine and my favorite part has been making a warm, belly filling dinner, opening a bottle of red, and finding my place on the couch to watch my favorite shows. Have you seen "This Is Us" yet?? My new favorite! Here are five fall weeknight pairings that have been a hit at my house:
Dinner: Pumpkin Chili with Black Beans and Chickpeas
Show: This Is Us on NBC
2013 Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Dinner: Flank Steak with Sautéed Mushrooms
Show: The Walking Dead on AMC
Dinner: Tagliatelle with Mushrooms and Sausage
Show: Grace and Frankie on Netflix
2013 Red Heaven Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Dinner: Chicken Kale Sweet Potato Stew
Show: Saturday Night Live on NBC
2013 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Merlot
Dinner: Zucchini Noodle Skillet Lasagna
Show: Friends reruns on Netflix
Oct 31, 2016 at 9:00 AM
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Shout Out to the Vineyard Crew
I’d like to give a shout out to our friends who make our harvest go off without a hitch. To the crew who arrives in the early hours of the morning, often before the sun shines, and works hard through the afternoon. They show up 6 days a week all year round. They work together to make sure the processes are run efficiently and the grapes come in on schedule. They prune, they pick, they move fiercely down the vineyard rows and fill crate upon crate, and bin upon bin, full of the mighty grapes we use to make Fidelitas wines. A big thank you from Team Fidelitas to our Vineyard Crew and Vineyard Manager, Dick Boushey, who has brought in such a great group.
Cheers to the 2016 harvest!
Sep 22, 2016 at 12:11 PM
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Coolest Thing in the Estate Vineyard Since Cabernet
You probably already know that Fidelitas has an Estate Vineyard on Red Mountain. That’s where we have our 3-acre 2009 planting of Cabernet Sauvignon (Clones 2, 6, and 8) that are absolutely thriving. The 2013 Fidelitas Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is to be released next month!
You may even know that in Spring of 2015 we planted 9 additional acres in our Estate Vineyard, and the babies are looking good!
But did you know that we also poured a giant concrete circle smack dab in the middle of the vineyard? From space you might think it’s a helicopter pad. From the ground you might think it’s a dance floor. We think it’s the perfect place to host our annual Estate Vineyard Winemaker Dinner.
Join fellow members, friends, Charlie, and Team Fidelitas for dinner between the vines during harvest season on Red Mountain on Saturday, September 10th. Ethos Trattoria will be preparing a multi-course dinner paired perfectly with Fidelitas wines (check out the menu here!).
I think we can easily say that this dinner is an event that is close to our hearts. Owning his own vineyard and winery on Red Mountain has been Charlie’s dream for decades (sorry to date you, Charlie) and now we come together each year to celebrate this reality and toast to the future of Fidelitas.
This is an intimate dinner and seats are limited. Dinner attendees are invited to join us for an Estate Vineyard walk Saturday morning, featuring a vertical of past and future Fidelitas Estate Vineyard wines.
$525 for two dinner tickets + 6-pack of 2013 Fidelitas Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon or $95 each.
For tickets, email me at michelle@fidelitaswines.com or call me at 509.554.9191
We’ve set up room blocks at our favorite Tri-Cities hotels and I’d be happy to help you plan your trip. If you can’t make it to the dinner but want to reserve the 2013 Fidelitas Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon before its release, let me know and I’ll make sure we have some with your name on it.
We hope to see you in the vineyard!
Aug 16, 2016 at 1:31 PM
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Team Fidelitas Month
July is Team Fidelitas month, where we celebrate members old and new.
MEMBER FOR A DAY
Sunday, July 10th on Red Mountain and in Woodinville
Bring in your friends for the VIP Club treatment in our tasting rooms. Hit up the popcorn bar, receive complimentary tastings of the newest releases, and friends and family receive Club pricing this day only. Groups of 6 or more, please email wine@fidelitaswines.com
Can’t make it in? Use or pass along the code TEAMFIDELITAS for friends of Fidelitas pricing on our website, July 10th.
CLUB MEMBERS here's your chance to tell us what you really think. Take the Fidelitas Club SURVEY and be entered in a drawing for a Fidelitas Swag Bag.
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