Harvest is right around the corner and my favorite time of year to go visit wineries. The vineyards are stunning, the weather is ideal, and the bolder/heavier reds start to make an appearance! Who doesn’t love drinking Cabernet while sitting on our Red Mountain patio in 65-degree weather with the sun shining?
We just recently launched our “Fidelitas Estate Experience” and we are so excited to start sharing this with our customers. We start by gathering in the Red Mountain Tasting Room at 10am for our first pour and some great Fidelitas background stories. From there, we will walk through the vines and listen to all the things you need to know about our vineyards. Of course, wine will be enjoyed during the entire tour.
If you want more information including dates, please visit our events page! Space is very limited so be sure to reach out to Chelsea and reserve your spot.
Can’t make it to the winery? Don’t worry! Our Friday Tastings are coming back to Woodinville this September. For more information please refer to that events page or contact Will.
Happy Harvest!
Not only is it the month where we celebrate club members new and old, but it is also the month where we put focus on staff training! It’s important to us that our staff is always up to date on the latest things happening on Red Mountain, and with Fidelitas.
This past week Team Red Mountain and Team Woodinville got together at the winery to spend a few days exploring vineyards, listening to some Red Mountain legends and of course, try some amazing wine.
Day 1:
We sat with Charlie in our tasting room overlooking our estate vineyard. He discussed his own history and how he started on Red Mountain, clones in our vineyards, and what the future holds for Fidelitas!
From there, we met with JJ Williams down at Kiona. What better way to get some history lessons on Red Mountain than listening to the OG’s themselves! It was fascinating to tour some of the oldest vineyards on the mountain while listening to the family history. If you are planning a trip, this stop is a must. He even had us taste some wine. Darn!
To continue our educational tour we headed to Wine Boss. The place where all the wine magic happens! It’s always great to get a refresher on the process of wine making. It’s also fun to listen to the team nerd out over things like Sauvignon Blanc barrels and cross flow filtration. Charlie, Mitch, and Hillary then had us sit down and go through a Clonal Cabernet Tasting. Let me tell you, it got us excited for future Fidelitas Cabernet!
To end the day we all got together on the Fidelitas patio, ate burgers and drank some of our favorite wines. Including future releases!
Day 2:
On this day, everyone hopped into a 15-passenger van with Charlie to tour some of our favorite vineyards. Fidelitas Estate, Blackwood Canyon, The Canyons, Shaw, Red Heaven, Quintessence, and Ciel du Cheval just to name a few. Seeing the beautiful locations and hearing Charlie speak just confirmed why Red Mountain is so special.
What better way to end Staff Vineyard Tours than eat some BBQ and drink the new 2014 Canyons Vineyard Malbec? That’s exactly what we did!
Guess what? It's finally summer! Get ready for the BBQ’s, pool parties, concerts, and a lot of dinners on the patio.
I’m sure with these exciting plans you are expected to bring something, probably the wine? Below, I am making it easy with some of our best current releases perfect for those summer extravaganzas! In case you are also expected to provide a dish, I’ll provide a recipe.
2016 Red Mountain Semillon - free 2 Day Air Shipping 12+ bottles!
fruit platters + cheese plates + salads + fish
check out a delicious recipe here!
2013 Canyons Vineyard Red Wine
pork chops + chicken + lamb
check out a delicious recipe here!
anything on the grill
check out a delicious recipe here!
2014 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - last vintage!
steak + steak + more steak
check out a delicious recipe here!
Stop by the tasting rooms, go online, or reserve a bottle through your Club Team.
Happy summer everyone!
Charlie always had his heart set on Red Mountain and knew that one day he would own his own land so he would be able to call it home. In 2006 Charlie approached Stan Clarke, a colleague and well-known figure in the industry, and provided a proposal to purchase land even though it wasn’t for sale. The rest was history! He had purchased 5 acres soon after that meeting and already had some ideas of what he wanted to plant. Sadly, Stan passed away in 2007 and that is when Charlie purchased the additional 10 acres from Stan’s widow, Carol.
“I think Stan would be happy with that we have done with the land, I’m certain.” - Charlie
Once water was brought to the mountain, he planted roughly 3 acres with Dick Boushey back in 2009. Cabernet Sauvignon was number one on the list of grapes to be planted so they planted clones 2, 6, and 8. Clones 2 and 6 have both shined, especially clone 2 which we have used every year, and because of this Charlie was sure to plant more of each in the new planting of 9 acres.
In this new planting, they experimented with clones 412, another entav clone which Charlie is excited about, clone 33 which is equivalent to 191. This clone type can be a little more old world in style with a bit of softness to it. Along with those, he also planted clone 169 which is found in Quintessence Vineyard. Charlie has had great luck with this clone and is anxious to use more of it.
Aside from Cabernet Sauvignon we planted the remaining four Bordeaux varietals. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and some Petit Verdot. Charlie think’s Petit Verdot will do great things for us in the future so they planted a little more than originally anticipated. Dick and his crew have done an amazing job with our vineyards and think everything is in great shape for the 2017 vintage.
So far, we have released two vintages of our Fidelitas Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 being the first. Later this fall we will release our third vintage, the 2014. He mentioned recently that the 2013 vintage might be his favorite so far however, the 2014 is “rich with black fruit and very concentrated, definitely drinkable young because of the warmer vintage.”
We asked Charlie what his vision was for the Fidelitas Estate Vineyard moving forward. He said that the new blocks could possibly contribute to the Cabernet Sauvignon we currently have, and that the different varieties lend itself to a blend. He is excited to see which specific varietals and blocks jump out at him because it could work as a separate wine.
“Wines will determine our destiny.” - Charlie
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…
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?
Another must have at any holiday gathering! A big Bordeaux style blend will perfect any dish in my opinion.
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.
Last year we released the first vintage of The Canyons Red Wine. A fun blend of Cabernet + Malbec. What could be better than two of our favorite varietals in one bottle? The Canyons Vineyard is newer to the Fidelitas lineup. The name comes from the deeper ravines and the canyons that go right through the vineyard’s blocks. Something that contributes to the delicious taste in this wine!
Charlie decided to take it one step further with the 2014 and included another varietal into the mix…Merlot! This vintage consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec, and 14% Merlot. The trio turned into a fruit forward and rich masterpiece. If you are looking for the perfect red to pair with your summer BBQ’s + outdoor picnics, this is your bottle.
The 2014 Canyons Red Wine is getting released to the Wine Club on Friday, April 14th. Want to add a couple more bottles? Just reach out and we would be happy to help!
It’s our first club release of the year and we can’t wait to share this perfect duo with you. We hope that you will be able to visit Team Fidelitas this weekend, February 24th-26th. Both locations will have special treats to go along with our featured flight!
Red Mountain
Saturday, February 25th 11-4pm
RSVP: chelsea@fidelitaswines.com
Woodinville
February 24th 3-7pm Members only
February 25th + 26th 11-5pm Members only
RSVP: amy@fidelitaswines.com
Club Members will be receiving the new 2014 Optu Red Mountain + 2014 Red Mountain Merlot, both will be poured this weekend. Want to up your club shipment? Don’t worry, we will be featuring some other great fan favorites!
Not a member yet? Join now to get in on this years first release from Red Mountain!
I know there are some devastated Seahawks fans that will be reading this but no matter who is playing in the Super Bowl, it’s always a great time! I thought it might be fun to share some wine friendly appetizers that I am sure most people will enjoy.
Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Capers
Pairing: 2015 Klipsun Vineyard Optu White
Pairing: 2013 Ciel du Cheval Merlot
Pairing: NEW 2014 Red Mountain Malbec
Pairing: 2013 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Who will you be rooting for? My husband finally has his time to shine since his home team, the Falcons will be playing! We wish you a fun and happy Superbowl Sunday!
Please note that both tasting rooms will be closed on Sunday, February 5th.
As we say farewell to 2016 I thought it would be fun to look back at all of the great memories we had.
Enjoy!
Is it just me, or did 2016 feel like it never happened? We just finished up our LAST club release of the year and that boggles my mind. Something else that boggles my mind is walking into Target and feeling like you are already behind on the holidays. As we enter this festive season it’s time to look back on what we have released this year and add it to the holiday wine list! Who wants to go shopping?
2015 Klipsun Vineyard Optu White
The best wine to have with your turkey! This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon has just the perfect amount of acidity to balance out the fruit. I say it pairs well with turkey but at my household it seems this wine is gone before appetizers are even served…at 11am.
A blend that pleases them all. No matter the wine drinker, it is always smart to have a heavier blend on the table. It helps that this wine is from some of the best vineyards on Red Mountain!
2013 Red Heaven Cabernet Sauvignon
As most of you know, we like our Cabernet’s here at Fidelitas. So, let’s start with one that we released earlier this year! This Cabernet is a bit brighter than the others that will go perfectly with your holiday dish.
2010 Champoux Vineyard Block One Cabernet Sauvignon
Looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Look no further! This wine is sourced from the very first block that was planted in the Champoux Vineyard (vines dating back to 1972!). A dark, rich, luscious Cabernet that will please any wine lover. We are also down to the last few cases of our 2012 vintage and hey, we will even wrap them for you!
2013 Fidelitas Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Ahh...Charlie’s second vintage! I may be biased, but Charlie’s Cabernet’s are fantastic. Especially when they come from his own vineyards. Snag yourself this special wine, it hits all the right taste buds and looks pretty on the table!
Come on…you must have a Merlot at the party. We all know that Charlie makes some of the best Merlot’s around, and this one is possibly my favorite (sorry, Red Mountain Merlot!). Ciel du Cheval is owned by Jim Holmes, the pioneer of Red Mountain itself. Charlie and Jim make a dynamic duo and it shows with this wine. It will pair with pretty much anything on your holiday menu.
Happy Holidays from Fidelitas and let’s get to shoppin’!