Tag Archives: wine

Portugal: Lisbon, Sintra, and Evora

One week in Portugal in November: Lisbon, Sintra, Evora, and a wine tour in the Setubal Peninsula. Crazy castles, a cathedral made of human bones, delicious food and wine, and beautiful historic architecture.

 

We have several friends who have done a big trip around Spain and Portugal, or Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, etc. All of them spent most of their time in Spain, and allowed just a couple days for a stop in Portugal. All of them came back saying they wished they had spent way more time in Portugal.

We were looking for somewhere to go for a one week trip over Thanksgiving week, and Portugal’s food, low prices, and gorgeous historical buildings lured us in. There aren’t any direct flights to Portugal from Seattle, but it was 100% worth the layover and a little extra travel time . Portugal is one of the most affordable countries in Western Europe–we got a great apartment on HomeAway for only $66.00 USD per night. The food was some of the best we’ve ever had, and everyone was really friendly. English is widely spoken and we had no trouble getting around. If you know some Spanish you will be able to decipher some of the signs and restaurant menus that are in Portuguese, and some phrases and words are similar to Spanish. Don’t try to speak Spanish though, most people we met spoke English as a second language over Spanish.

If you are visiting Lisbon or Sintra, you should be prepared for the hills. If Google Maps tells you your route in Lisbon is “mostly flat,” it’s lying. What it means is that your route goes up and down like a roller coaster, including one or two blocks with the steepest hill you’ve ever climbed in your life. If you’re not good with lots of hiking, don’t stress. Uber is available in both Lisbon and Sintra and is really affordable. There were several times when we were tired and called an Uber back to our apartment from wherever we were in the city, and the cost was only $3.00 USD. If you are in good shape to walk, then it just means you can justify eating more pasteis de nata.

Day 1: Arriving in Lisbon

We took an overnight flight from Seattle to Amsterdam with Delta, and then had a short 2.5 hour flight with KLM from Amsterdam to Lisbon, arriving Friday afternoon.

One thing that made the 10 hour flight from Seattle to Amsterdam tolerable was getting to see the northern lights over Canada from the plane! Horrible photo, I know. It doesn’t nearly do it justice for how gorgeous it was.

northern lights
Northern lights from the plane!

For our arrival in Lisbon, we had arranged for an airport pick up with Welcome Pickups, which from my research was only a tiny bit more than getting a taxi, and delivered door to door service. We were even able to share our pick up with our apartment host so that they would get a notification when we were picked up and could track us on the way to the apartment. Our driver was there waiting for us when we got out of customs and everything went really smoothly.

Our apartment was on the third floor of a very classic building on a small street in The Santa Catarina neighborhood. It had a fantastic view.

Lisbon Portugal apartment
Our apartment building in Santa Catarina neighborhood in Lisbon
Lisbon Portugal apartment
View from our apartment building in Santa Catarina neighborhood in Lisbon

We really liked the Santa Catarina neighborhood. It is very close to Bairro Alto, the nightlife district but far enough away to be quiet. It also felt pretty local and wasn’t as touristy as the historic Afalma neighboorhood.

After we checked in and unpacked, it was time to venture out to find sustenance. It was 5:00, so a bit early for dinner by Portuguese standards (most restaurants open for dinner at 7:00 pm and people often don’t go out to eat until 8:00 or 9:00). We had read about Time Out Market which was only a short walk away from our apartment, and it sounded like a perfect way to get an introduction to Portuguese food.

Time Out Market Lisbon
Time Out Market Lisbon

Time Out Market is a large and busy market full of many food stalls, wine shops, flower vendors, bakery stalls, etc. During the day there is a food market side as well. Many of the reviews I read about Time Out Market said it was touristy and expensive. It is. However, expensive for Lisbon basically meant that the prices were comparable to Seattle. In addition, the market has many food stalls from Lisbon’s top-rated chefs to give you a quick and less expensive sampling of their cuisine. All the food looked amazing.

After doing a loop around the busy market looking at all the food stalls, we pulled up a stool at Sea Me, as I was lured in by their octopus hot dog.

Sea Me, Time Out Market Lisbon
Sea Me food stall, Time Out Market Lisbon
octopus hot dog at Sea Me food stall, Time Out Market Lisbon
Octopus hot dog at Sea Me food stall, Time Out Market Lisbon

The octopus hot dog was two perfectly cooked octopus tentacles on a bun, with lettuce, tomato, and garlic sauce. It was delicious. Paddy had a salmon dish that was also outstanding.

As much as we wanted to eat everything in the market, we only had room for one more small thing after that, so we tried some croquettes and beers at the Croqueteria, which were also delicious.

Not sure what to do for breakfast the next morning, we picked up 6 mini pies from Chef, a stall in the center of the market (they were amazing).

Mini pies at Chef, Time Out Market, Lisbon
Mini pies at Chef, Time Out Market, Lisbon

We ended our tour of Time Out Market with some wine tasting at a little wine shop and bought a bottle of wine to take back to the apartment. Lack of sleep and jet lag were taking their tolls, so we made it an early night.

 

Day 2: Exploring Castelo de Sao Jorge and the historic Afalma neighborhood

After a full night’s sleep and eating our mini pies, we ventured out and found some excellent coffee around the corner from our apartment at The Mill.

Flat white at The Mill, Lisbon
Flat white at The Mill, Lisbon

Once we were fully caffeinated, we called an Uber to Castelo de Sao Jorge, one of the largest tourist attractions in Lisbon.

It was recommended in online forums that I read to Uber to the castle, tour it first thing in the morning, and then explore the historic Afalma neighborhood below (walking downhill). I would whole-heartedly second that recommendation. Uber was really inexpensive (only $2-$7 USD per ride just about anywhere we wanted to go in the city), and it’s best to explore the City of the Seven Hills by starting at the top of a hill, and working your way down.

Castelo de Sao Jorge has had a long and interesting history. The Castle was originally built by the Romans in 200 BC, later occupied by the Visigoths between 480-714 BC, and then the Moors from North Africa from 714-1147. It was later taken over during the Christian Crusades, and became a power stronghold for Portugal through the middle ages. In 1755 it was destroyed by the big earthquake in Lisbon and wasn’t restored until 1938.

Admission is €10 per adult, and most of your visit to the castle will be exploring the exterior grounds. There is an interior area that has been turned into a museum with excavated pottery and other items from throughout the castle’s history, Roman times to the middle ages.

Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon

There is a great view of the city from the castle, and a family of peacocks roaming the grounds.

Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon

After exploring the castle, we walked into the Afalma neighborhood, which is the oldest part of Lisbon. This is the only area in Lisbon that remained mostly intact after the 1755 earthquake leveled the city. It is a labyrinth of narrow winding streets with azulejo-tiled buildings and cobblestones.

Afalma, Lisbon
Afalma, Lisbon
Lisbon street
Lisbon street
Street art in Afalma, Lisbon
Street art in Afalma, Lisbon
Street art in Afalma, Lisbon
Street art in Afalma, Lisbon

We stopped by the Fiera da Ladra flea market (also called the Theives Market), which is only open on Saturdays and Tuesdays. It was fun to walk through, but I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see it.

Feira da Ladra flea market Lisbon
Feira da Ladra flea market Lisbon

For lunch we found a fantastic tapas restaurant in a little alley in Afalma called O Cantinho da Rute. When we asked the owner what he recommended, he said “everything.” While that didn’t help us narrow down our selections, he wasn’t lying. Everything we ordered was fantastic. We had dish with sliced potatoes and hard-boiled eggs with paprika, garbonzo beans with chorizo in a paprika sauce, and prawns drenched in garlic paprika butter. I think they just have a vat of clarified garlic paprika butter in the kitchen that they ladle onto everything. Get bread to mop it up, it is delicious.

For dessert we tried the Portuguese ginjinha, a liqueur infused with sour cherries. It was served in a small cup made of chocolate. Most restaurants have ginjinha, or you can find small places serving it from a tiny counter bar off the street. Be sure to order some with dessert, or any time. The Portuguese even drink it in the morning.

Lunch at O Cantinho da Rute in Afalma
Lunch at O Cantinho da Rute in Afalma
Lunch at O Cantinho da Rute in Afalma
Lunch at O Cantinho da Rute in Afalma
Ginjinha in a chocolate cup
Ginjinha in a chocolate cup

After lunch, we walked until we got to the Se Cathedral, another one of the big tourist attractions in Afalma. Entrance is free, but be respectful if there is a service taking place, and be sure you are modestly dressed. The cathedral dates back to the 12th century.

Se Cathedral Lisbon
Se Cathedral Lisbon

When we got out of the Se, it was starting to rain and we were tired. We called an Uber to take us back to the apartment, which only cost €2.50.

That evening Paddy wanted to find some rock bars to have a drink at. It was really early at 6:00 PM, and not much in Bairro Alto was open yet. We stopped into a tapas bar for a cocktail, then found The Cave. We were the only customers at such a premature hour. Punk music was playing, and they had mediocre sangria. Goths, punks, and metal heads may feel at home here.

The Cave Lisbon
The Cave bar, Lisbon

We walked around Bairro Alto looking at restaurant menus and finally decided on Cervejaria do Bairro. I tried a traditional Portuguese bacalhau dish (salted cod) with potatoes and greens, and Paddy had the veal. We shared a sardine dish for an appetizer. If you eat seafood, don’t leave Portugal without trying a bacalhau dish and a sardine dish. These items are staples to Portuguese cuisine.

The food at Cervejaria do Barrio was good, but the atmosphere was bland and this meal was probably my least favorite of the trip. Since it was a good meal, that says a lot about Portuguese food.

Bacalhau at Cervejaria do Bairro
Bacalhau at Cervejaria do Bairro
Sardines at Cervejaria do Bairro
Sardines at Cervejaria do Bairro

We had a couple more drinks after dinner at Wasp, a rock bar with a bit more of a classic rock theme. This and The Cave fulfilled Paddy’s rock bar requirement of the trip.

 

Day 3: Day trip to Evora

One of the number one things on my list for our trip to Portugal was Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones) in the town of Evora, about 1.5-2 hours outside of Lisbon. This was an easy day trip, and you can either take the train or a bus. The bus has more frequent departure and return options, but we preferred the train.

I purchased train tickets from the Entrecampos station in Lisbon to Evora online before we arrived on https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets. Note that you need to create an account and enter your passport number when buying train tickets on the site. You can also buy them at the train station. You will show your tickets to the train conductor while in transit, so keep them where you can access them easily.

Paddy on the train to Evora
Paddy snoozing on the train to Evora

Evora is a small medieval town with a lot of history. It was occupied by the Romans, then the Moors, and then a Portuguese monarchy in the middle ages. Much of Evora’s medieval buildings are still standing, as well as one ancient Roman ruin in the center of town. Evora looks very different from Lisbon. It is less hilly, and the town sticks to a uniform white and gold color on all of its buildings.

Medieval church in Evora, Portugal
Medieval church in Evora, Portugal
Evora, Portugal
Evora, Portugal
Evora, Portugal
Evora, Portugal

Our train arrived at 11:00 AM, and we proceeded immediately to Capela dos Ossos, a short walk from the train. It was Sunday, and the attached cathedral had a service in session so we just visited the chapel and museum.

Capela dos Ossos was built in the 16th century by a Franciscan friar, using the bones from local cemeteries. It was meant as a contemplation about life and death, believing our time on earth to be one stop on the spiritual transition. At the entrance is an ominous engraved scripture that reads “Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos” or “We bones that are here, we are waiting for yours.” Some find Capela dos Ossos very morbid. I’m always into the macabre, and seeing human bones does not bother me so much.

Capela dos Ossos, Evora Portugal
Capela dos Ossos, Evora Portugal
Capela dos Ossos, Evora Portugal
Capela dos Ossos, Evora Portugal

The attached museum had mostly medieval art and was mildly interesting but the chapel was the star attraction. We really lucked out on our timing–there were only a few other patrons in the chapel when we were there, but when we walked out there was a huge line to get in. Go early if you can.

We were really hungry, and I had read about a restaurant in Evora specializing in suckling pig called O Parque dos Leitoes. It is on the outside of the town wall near the train station.

We didn’t expect O Parque dos Leitos to be as fancy as it was, but they were able to squeeze us in without a reservation. If you come here, dress up a bit and make a reservation if you can.

O Parque dos Leitoes specializes in pork. In many forms. Legs of cured Iberian ham hang on the wall near the entrance, sliced very thin and delicate and served as an appetizer.

Iberian ham at O Parque does Leitoes, Evora
Iberian ham at O Parque does Leitoes, Evora
Iberian ham at O Parque does Leitoes, Evora
Iberian ham at O Parque does Leitoes, Evora

Many small dishes are already on your table when you arrive, and they are not free. They are all listed in the menu, and you tell the waiter which ones you would like to keep (if any). We had the octopus salad. Given the level of white tablecloth fanciness, it felt like ordering wine with lunch was the right thing to do.

We ordered a dish with Iberian black pork medallions, and the suckling pig. Everything was delicious, and the suckling pig skin was crispy and almost candy-like. Both pork dishes were extremely tender. The suckling pig came with potato chips, which I found odd. I would have preferred a vegetable side to go with all that rich pork. The black pork medallions came with tomato bread pudding, which was pretty good but very carb heavy.

Suckling pig at O Parque does Leitoes, Evora
Suckling pig at O Parque does Leitoes, Evora

There were some mouth-watering pies and cakes in a glass case near the entrance, but we were too full for dessert. If you stay a night or two in Evora, go here for dinner and be sure you arrive hungry.

Re-fueled (perhaps a bit too much), we waddled up the gradual hill back through town to the Roman temple ruins.

Roman ruins in Evora, Portugal
Roman ruins in Evora, Portugal
Roman ruins in Evora, Portugal
Roman ruins in Evora, Portugal

It was Sunday, and many of the shops were closed. Most of the ones that were open were tourist shops. We enjoyed just walking around the narrow streets, and listening to a group of singers outside the Sao Joao Evangelista church.

Singers outside Igreja de São João Evangelista, Evora
Singers outside Igreja de São João Evangelista, Evora

There was an hour and a half to kill before our 4:45 PM train, and it was starting to rain a bit. We walked around in search of a bar or cafe we could go in and have a glass of wine at, but not much was open. We eventually resigned ourselves to waiting at the train station kiosk, but happened by a funky little cafe/bar in the Alkimia Madeirense restaurant right near the train station. It was a beacon of light and we warmed up with Irish coffee until it was time for the train.

*Self-catering tip: One of the best things about the Entrecampos train station in Lisbon is the large Lidl grocery store attached to it. We were tired and still a bit full from our huge lunch, so we thought we’d get some wine and snacks and have a quiet night in. We walked out with two bottles of local wine, bread, cheeses, cured salami, cucumber, tomato, several savory pastries for breakfast, a salad mix and two liters of water for under $18 USD.

 

*Note on Lisbon groceries: It was actually pretty difficult to find a real grocery store in our neighborhood. There were lots of mini marts but Lidl was the only store we found that was a full size grocery store. If you plan on cooking in your apartment, it’s worth an Uber ride there and back to do one big stock up trip.

 

Day 4: Day trip to Sintra

The castles of Sintra, particularly Pena Palace, are the most visited tourist attractions in Portugal. Whenever I am set on visiting a very touristy site, I always do a lot of research on how to make it the least horrible experience possible. Based on my research and experience, here is the wisdom I will bestow upon you for Sintra:

Tips for visiting Sintra:

1. If you want to see more than two attractions in Sintra, plan on staying at least two days there. You won’t be able to see them all in a day trip, even though many of them are close together.

2. If you’re visiting Pena Palace, go there first, and go there right when they open. Also, try to visit in the off season if possible. It was packed enough for us in November, I can’t imagine it in June.

3. Buy your tickets online in advance for Pena Palace. If you don’t get your tickets in advance, there is an automated ticket machine that had no line that takes cards with four digit PIN numbers only. Otherwise, be prepared to stand in a long line at the ticket counter, and then another long line to get in.

4. Don’t even think about walking to the castles from Sintra town. We did not make this mistake, but from what I read, many others have. It is a huge hike up a mountain. Take an Uber or the tourist bus.

5. If you’re doing a day trip from Lisbon, take an Uber. I read a lot about how easy it is to take the train from Lisbon, then the tourist bus up the hill to the castles. When I added up the cost of an Uber to the train station in Lisbon, then the train tickets for both of us to Sintra, then the tourist bus tickets up the mountain to the castles, it worked out to be almost the same as an Uber ride. The Uber picked us up at our apartment in Lisbon and dropped us right off at the entrance to Pena Palace. It was $30 USD each way. Quick and easy.

Pena Palace:

We had a fantastic Uber driver to Pena Palace. I was worried we might get someone grumpy about driving 40 minutes out of town, but he was very talkative and gave us lots of tips for visiting Sintra.

We hadn’t bought tickets in advance unfortunately, and when we arrived there was already a long line at the ticket booth before it was even open. Our Uber drive suggested that we walk a little ways back down the hill to the tourist office and get our tickets there and walk back up to avoid the line. We were about to do that when we noticed two ATM-style ticket machines with no one using them. We walked up to them and got behind one other tourist who successfully purchased tickets. You just need a credit or debit card with a four digit PIN number to use the machine. We were stoked that we didn’t have to wait in the long line.

What we didn’t know, was that you can opt for shuttle tickets up to the castle from the entry gate, which we did not opt for. There is, of course, a line for said shuttle as well. Given that and that we were out of shape yet able-bodied, we climbed up the steep hill to the castle. I had to take a few breaks. But we made it.

The palace is a thing to behold.

Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra

Pena Palace began as a monastery in the 1500s, later built into the colorful Disney castle type structure in the 1800s by King Ferdinand. Following the death of King Ferdinand, the palace was opened to the public as a museum in 1911. It was classified as an UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape along with the entire town of Sintra in 1995.

You can tour just the castle grounds and the surrounding park by itself, or you can tour the grounds and the castle interior. The castle interior requires a full ticket and your ticket will be checked again at the castle entrance if you have opted for this option (don’t throw it away).

The interior of the castle was interesting, but the exterior was the most amazing part. The level of detail and eccentricity was mind-boggling. There were so many details to look at, and each part of the exterior was different.

Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra
Pena Palace, Sintra

Pena Palace is the busiest tourist attraction in Portugal, but it is cool enough to be worth braving the crowds.

There are several other attractions in Sintra: The Moorish Castle, The Palace of Monserrate, Quinta da Regaleira, Queluz Palace, The National Palace of Sintra, and several other parks and gardens. We knew we’d really only have the time (and energy) for two attractions, so after reviewing our options, we chose Quinta da Regaleira as our second stop. Quinta da Regaleira is not far from Pena Palace, it is at the bottom of the mountain near town. We were able to get an Uber pretty quickly from outside the main entrance of the Palace down to Quinta da Regaleira.

Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira

Quinta da Regaleira is also a palace, along with a chapel in a gothic architectural style. However, the palace is less the main attraction than the property itself. There are lakes, grottoes, tunnels and caves, and various towers and structures around the property. It is gorgeous and very unique. Plan on spending some time outdoors here exploring.

Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira
Grotto at Quinta da Regaleira
Grotto at Quinta da Regaleira

One of the most interesting parts of the property at Quinta da Regaleira is the Initiation Well, an inverted tower. I had seen pictures of it but didn’t know what to expect until we were there. A sign told us it was one-way only, single file entrance through a tiny door in the side of a rock formation at the top of a hill.

After waiting for several young ladies holding up the line to get the perfect Instagram photos (insert eye roll here), we began our descent down the spiral tower, not having any idea where we would end up.

Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira
Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira
Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira
Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira

We ended up in a series of underground cave tunnels. It took us a few minutes to figure out the best way out, but it was fun! Such a crazy, unique place. Apparently the tunnels and well were used for Tarot initiation ceremonies…whatever those entailed.

Caves below the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira
Caves below the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira

We had worked up an appetite by the time we had finished touring Quinta da Regaleira, and fortunately it was only a short walk from there to a tapas restaurant I’d scoped out online.

Tascantiga did not disappoint. Sort of like sushi restaurants, they provide you with a paper menu with quantity boxes and a pencil to fill out your selections. Most dishes are small and meant to be shared, so you can order several of them. The atmosphere was cute, with mis-matched dining chairs and cheerful colors. There was an outdoor patio for nice weather.

Everything was delicious, and we wished we could have tried more of their dishes. If you’re visiting the attractions of Sintra, this is a great lunch stop.

After lunch we felt like we had done a major hike up a mountain from all the climbing up hills and stairs and walking around the palaces, so we called an Uber back to our Lisbon apartment for a nap.

 

Later in the evening, we went for dinner at Os Bons Malandros in Bairro Alto. We were the first people there when they opened at 7:00 because we’re American and we eat early like that. We took the advice of the owner and many reviewers on Tripadvisor and ordered the avocado tuna dish, the prawns, and a dish with goat cheese wrapped in phyllo pastry with red pepper jam. Paddy ordered a steak which came with potatoes and creamed spinach.

The tuna that everyone raved about on Tripadvisor was even better than I expected it to be. I was expecting a straight ceviche-style tuna with avocado, but it was sort of a hybrid ceviche/Hawaiian poke flavor. There was a refreshing lime flavor as well as a sesame oil flavor that was not too overpowering. It came with two “mojito balls” on spoons to give a burst of mojito flavor prior to eating the tuna.

The prawns were the best I’ve ever had, and that’s not an exaggeration. They were HUGE, and tasted like little lobsters. Cooked perfectly and very tender, with a very flavorful sauce. Paddy also enjoyed his steak, and the goat cheese…well, how can you go wrong with goat cheese in phyllo pastry? It was delicious.

As it was early on a Monday and there weren’t many customers, the owner chatted with us a bit and was very fun to talk to. He recommended some fantastic local port wine for dessert.

Go here for a quiet, relaxing dinner and be sure to order the tuna and the prawns.

Marinated tuna tartare with avocado at Os Bons Malandros Lisbon
Marinated tuna tartare with avocado at Os Bons Malandros, Lisbon
Prawns at Os Bons Malandros, Lisbon
Prawns at Os Bons Malandros, Lisbon

A trip to Portugal isn’t complete without listening to some live Fado music. Fado is a traditional Portuguese style of music, usually involving a singer and a guitar or two, signing mournful, soulful, melancholy songs. Being fans of Anthony Bourdain, we followed in his footsteps to A Tasca do Chico in Bairro Alto.

The secret’s out at A Tasca do Chico, so be prepared to wait in a line at the door. The place is tiny, and people are packed in like sardines. The doors are closed during performances, which last about three songs before the doors open again, giving people a chance to leave and others to come in. We waited about 15 minutes before we were ushered in by the doorkeeper. He didn’t speak English but we deducted that he was telling us to go to the bar. We ordered glasses of wine and then he told us to stand near the door (the only available standing space) while the guitar players and singer set up. The doors closed, and the music began.

Fado at A Tasca do Chico, Lisbon
Fado at A Tasca do Chico, Lisbon

The music was beautiful, and the place was really cozy. Had we had a seat and had there not been a line of people anxious to see the Fado performances outside in the rain, we could have easily sat and enjoyed the music all evening. But we wanted to give others a chance to enjoy it, so we left after the three-song set.

There were lots of touristy places in Lisbon offering Fado, and this place may not have been as touristy prior to Bourdain’s visit, but it was touristy now. However, it still wasn’t cheesy touristy. It still had the cozy charm that I’m sure brought Bourdain’s crew there to begin with. If you’re willing to wait and squeeze in like sardines to see some Fado, it’s worth a visit.

Bairro Alto at night, Lisbon
Bairro Alto at night, Lisbon

Day 5: Lisbon’s pink street, a tiki bar, and a lot of rain

We were glad we packed our three gung-ho sightseeing days into the first three days, because when we woke up Tuesday morning, it was absolutely pouring rain. In addition, Paddy woke up with a sore throat. We felt like a lazy day was in order.

Rainy day in Lisbon
Rainy day in Lisbon

Eventually, we ventured out into the city. We had raincoats and we were from Seattle after all, so what was a little rain? We treated ourselves to Thai foot massages at Siam Thai Massage in the city center. Our feet were rejuvenated after all that walking, and it was a good rainy day activity. (Note–Siam Thai is cash only).

We walked around the commercial shopping streets a bit until we found ourselves at the Praca do Comercio, the large main square on the River Tejo.

Downtown Lisbon
Downtown Lisbon
Lisbon's shopping streets
Lisbon’s shopping streets

Under normal circumstances, the Praca do Comercio would have been a nice place to stroll and have a cup of coffee in the sun. However, the rain was relentless and we began to get a bit wet, despite our raincoats. We did a little shopping at a shop selling port wine and canned sardines, and then called an Uber back to the apartment to dry off.

Praca do Comercio, Lisbon
Praca do Comercio, Lisbon
Praca do Comercio, Lisbon
Praca do Comercio, Lisbon

That evening we had a dinner reservation at Le Petit Cafe in Afalma, which ended up being the best meal of our trip. If you are looking for a romantic dinner spot with excellent Portuguese food, Le Petit Cafe is your date spot.

I had one of the two best octopus dishes I’d ever had in my life (the other was in Tulum, Mexico). It was so tender and flavorful. We shared a chocolate mousse for dessert.

Le Petit Cafe, Lisbon
Le Petit Cafe, Lisbon
octopus lisbon portugal
Octopus at Le Petit Cafe, Afalma, Lisbon

If you’ve read much of our blog, you know we can’t resist a tiki bar, so after dinner we took an Uber to the one tiki bar in Lisbon, Bora Bora Polynesian Bar. It was very early at 8:30 PM, and we were the only people in the bar.

Bora Bora Polynesian bar, Lisbon
Bora Bora Polynesian bar, Lisbon
Bora Bora Polynesian bar, Lisbon
Bora Bora Polynesian bar, Lisbon

The waiter kept giving us weird looks while we walked around taking photos. We initially thought he didn’t like us much, but it turns out he was just a little odd and socially awkward. He was actually a really nice guy and gave me a daisy “for the lady” and told me that the Bora Bora dated back to the 1980’s. The decor was very classic mid-century style tiki bar, I would have guessed the 1970’s. A few workers were carrying in buckets of ice and they seemed to be preparing for a busy night. I would love to go back late on a Saturday night to see what kind of crowd parties here. There was a second room downstairs as well that we didn’t get to see.

The music was wildly inappropriate for a tiki bar (Meatloaf?!?) but the decor and elaborate tiki mugs were on point. The drinks were a little sugary. The menu didn’t list what was in the drinks, so we asked the waiter to identify the less sweet ones and we went with those. Paddy had a Mai Tai, and I had the Fire’s God. Mine came with dry ice “smoke.”

Mai Tai at the Bora Bora tiki bar in Lisbon
Paddy drinking a Mai Tai at the Bora Bora tiki bar in Lisbon
Fire's God and Mai Tai at the Bora Bora tiki bar in Lisbon
Fire’s God and Mai Tai at the Bora Bora tiki bar in Lisbon

Overall, it was pretty awesome. I’d like to come back and see it when it’s busy. They really do need to work on that music though.

Not ready to call it a night yet, we took another Uber down to the infamous “Pink Street” in the Cais do Sodré neighborhood. The neighborhood used to be the red light district in Lisbon, but got a makeover in 2011 complete with a street painted pink. I’d read about a bar called Pensão Amor that sounded really funky and wanted to check it out.

Pink Street, Cais do Sodré, Lisbon
Pink Street, Cais do Sodré, Lisbon

The entrance to Pensão Amor wasn’t well marked, but we heard a band playing upstairs in a building where Google Maps said it should be, so we walked up the stairs. I instantly knew we were in the right place.

Stairwell art in Pensão Amor, Lisbon
Stairwell art in Pensão Amor, Lisbon
Stairwell art in Pensão Amor, Lisbon
Stairwell art in Pensão Amor, Lisbon

Burlesque comic-style graffiti art covered the stairwells between multiple levels in the building. Each level had something different going on within the burlesque theme. There was a sex shop selling toys, a disco ball room, a room with cozy alcoves, tiger print fabric wallpaper and a display case of vintage perfume bottles and other trinkets, and the main bar with a live band. It was hands-down the coolest bar I’ve ever been in.

Pensao Amor, Lisbon
Ceramic dildo display at the sex shop level of Pensao Amor, Lisbon
Pensao Amor, Lisbon
Pensao Amor, Lisbon
Pensão Amor, Lisbon
Pensão Amor, Lisbon

There was no cover for the band, we walked right in. In the back room of the main bar were tables an chairs that looked like the set up from an 1800’s Victorian brothel. It was adorable. The band was awesome–they were from Brazil. The bar patrons were a young, artsy set and we felt right at home. It was a great evening. If funky, artsy bars are your thing, visit Pensão Amor and see what they’ve got going on. Live music, burlesque shows, open mic nights–who knows. Whatever it is, it will be worth checking out I’m sure.

Day 6: LX Factory

We slept in a while after a late night out, and Paddy was still recovering from a sore throat. We had a lazy morning, with coffee and croissants at a little cafe down the street. In the afternoon we took an Uber to LX Factory in the west part of the city.

LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon

LX Factory is an industrial part of the city that was taken over by artists and turned into a creative area with shops, galleries, restaurants and bars, and music venues. I think it’s probably most active in the evening, but it was fun to visit during the day. There are a lot of awesome murals, fun shops and some great restaurants.

LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon
LX Factory, Lisbon

At the recommendation from our friends who had recently visited Lisbon, we had a tapas lunch at A Praça. We second that recommendation.

Tapas at A Praca, LX Factory Lisbon
Tapas at A Praca, LX Factory Lisbon

After exploring all the shops, we ended our tour of LX Factory with a shared piece of chocolate cake and lemon tea at Landeau Chocolate. Their cake has been written up as some of the world’s best chocolate cake, so we had to see what the fuss was about. I have to say, it’s pretty damn good. Layers of fluffy light chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and a fine dusting of dark chocolate powder on top.

Chocolate cake at Landeau Chocolate
Chocolate cake at Landeau Chocolate

Paddy’s throat was still bothering him, so we picked up some groceries at Lidl and had another quiet evening at the apartment.

Day 6: Wine tour in Setubal region

I had booked a private wine tour through Tripadvisor for our last day. It ended up being a perfect, relaxing way to end our trip. Our tour guide Rodrigo picked us up around the corner from our apartment in the morning, and we drove south to the Setubal peninsula. Rodrigo was a great tour guide, and told us a lot about Lisbon and the Setubal region.

Our first stop was José Maria Da Fonseca Wines in Azeitao. José Maria Da Fonseca winery is a family-run winery that was founded in 1864. We took a tour of their cellars, featuring some of the largest wine barrels I’d ever seen. The oldest vintages were covered in cobwebs and we could only view them through a locked gate. It was quite a contrast to the newer wineries of Eastern Washington back home.

José Maria Da Fonseca winery Portugal
The oldest vintages in the José Maria Da Fonseca winery cellars
José Maria Da Fonseca winery Portugal
José Maria Da Fonseca winery Portugal
José Maria Da Fonseca winery Portugal
José Maria Da Fonseca winery Portugal

The tour ended with a tasting of two of their wines in their gift shop.

Our next stop was another family-run winery, Quinta de Alcube. This winery was in a much more rural setting in the Arrabida Mountains on a small farm. We were able to sit and relax and taste wine while talking to Rodrigo (and the winery cat, who was also very talkative). The wines were really nice, and it was refreshing to get a chance to see some of the beauty and charm of rural Portugal.

Quinta de Alcube Winery
Quinta de Alcube Winery
Quinta de Alcube Winery
Quinta de Alcube Winery
Quinta de Alcube Winery
Quinta de Alcube Winery

Rodrigo took us to another stop before the last wine tasting,  Azulejos de Azeitao azulejo tile factory. It wasn’t so much a factory as an artisan tile shop. Artists roll, cut, fire, and hand-paint the traditional Portuguese azulejo tiles in this small shop. We were able to get a demonstration of how the tiles were made, and see artists painting the tiles by hand. They have a shop selling the tiles individually if you would like to take one home as a souvenir.

Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Kilns at Azulejos de Azeitao
Kilns at Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao
Azulejos de Azeitao

Our last stop was a wine shop in the town of Palmela. Rodrigo ordered us a cheese platter to go along with our tasting, which was welcome as we were a little buzzed and getting hungry.

Palmela, Portugal
Town of Palmela, Portugal

At the end of our tour, Rodrigo offered to drop us back at our apartment, or if we were hungry for lunch he recommended a food market a lot like Time Out Market but for locals called Mercado de Campo de Ourique. We felt like we could use another snack after all that wine, so we opted to check it out. Located in the Campo de Ourique neighborhood in Northwest Lisbon, this is a great spot to sample local Portuguese cuisine in a non-touristy setting. It is smaller than Time Out Market, but had some very tasty-looking food options. We had some codfish croquettes that were delicious.

Later that evening, we had our last dinner at a restaurant right next door to our apartment, Fumeiro de Santa Catarina. We didn’t have a reservation, so we went right when they opened at 7:00 and were able to get a spot on the end of a large party table who didn’t have a reservation until 9:00. The place is tiny, so reservations are recommended. Several people were turned away after we were seated.

Fumeiro means “smoked” and that is what their specialty is. Dishes are tapas style, meant to be shared. We ordered a few dishes, but our favorites were the smoked octopus, and the scallops. Everything was delicious. I couldn’t resist the chocolate mousse swimming in port wine for dessert. It was our last meal in Portugal, after all.

Scallops at Fumeiro de Santa Catarina Lisbon
Scallops at Fumeiro de Santa Catarina Lisbon
Smoked octopus at Fumeiro de Santa Catarina Lisbon
Smoked octopus at Fumeiro de Santa Catarina Lisbon
Port wine chocolate mousse at Fumeiro de Santa Catarina Lisbon
Port wine chocolate mousse at Fumeiro de Santa Catarina Lisbon

Our flight home was at 5:00 AM the next morning, and we had arranged for  Welcome Pick Ups to pick us up at 2:00 AM to give us piece of mind in case it was tough to get an Uber. They showed up right on time and we would highly recommend them.

We absolutely LOVED Lisbon and Portugal. Paddy is ready to pack his bags and move there. The people were very friendly, the prices were affordable, and the food was some of the best we’ve ever eaten. Not to mention all the gorgeous architecture and historical buildings. We can’t wait to go back and visit Porto and some more of rural Portugal.

 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from product links on this site.

Walla Walla, Washington: Sunshine, Wine, and Batman

Four days in Walla Walla in July: A cute town with lots of shops and great restaurants, a Batman legacy, and more wine than you can shake a cork at.

 

Washington may be the Evergreen State, but half the state is not green at all. Eastern Washington is full of rolling hills, canyons, tumbleweeds, lakes, orchards, and wineries. As wine tasting is our favorite sport, we’ve explored quite a bit of it, but not all. I had been to Walla Walla once for a one night trip for the annual Onion Festival a few years back. It was a quick trip, and I was looking forward to seeing a bit more.

Every summer, hoards of Western Washingtonians pour over the Cascade mountain passes to Eastern Washington in search of sunshine. This was exactly our mission on this trip. We found a rental house with a pool on HomeAway, and our group of 8 friends was excited for a poolside holiday. Turns out, Walla Walla is a cute town that has a lot to offer. Come for the sunshine, but stay for the food, wine, and scenery.

 

 

Day 1: Roadtrip from Seattle to Walla Walla

Walla Walla is about a 4.5 hour drive from Seattle. We left Seattle on Wednesday morning at 9:00, after rush hour died down. I estimated our lunch pit stop time to be about when we were passing through Prosser, which ended up being correct. We stopped for lunch at the Horse Heaven Saloon in downtown Prosser.

But before we got to Prosser, there were dinosaurs in Granger.

"<yoastmark

"<yoastmark

"<yoastmark

I’m all about a good roadside attraction. There isn’t a lot going on in Granger, which is probably why they created a dinosaur park to attract tourists. It’s worth a stop if you are into that sort of thing.

In Prosser, The Horse Heaven Saloon was small, dark, and delightfully air-condtioned.

horse heaven saloon prosser
Image from http://www.horseheavensaloonprosser.com/

The food was pretty damn good. Paddy and I shared the nachos, which came with a beer cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was really tasty and a nice change-up from traditional nacho cheese. The chips were house-made. The menu is mostly pub grub, but all done really well with a bit of extra creativity. Our friends enjoyed their burgers and sandwiches as well. We would recommend this lunch stop if you are passing through Prosser.

rolling hills near walla walla
Rolling hills outside of Walla Walla

Finally just outside of Walla Walla, we made one last stop at Woodward Canyon Winery, because we can’t help ourselves.

Woodward Canyon Winery, Walla Walla
Woodward Canyon Winery, Walla Walla

The host at Woodward Canyon gave us an overview of Walla Walla’s wineries, along with some restaurant recommendations. She suggested that if we only have limited time to wine taste during our visit, that we should go to the wineries on the south side of Walla Walla, as that area is the most scenic. Noted.

Woodward Canyon’s wines were a bit on the pricier side, but we did purchase a bottle of their less expensive “Pizza Wine,” a red blend with a whole lot of different types of grapes involved.

We finally met up with our friends in Walla Walla in the late afternoon. Our rental house was as described and the outdoor pool was as glorious as we had hoped. We spent the evening in the pool.

 

Day 2: Exploring Walla Walla: Shops, a historical museum, and Batman.

Here’s a little-known fact: Adam West, the star of the 1960’s Batman series, grew up in Walla Walla. The town of Walla Walla is so proud of this that they have an Adam West Day every year in September on Adam West’s birthday.

If you’re a Batman fan and can’t make it to Walla Walla on Adam West Day, don’t worry. You can visit a copious amount of Batman items and artifacts at the Kirkman House Museum. Paddy is a huge Batman fan, so this was a must see for us.

Kirkman House Museum
Kirkman House Museum

The Kirkman House Museum is a restored 1800’s mansion previously owned by the Kirkman family. We were given a guided tour by a very nice lady of the entire mansion and all its historical Kirkman family and 1800’s era artifacts. It was all very interesting, but the highlight was definitely the Batman room.

Batman room at the Kirkman House Museum
Batman room at the Kirkman House Museum. Shark repellent!
Batman room at the Kirkman House Museum
Batman room at the Kirkman House Museum

The climactic moment in the Batman room was when the statue next to the Bat Phone triggered the wall to the “Bat Cave” fire poles opened. Alas, there was no Bat Cave, but there was a good photo op with the poles and the Bat Phone.

Bat Phone at the Kirkman House Museum
Paddy on the Bat Phone at the Kirkman House Museum
Batman room at the Kirkman House Museum
Batman room at the Kirkman House Museum

If you are a Batman fan, or into historical museums, the Kirkman House is worth a stop. Open Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Sunday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Admission $7.00, cash preferred.

We spent another hour or two walking around downtown Walla Walla. There are many fun shops to explore with gifts, antiques, clothing, and toys. If you have a sweet tooth, Brights Candies is an old fashioned candy shop that has many kinds of candies and excellent fudge. The Hot Poop record store had a funny name and a large inventory, but their prices were a little outrageous. I did find a fun disco record there though.

Brights Candies, Walla Walla
Brights Candies, Walla Walla
Walla Walla
Bright colored shop in downtown Walla Walla

If you enjoy wine tasting, there is a tasting room in between almost every other shop in downtown Walla Walla. If you are staying in town and don’t want to worry about driving, this is probably the best place to wine taste that I’ve been in Washington. You can walk to all the tasting rooms and restaurants and taste as much wine as you want without having to worry about transportation. There are more tasting rooms for local regional wines than anyone could ever visit in a day.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool, because it was 95 degrees out, and because pool.

 

 

Day 3: Southside Vineyards and a delicious dinner

We were ready to taste some more wine, and see some grapes growing. For me, part of the fun is visiting the vineyard and seeing the actual grapes growing in the sun. Most vineyards allow picnics as they don’t serve food, so you can make an afternoon of it and enjoy the wine and the scenery. In addition, tasting rooms are a great place to chit chat with a local host and find out recommendations and info on the area.

We followed the advice of our host at Woodward Canyon and drove out to the south side. Our first stop was the Castillo de Feliciana vineyard, which is actually just over the Oregon border and not in Walla Walla. It is only a 15 minute drive from town.

"<yoastmark

"<yoastmark

Castillo de Feliciana has a Spanish theme, from the tasting room architecture to the music to the grape varieties grown. It was a gorgeous vineyard, and the hosts told us to go sit out on the patio while they brought each tasting out to us. We sat and enjoyed the vineyard views of the countryside and Blue Mountains.

Views from Castillo de Feliciana patio
Views from Castillo de Feliciana patio

Our favorite wines were the Miercoles (“Wednesday”) red blend, the Rose of Tempranillo, and the 2015 Garnacha. We purchased a bottle of the Rose and the Garnacha. I think the tasting fee was $10 per person, waived with bottle purchase.

Castillo de Feliciana also serves sangria in the summer if you feel like spending some time and having a picnic. There are plenty of patio tables to picnic at, and the Spanish music piped outside really sets the mood. Bring some tapas and hang out for an hour or two with a glass of your favorite wine after the tasting.

We decided to go to one more vineyard, and chose Va Piano. Va Piano is an Italian style vineyard (we just went to Spain, why not go to Italy too?) in a cluster of many vineyards back over the Washington border.

"<yoastmark

"<yoastmark

"<yoastmark

Va Piano had grapes growing almost right up to the front entrance of the building, frosty air conditioning in the tasting room, and a very friendly host. The tasting fees were higher here but the wines are high quality. Tasting fees are waived with purchase.

I am not normally a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, but the Va Piano 2018 Sauvignon Blanc was my favorite white of the bunch, and a really nice refreshing summer wine. We ended up buying a bottle of the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2016 Syrah. We got a taste of the rich and smokey estate Syrah, which was not in our budget, unfortunately. It was really, really good though. We did not care for the Chardonnay here.

We had a picnic at the large, shaded table outside the tasting room, and our friendly host provided complimentary water.

grapes at va piano winery
Grapes growing at Va Piano Vineyard

If you are really into wine tasting at Walla Walla Valley vineyards and want to make a day of it, there are several tour and transportation options. You can join a tour for the day or hire a private tour driver for your group. I would recommend booking a few weeks in advance in the summer, especially for a weekend. Options can be found here: https://wallawalla.org/listing-category/wine-tours-transportation/

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool, as it was 96 degrees and we’d had enough walking around in the heat for the day.

 

Later that evening, we went out for dinner. We only went out to eat once on this trip as we like to cook together at our rental house to save money (and a lot of us like to cook). However, there are a lot of great restaurant options in Walla Walla, and it took us a bit to narrow it down to one choice for our dinner out.

We opted for Hattaway’s on Alder, and were not disappointed.

Hattaways on Alder Walla Walla
Hattaways on Alder in downtown Walla Walla
Hattaways on Alder Walla Walla
Delicious cocktails at Hattaways on Alder in downtown Walla Walla

Everything was oustanding: the service, the cocktails, the food, and desserts. It was very difficult to decide on an entree. Our host at Va Piano vineyard told us that he was still thinking about the chicken and grits dish he had ad a week or so before. I also have a hard time saying no to a good duck breast. Paddy and I ended up both going with the grilled pork collar with smashed potatoes, black garlic crema, and charred tomato chimichurri. We shared the duck pate appetizer as a starter.

duck pate appetizer at Hattaways on Alder, Walla Walla
Duck pate appetizer at Hattaways on Alder, Walla Walla
Grilled pork collar at Hattaways on Alder, Walla Walla
Grilled pork collar at Hattaways on Alder, Walla Walla

The pork collar was very smokey, and the black garlic was a delicious compliment. The charred tomatoes added a nice acidic element to balance the heavy pork.

Our friends had a variety of dishes, and we covered close to everything on the menu. Everyone was very happy with what they ordered. Our friend who took our Va Piano host’s advice and ordered the chicken and grits dish was not disappointed.

Pan seared halibut cheeks at Hattaways on Alder, Walla Walla
Pan seared halibut cheeks with grits with tomato confit, manchego cream, and BBQ butter at Hattaways on Alder

A few other restaurants that we were interested in but did not get to try on this trip:

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen

Soi 71 Noodle House

Brasserie Four

 

Day 4: Palouse Falls excursion

Our last full day in Walla Walla led us out of Walla Walla for the morning to Palouse Falls, an hour drive north of Walla Walla.

The drive to Palouse Falls from Walla Walla is through rolling hills of wheat fields. You can take a couple different roads from Walla Walla to get there. The most direct is highway 125/Lyons Ferry Road, which has a lot of windy twists and turns in the beginning. If you are prone to motion sickness, this might not be the best route for you. The other direct way is highway 12, connecting with the 261 in Lyons Ferry. The latter goes through a small town or two, and is longer but a bit less twisty.

We took highway 125/Lyons Ferry Road, which was pretty but did make me a little queasy, despite sitting in the front seat. The drive was only about an hour, and there was still plenty of parking available when we got there. We took highway 12 back.

*Note: Palouse Falls is a state park, which requires a Discover Pass to park there. There are no places to purchase a pass at the park, so buy an annual pass or day pass prior to your trip.

From the parking lot, walk down through the tiny campground to the cliff to view the falls.

Palouse Falls
Palouse Falls

Palouse Falls is beautiful, but dangerous. For more about our day trip to the falls and what to expect, read our full post here.

Snake River leading to Palouse Falls
Snake River leading to Palouse Falls
Palouse Falls trail
Palouse Falls trail

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool, because pool.

 

 

Walla Walla was a fun summer trip. It is a nice town with great summer weather, fantastic restaurants, and our favorite spot in Washington State so far for wine tasting. There are many beautiful sights to see nearby and fun shops to explore in the town. There is far too much wine to taste in one trip, so Paddy and I will be going back on our own to pick up where we left off.

Walla Walla has several hotel options in the downtown area, and many AirBnb/Home Away rentals as well. Bonus if you can find a vacation rental with a pool!

 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from product links on this site.

Wine Tasting in Prosser, WA 2016

Wine tasting in Prosser, WA: Visiting a tiny historic town in the Horse Heaven Hills, with lots of wineries and a fabulous dinner

 

For our anniversary this year, we wanted a quick getaway out of the city, but we didn’t have a lot of time or money. Since we both love wine tasting and have so much of Washington’s extensive wine country left to explore, we decided to check out Prosser.

Prosser is in the Yakima Valley and Horse Heaven Hills region of southern Washington State. It is about a 45 minute drive south east of Yakima, and an hour and a half west of Walla Walla. It was roughly a 3.5 hour trek from Seattle. We chose Prosser as it appeared from looking at the map that there were quite a few tasting rooms and a nice restaurant in walking distance from the Best Western, which meant that we didn’t have to worry about drinking and transportation.

We left Seattle at 8:00 AM on Saturday, timing our arrival in Prosser for right around when the winery tasting rooms open. Once we began our drive south on I-84 just after Ellensburg, the landscape changed dramatically. The mountain forests and valley farmland gave way to dry, rolling hills and desert sagebrush.

We arrived in Prosser just after 11:00, and ventured into the historic downtown area. It was late morning on a Saturday, but downtown had barely a soul in site. There were some antique shops open, but not a whole lot going on. The buildings were old, reminiscent of the wild west. Prosser felt like a ghost town that a group of people had recently decided to inhabit again.

Historic downtown Prosser, WA
Historic downtown Prosser, WA
Downtown Prosser, WA
Downtown Prosser, WA

We had brought some picnic items with us, but wanted to find a grocery store where we could get a baguette to go with our meats, cheese, and pickles. The only grocery store in town appeared to be the Prosser Food Depot in the downtown area. We were able to find a baguette, and the store looked like it had most of the essentials.

Armed with snacks, we were ready to taste some wine. Our first stop was 14 Hands Winery just on the outskirts of downtown. We were familiar with their commonly found grocery store wines, and wanted to know what else they had to offer.

14 Hands Winery, Prosser, WA
14 Hands Winery, Prosser, WA
14 Hands Winery, Prosser, WA
14 Hands Winery, Prosser, WA

14 Hands Winery is themed after the Horse Heaven Hills and the wild horses that once inhabited this region of Eastern Washington. Our host was very friendly and greeted us immediately when we walked in, and had no problem with us bringing in a few snacks while we were tasting the wine. There was a country band playing that was covering old Johnny Cash songs and other old-style country songs.

The wines we tasted were their reserves, only available at the winery. The reserve Syrah was our favorite of the wines we tried, which included a Savignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Rose of Malbec, a Cabernet, and a Merlot. They were all nice, but not wonderful enough to make us cough up the $30 a bottle price. The tasting fee was $7.00 per person, waived if you buy a bottle. They sell their regularly distributed wines there as well for $10-$12 a bottle, so it made sense to buy two of those for a few extra dollars than to pay the tasting fee.

Next, we moved on outside of town to one of the oldest wineries in the region, Pontin Del Roza. Pontin Del Roza Winery has been making wine since the 1980’s, but the Pontin family has been farming the land for the majority of the 20th century. The tasting room was air conditioned and quiet, giving us a chance to talk to owner for a bit.

Pontin Del Roza Winery, Prosser, WA
Pontin Del Roza Winery, Prosser, WA
Pontin Del Roza Winery, Prosser, WA
Pontin Del Roza Winery, Prosser, WA

Pontin Del Roza Winery had a very nice sweet (but not too sweet) Chenin Blanc, a couple reds that I hadn’t heard of (but wasn’t a huge fan of), and some other very tasty wines including a Merlot, a Cabernet, and a nice Rose.

The outdoor patio was very relaxing and there was a bocce ball court. We were welcome to sit and eat the rest of our picnic out on the patio. There were carafes of water with mint and cucumber, and sodas for sale as well. I ordered a glass of the Chenin Blanc to go with our picnic and got an extremely generous pour.

Pontin Del Roza Winery patio prosser
Pontin Del Roza Winery patio
Picnic at Pontin Del Roza Winery, Prosser
Picnic at Pontin Del Roza Winery, Prosser

After lunch at Pontin Del Roza, we were ready to check into the hotel and ditch the car. You can only do a little bit of wine tasting if you are driving.

We checked into the Best Western at Horse Heaven Hills, which was about what you can expect a Best Western to be. It was nice to have AC and a fridge in the room, and the bed was comfortable.

Our room at the Best Western in Prosser
Our room at the Best Western in Prosser

We had chosen this Best Western because it was in walking distance to Prosser’s Vintner’s Village. Vintner’s Village is essentially the mini Disneyland of wine tasting, with 10 winery tasting rooms in one 32-acre area, along with one nice restaurant. There is also an RV park near the village with a RV sites, a couple of tent sites, and an outdoor pool as well if you want to camp.

Vintner’s Village is pretty much set up for wine tourism. The Village and the Best Western are fairly new, attempting to bring a collection of the regional wineries together in one spot, working together to make it convenient for tourists.

Vintner's Village, Prosser WA
Vintner’s Village, Prosser WA
Vintner's Village, Prosser WA
Vintner’s Village, Prosser WA

You’re not going to find picturesque vineyards and gorgeous grapes growing in the sun here. It’s pretty much just a collection of very large tasting rooms with a few nice courtyards. However, it was nice to taste at our leisure and not have to worry about driving or transportation.

We only made it to two of the tasting rooms, as it was late in the afternoon. The tasting rooms are generally open from 11:00 or 12:00 to 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon. The 91 degree desert sun was extremely hot. We approached a large complex called “Winemaker’s Loft” in the style of a Tuscan villa. Inside were a couple different wineries, and we started with Coyote Canyon.

"Winemaker's Loft" in Vintner's Village, Prosser WA
“Winemaker’s Loft” in Vintner’s Village, Prosser WA

We tasted a lot of wine at Coyote Canyon, and the wine server and her little dog were very accommodating. We didn’t taste any that “wowed” us enough to buy a bottle, so we thanked them and headed next door to Martinez & Martinez. We were a bit tipsy at this point, so this was going to have to be our last stop. It was also just about closing time for the tasting rooms.

Martinez & Martinez has a little tasting room with a lot of Mexican-inspired art. The hosts were friendly. The best part about their tasting room however, was the frozen wine slushie machine. It was the perfect ending to our day of wine tasting on a hot Eastern Washington day. It was made with the Martinez & Martinez Rose, and tasted a lot like sangria with added fruit juice.

Wine slushie at Martinez & Martinez winery in Vintner's Village, Prosser
Wine slushie at Martinez & Martinez winery in Vintner’s Village, Prosser
Wine slushie at Martinez & Martinez winery in Vintner's Village, Prosser
Wine slushie at Martinez & Martinez winery in Vintner’s Village, Prosser

After we finished our slushie, we headed back to the room to cool off and rest for a bit.

Our dinner reservation was at 7:00 at the one restaurant in Vintner’s Village, Wine O Clock Wine Bar. I had read that reservations were strongly recommended, so I filled out their online contact form and requested a reservation the week prior.

Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner's Village
Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner’s Village

The restaurant is part of the Bunnell Family wine cellar. The dining room is set up like you are eating in someone’s house, with a very homey open kitchen, tables with Kitchen Aid mixers and cook books in the corners, and a TV with muted vintage Julia Childs cooking shows running on a continuous loop.

Wine O Clock Restaurant and Wine Bar in Vintners Village, Prosser
Wine O Clock Restaurant and Wine Bar in Vintners Village, Prosser

The menu changes weekly with the seasonal whims of the chef and her garden. You can pair your entree with a suggested wine flight instead of committing to a single glass so that you can get a sampling of the Bunnell wines while you dine.

The water served had cucumbers in it, which was a nice refreshing touch on such a hot day.

Wine flights at Wine O Clock wine bar in Prosser
Wine flights at Wine O Clock wine bar in Prosser
Wine flights at Wine O Clock wine bar in Prosser
Wine flights at Wine O Clock wine bar in Prosser

We started with the burrata, which came with a fruit jam, fresh figs, and toasted baguette slices. Everything was top quality, although we did think the burrata cheese could have used just a pinch of sea salt or something to zest it up a bit. Just a personal preference.

Burrata appetizer at Wine O Clock in Prosser
Burrata appetizer at Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner’s Village

For our entrees, Paddy had the pork loin with sweet potato cakes, and I had the nicoise salad with a bearnaise sauce, golden beets, and seared ahi tuna. Both were delicious.

Paddy’s entree had fresh garlic greens that were delicious. We couldn’t believe we’d never had them before. They kind of tasted like a garlicky asparagus stalk. Everything was delicious.

Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner's Village
Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner’s Village
Nicoise salad with seared ahi tuna at Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner's Village
Nicoise salad with seared ahi tuna at Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner’s Village

For dessert we shared the chocolate mousse cake, which came with a dessert wine of sorts that the server told us to taste before she would tell us what it was. It was sweet and robust and very complimentary to the rich chocolate. It was a cherry cordial, with no grapes at all. The chef makes it to serve in the restaurant but doesn’t have a license to bottle and sell it at the moment.

Chocolate mousse cake at Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner's Village
Chocolate mousse cake at Wine O Clock in Prosser Vintner’s Village

After dinner we walked outside into the warm twilight. It was such a nice evening, finally a comfortable temperature to walk around in. There was a party going on over at Winemaker’s Loft with a BBQ and a Mexican band. It looked fun but we didn’t feel like shelling out the $10 cover.

 

We wished we had the time and money to stay another night and check out more of the region and Vintner’s Village, but we’ll have to come back another time. The warm evening and the RV park across the street made us wish we had a trailer to camp in instead of the hotel.

Overall, Prosser was a great quick anniversary getaway and we’d love to come back. If you want to do some wine tasting in the Yakima to Walla Walla area of Washington, this is a great stop with easy access to a lot of wine and accommodations in one place.

 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from product links on this site.

Walla Walla, WA 2016: Sweet Onions and Wine

Walla Walla, Washington 2016: A quick girls’ weekend trip to Walla Walla during their annual Sweet Onion festival. Onions, great food, and wine, wine, and more wine…

 

I’d never been to Walla Walla, WA, or knew much about Walla Walla other than that it was in Eastern Washington, contained the state penitentiary, and was the home of the infamous Walla Walla sweet yellow onion.

My friend and I read that there was an annual Sweet Onion Festival every year in June, and we decided this year we’d check it out. In addition to onions, we assumed we’d be guaranteed sunshine on the east side of the Cascade Mountains (sunshine is not as frequent in Seattle in June), and we’d heard there was lots of great wine in the area and were hoping to do some wine tasting. Onions, sunshine, and wine–(three great tastes that go great together?) A girls’ trip seemed in order.

Day 1:

We left cold, rainy, Seattle at 6:30 AM to get a head start on the long drive. We were all wearing sundresses and tank tops, expecting gorgeous rays of 75 degree summer sun to blind us at any moment as we went over Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascades.

To our disappointment, the rain and 56 degree temperatures continued to follow us from Seattle. Confident that the 75 degree sunshine that the weather report promised us would appear any moment, we cranked up some disco on the stereo and sallied forth to wine and onion country.

We ran into a little snag in our route with an accident fully blocking both lanes of a highway, and had to detour which turned our 4.5 hour drive into a 5 hour drive, but it wasn’t too bad. We had snacks. We arrived in Walla Walla at 11:30 AM, and checked into the Motel 6.

Motel 6 Walla Walla
Motel 6 Walla Walla

The Motel 6 was clean, basic, and the beds were comfy. A fridge was included, which we utilized. There was a laughably small pool off of the parking lot, and a convenience store next door. The best thing about the Motel 6 however, was the location. It was right in downtown Walla Walla and in walking distance to everywhere.

**Note: Hotel reservations recommended in advance for the Onion Festival weekend.

Unfortunately, it was still rainy and not any warmer than when we left Seattle. Gretchen (who is always prepared) had brought a couple umbrellas which helped tremendously as we walked around town. We were hungry, so we scouted out somewhere for lunch.

We didn’t scout very long. Despite the umbrellas, we were unprepared in our cardigan sweaters and sundresses for rain and the light wind that seemed to be picking up. We settled on the first place that looked good, which was Wingman Birdz & Brewz.

Wingman Birdz & Brewz, Walla Walla
Wingman Birdz & Brewz, Walla Walla

The food was good and the service was friendly. I had the “Second Runner-Up Grilled Cheese” which was grilled cheese on brioche with three kinds of cheese, tomato, bacon, and avocado. It was delicious, albiet a little pricey at $12.00 for grilled cheese.

Second Runner-Up Grilled Cheese at Wingman Birdz & Brew Walla Walla
Second Runner-Up Grilled Cheese at Wingman Birdz & Brew Walla Walla

The rain and wind still weren’t letting up after lunch, so we ducked into the little Macy’s on Main Street in hopes of finding raincoats on sale. We were in luck, and found a raincoat and a hooded sweatshirt for $15 -$20 each in the deep discount section. Macy’s is a pricey store, but when they have a sale, they have a SALE.

The locals kept remarking on how unusual the weather was, and lamenting about the poor Onion Festival that was getting rained out. We passed the small corridor of vendor tents comprising the festival on our walk, but just didn’t feel like being in the rain. It didn’t look like we were the only ones, there weren’t a lot of people milling around at the festival.

We explored a couple antique shops, and a great little soap and body care shop on Main Street called Midnight Oil Soap and Apothecary. The very creative and fun soaps and personal care products are all made by the owner Kim on her farm outside of town, many made from goat milk from her own goats. I was enticed by some glittery cucumber melon body butter, which I regretted not purchasing then as we discovered the next day that she was closed on Sundays. Fortunately, she sells her products online as well. If you’re looking for a gift for someone, this is a great place to shop.

midnight oil wine soap walla walla
Image from http://midnight-oil-soap-apothecaary.myshopify.com/
The Hot Poop record store, Walla Walla
The Hot Poop record store, Walla Walla

The rain still wasn’t letting up, (despite the weather reports on our phones still proclaiming 73 and sunny weather for the afternoon) so we decided it was time to start wine tasting. We ducked into the first tasting room we encountered, which was the Mark Ryan Winery.

Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla
Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla

We tasted several wines, some with names that led me to believe that Mr. Ryan is an avid Pearl Jam fan (“Crazy Mary” and “The Dissident” for example). The tasting room had nice atmosphere and a very friendly host who came around to pour the wines for us while we sat by the window. We did find the $10 tasting fee to be a little steep here, but it is waived if you buy a bottle.

Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla
Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla
Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla
Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla

The Dissident was our favorite wine that we tasted, a hearty red blend of cabernet, cabernet franc, merlot, and petit verdot.

Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla
Mark Ryan winery tasting room, Walla Walla

Walla Walla has 25+ tasting rooms in the downtown area, which is actually a little overwhelming. We decided to ask our friendly host where she recommended we head to next, and she recommended the Rotie Cellars tasting room across the street.

The Rotie Cellars tasting room felt like a law office waiting room, pretty bland with not much character. The wines were quite the opposite, however. We loved them all, but the Southern White was my favorite. A very summery, fruity and refreshing wine for a hot summer day. The name and flavor made me want to go sit on a big porch in Georgia, eating peaches and drinking this wine on a hot, sticky, southern summer night.

There weren’t a lot of wines to taste (I think we tasted 4?) but they were all very nice. Tasting fee was $5.00.

Rotie Winery tasting room Walla Walla
Rotie Winery tasting room Walla Walla

We asked our friendly wine server at Rotie where he recommended going next, and he directed us over to 2nd Avenue just off of Main Street where there were a few of his favorites.

We found Spring Valley Vineyard, which our Rotie server highly recommended. This tasting room proved to be our favorite one hands down.

Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, Walla Walla
Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, Walla Walla

In addition to fabulous wines, Spring Valley is a family run vineyard with a lot of family history going back to the 1890’s. The service was excellent, with a dose of the family history to go along with it. I don’t know what the tasting fee was because we all bought wine here (it was waived with purchase, whatever it was), but if it is $10.00 it is worth it. They invite you to try all six of their wines, each one proudly named after a member of their family. You can taste the love in each sip.

In addition to delicious wine and excellent hospitality, we were served a chocolate truffle with our last wine–a Syrah named Nina Lee. The truffle was infused with the Nina Lee Syrah as well. That is the wine I went home with, along with a little two pack of the truffles to share with Paddy later.

Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, Walla Walla
Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, Walla Walla
Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, Walla Walla
Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, Walla Walla
Wine tasting at Spring Valley tasting room, Walla Walla
Wine tasting at Spring Valley tasting room, Walla Walla

When we left Spring Valley, we were significantly buzzed but couldn’t resist one more tasting room next door at Maison Bleue, another family-run winery with extensive vineyards in the Walla Walla area and two in the Columbia Valley.

Maison Bleue Winery Walla Walla
Maison Bleue Winery Walla Walla
Maison Bleue tasting room Walla Walla
Maison Bleue tasting room Walla Walla
Maison Bleue tasting room Walla Walla
Maison Bleue tasting room Walla Walla

At Maison Bleue we tasted four reds and two whites, including two different Chardonnays. The first Chardonnay was aged in stainless steel, the second was aged in a traditional oak barrel. I’m not a fan of oakey Chardonnay, but the stainless steel aged chardonnay was very nice. The Syrah was my favorite red, but I’m a little partial to Syrah.

When we left Maison Bleue– low and behold–the sun was finally out. A little drunk, we walked back to the hotel to lay in the sun near the tiny parking lot swimming pool. One of us may or may not have fallen into the pool fully clothed. The sun was nice. Eventually we were joined by children doing cannonballs, so we retired to the room to take naps before dinner.

Lounging by the Motel 6 pool, Walla Walla
Lounging by the Motel 6 pool, Walla Walla
Lounging by the Motel 6 pool, Walla Walla
Lounging by the Motel 6 pool, Walla Walla

 

For dinner we had made an 8:00 PM reservation at The Ox & Cart at the recommendation of the wonderful people at Spring Valley Winery. We’d had visions of enjoying more lovely Walla Walla wine with a nice dinner, but we were a bit wined out. The waitress gave me a funny look when I ordered a bloody mary, and asked if I had an evening hangover. Yes, something like that. The bloody mary was excellent–it came with house pickled pearl onions.

Ox & Cart, Walla Walla
Ox & Cart, Walla Walla
Ox & Cart, Walla Walla
Ox & Cart, Walla Walla

We were hoping that there might be a special dish for the onion festival highlighting the Walla Walla sweet onion, but it didn’t seem that many restaurants were on board with that. Nonetheless, The Ox & Cart was a great choice for dinner. It is part of the new farm-to-table style of cuisine focusing on regional organically grown food.

Gretchen and Kari shared the Amberjack Crudo appetizer, which they said was outstanding. I felt like I needed some fresh veggies in my life, so I ordered the Spring’s Bounty Salad as a starter, a fresh mix of asparagus tips, fava beans, cucumbers, and other veggies with green garlic and a champagne vinaigrette. It was just what I needed.

Spring's Bounty Salad, Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla
Spring’s Bounty Salad, Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla
Amberjack Crudo,Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla
Amberjack Crudo,Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla

For an entree I had the Oregon Sole  with crispy potato cake and sauteed spinach, which I didn’t expect to be battered and fried but it was great regardless. I found it a tiny bit under-seasoned and could have used a bit of salt to jazz it up, but salt wasn’t provided on the table.

Gretchen had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with waffles, which she said was amazing. Kari had the Study in Foraged Mushrooms with charbroiled morels and porcini mushrooms, asparagus and wheat berries.

Oregon Sole, Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla
Oregon Sole, Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla
Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles, Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla
Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles, Ox & Cart restaurant, Walla Walla

All the food tasted extremely fresh and a lot of care was put into each dish. If I go back I may be tempted to bring some sea salt along in my purse though.

After dinner it was about 10:00, and we were tired but curious to see what kind of Walla Walla nightlife was going down. We did not find much. We found two bars that had some action–one was very crowded and the other had some kind of punk band all ages show going on. We weren’t feeling it for either of those scenes.

There was also a country/classic rock band playing the remnants of the little Onion Festival on Main Street, to a crowd of about 20. It was cute.

We were hoping to find a bar to have a quiet drink in, but there wasn’t much of any place that we saw to have a quiet drink in open at 11:00 PM. We were tired from an early morning and all that day drinking, so we decided to turn in for the night.

Walla Walla Onion Festival nightlife
Walla Walla Onion Festival nightlife

 

Day 2:

We woke up to the Eastern Washington summer sun shining full force outside. We checked out of the hotel and walked into town in search of sustenance.

We walked by Bacon and Eggs, which must be awesome because it was packed with a line out the door. We weren’t in the mood for a long wait, and decided on the Olive Marketplace on Main Street. There was no wait, and had shady tables outside on the sidewalk. Their menu was amazing. I wanted everything, it was hard to decide. Breakfast flatbread pizza with pork belly and farm fresh egg? Chevre asparagus strata? Maple braised pork belly with sweet potato hash? It was all too much. And that doesn’t even cover their baked goods, which were completely out of control.

Kari had a fig danish and the vegetable benedict with roasted veggies, Gretchen had the baked brioche french toast with pink lady apples and fresh berries, and I had the smoked salmon benedict with lox and poached eggs on a home baked biscuit with spinach. It was all outstanding.

Smoked Salmon Benedict, Olive Marketplace, Walla
Smoked Salmon Benedict, Olive Marketplace, Walla Walla
Vegetable Benedict, Olive Marketplace, Walla Walla
Vegetable Benedict, Olive Marketplace, Walla Walla
Baked Brioche French Toast, Olive Marketplace, Walla
Baked Brioche French Toast, Olive Marketplace, Walla

I got a peek into the kitchen from the expansive dining area and there were several huge, delicious looking layer cakes standing on the kitchen island that were waiting for something.

You order at the counter, and food and coffee are brought out to you when they are ready. The prices were very reasonable. They also had a large display case of deli items such as olives and fancy cheeses ready for someone’s picnic. Their lunch menu looked amazing as well. I will definitely be coming back here next time I make it to Walla Walla.

Olive Marketplace, Walla
Olive Marketplace, Walla
Olive Marketplace, Walla
Olive Marketplace, Walla

After breakfast, we decided to check out the Sweet Onion Festival on Main Street. It was mostly two blocks of vendors lining the street, all selling arts, handicrafts, and local gourmet foods. I bought some organic garlic and some Walla Walla sweet onion mustard.

Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival
Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival

There were also some good photo opportunities:

Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival
Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival
Walla Walla Onion Festival

We walked around the main part of town a little longer, visiting another great antique store called Tra Vigne on Main Street that had all kinds of treasures. Gretchen found a pie safe that she was in love with but was too big to transport back in her car. However, we found out that the owner does trips to Seattle and will deliver for a very reasonable price.

We made one last stop at Bright’s Candies to pick up some jelly beans for Kari’s kids before we headed home. They sell all kinds of classic candy as well as ice cream and house-made chocolates.

Brights Candies, Walla Walla
Brights Candies, Walla Walla
Brights Candies, Walla Walla
Brights Candies, Walla Walla

The drive back to Seattle took about 5 hours again, due to a slight slow-down on I-90 due to a couple of accidents. The long drive was worth it though, it was a short but very fun weekend.

I liked Walla Walla more than I thought I would, and I would absolutely visit Walla Walla again. The only large drawback is the long drive from Seattle. While the Sweet Onion Festival was cute, it turned out not to be the main draw. The main draw to Walla Walla these days is wine. It was the perfect place to sample some of the great wine that Washington State has to offer, with many vineyards you can drive to outside of town and tour, and a plethora of tasting rooms in the downtown area that don’t require driving (always something we look for with wine tasting). In addition, there seemed to be a number of great restaurants to compliment all that great wine, something that Paddy and I have had trouble finding on some of our other Washington wine tasting adventures.

I am looking forward to bringing Paddy back to Walla Walla in the future, and staying a bit longer than one night to see more of the area.

 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from product links on this site.

Wine Tasting Tips for Beginners

Wine tasting tips for beginners: what to expect and how to have a great wine tasting adventure

 

Paddy and I love wine. We also love food, and the two go hand in hand. We are lucky to live in one of the top wine producing states in the US, Washington State. Wine tourism has boomed in Washington over the last 20 years, with new wineries and vineyards springing up all over the state. The highest concentration of Washington wineries are on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, and there are so many to choose from that it can be quite overwhelming. Wine tasting is one of our favorite tourism activities in our home state, and we’ve been on several wine tasting adventures.

We know a considerable amount about wine, but not a ton. We are by no means experts and there is A LOT to learn. We really enjoy drinking wine and pairing wine with food, but we don’t always know what we’re doing.

Here are some wine tasting tips for beginners based on our experiences:

1. You don’t have to know anything about wine

If you don’t know anything about wine, except that you kind of like it and are curious to know more, wine tasting is the best way to learn. Don’t be intimidated, and don’t feel like a failure if you can’t taste all the “notes of fig and honeysuckle” like the wine description says you should. It can take a while to develop your palate. Concentrate on finding out what you like and don’t like in a wine–reds or whites, sweet or dry, fruity or spicy, light or robust and smoky. Remember the types of the wines that you liked, and remember that not all types of wines are created equal. Some wineries might make a chardonnay that you love, while others may have ones that you aren’t so into. Just taste and learn. Don’t be afraid to ask the winery questions.

2. Wine tasting is a daytime activity

Wine tasting rooms are typically open between noon and 5:00 PM, with some opening as early as 10:00 AM and some closing as early as 4:00 PM. It’s generally not an activity to do after dinner, and will monopolize your whole afternoon, so don’t have any other plans that day unless they are in the morning. Also, you may end up needing a nap before dinner after all that wine…

3. You will most likely get a little drunk, so have a safe transportation plan

One of the downsides about wine tasting is that a lot of areas have wineries that you have to drive to. Since drinking and driving is not a good idea, you have several options to address this common conundrum:

  1. Have a designated driver–your DD can spit the wine out into the receptacle at the wine counter after tasting, or opt out of tasting altogether.
  2. Join a wine tasting tour or hire a driver. Many of these can be expensive or book out far in advance, so plan accordingly. It is nice to have a driver.
  3. Stay in a town with wine tasting rooms in walking distance from your hotel
  4. Drive to only one or two wineries, and/or have a picnic at one of them after tasting while you sober up. Many wineries are happy to let you sit out and eat some snacks while you sip. A lot of them don’t have food licenses so they have no problem with you bringing your own.

Our plan of attack is usually a combo of suggestions 4 and 5. We like to find a hotel in walking distance from tasting rooms, but drive to a couple in the beginning before we get buzzed to see some of the pretty vineyards and grapes. Some good Washington towns with ample tasting rooms in walking distance from downtown lodging are Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Prosser, and Walla Walla.

wine tasting tips
Getting out of town and seeing the grapes growing in the vineyards is a great part of the experience. Just be sure to be safe if you are driving.

4. Tasting rooms generally have fees

Wine tasting generally isn’t free. Some wineries don’t charge fees, but most of the time you should expect to pay about $5-$10 per person at each winery to taste between 4-6 wines. Most will waive the fee if you buy a bottle, however. The winery wants to sell you wine, and if you plan on investing in a nice bottle, it’s great to sample beforehand. Most places take cards, but having cash is easier if you don’t plan on buying many bottles.

Wine tasting tips

5. Take your time and experience each wine

Don’t just gulp it down. Take some time to sniff each wine, and swirl the wine around in the glass to oxidize the wine and release the flavor. Think about what you smell and then how the wine tastes at first, while you swirl it around in your mouth, and how it finishes when you swallow it. Think about what kind of food would pair well with it (steak? chocolate? fish?) It might take some time to develop your palate and really be able to differentiate all the complex flavors each wine has, but taking your time is the way to learn.

wine tasting tips

6. You are really only going to make it to four or five wineries in a day

When we first started wine tasting, we thought we’d be able to go to a ton of tasting rooms in one day but each time we find that we only end up getting to four or five. Wine tasting takes more time than you think it does. You might have to wait your turn at the pour counter, you may get into a lively conversation with your server (extra tip–your time with your wine server is a great opportunity to find out where the best place for dinner is that evening or any other local tips about the area), and tasting each wine takes time and shouldn’t be rushed if possible. Also, there is a strong possibility that you may be drunk after five wineries, and ready for a nap. We once went to a winery that had us taste all 12 of their wines. We were a little loopy at the end of that day.

Research the ones you think you might want to visit, or just ask a local which ones they like best and narrow it down from there.

wine tasting tips
Vineyard in Rattlesnake Hills, WA

7. If venturing out to vineyards out of town, pack a picnic

When Paddy and I first went on our first wine tasting adventure around Wenatchee and Leavenworth, we got hungry. I think I may have said something like, “I could eat the shit out of some brie right now” on the drive back to Leavenworth. But wineries generally don’t have food licenses and there was no great cheese and snacks around to go with all that good wine.

Many wineries that don’t sell food are perfectly fine if you bring a little picnic. Pack some fruit, cheese, salami, crackers, chocolate, or whatever you want. You may want to purchase a glass of wine as a courtesy to go with your picnic if the winery allows you to sit and enjoy their vineyard.

wine tasting tips
Wine tasting in Chelan, WA

 

Wine tasting does not have to be as pretentious as some people make it out to be. Everyone who likes wine had to start learning about it somewhere. You also might find out that wine just isn’t your thing. Either way, it’s fun to learn and try new things, and a great way to spend a day with friends or a partner.

 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from product links on this site.