Alexandria Nicole Cellars Estates
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Alexandria Nicole Cellars was recently named “Washington Winery of the Year” by Wine Press Northwest. Alexandria Nicole Winery was named for Jerrod Boyle’s wife, the owners of the winery. One of the goals of the winery is to reach out and touch everybody by offering an experience to remember. The owners want to leave their mark on the wines, not on the land. The winery has two tasting rooms, one in Prosser and the other in Woodinville, Washington.
Destiny Ridge Vineyard, the estate vineyard of Alexandria Nicole Cellars, has 264 acres of vines of which about 10 to 15 percent are used for Alexandria-Nicole’s wine production. The vineyards, in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are home to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Riesling, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier. All the grapes are hand picked and hand sorted.
The winery is located amongst the vineyards in a metal structure. Barrels, stacked five high age wines.
Near the winery a section of spiraling, spinning towers can be seen. These provide an artistic dimension to the landscape. The tall white spirals are wind spirals used to generate wind energy. Using these wind spirals helps Alexandria Nicole Winery reduce its carbon footprint. The power program allows the winery to sell back and buy back energy.
Washington’s Winery of the Year
The winery is named for Jerrod’s wife Alexandria Nicole. Currently the winery produces 10,000 cases of wine. The majority of the oak barrels are French. Wine Press Northwest named Alexandria Nicole Cellars as the 2011 Washington Winery of the Year.
Wines
While Alexandria Nicole Winery produces white and red wines, on our visit red wines were the ones we tasted. Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 was aged for 22 months in French oak. The wine was a dark purple with a light purple rim. The aroma and taste offered notes of black raspberries and blackberries. The finish was fruity with tannins. A wine that is available for Member’s Only was a 2009 blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache and Counoise. This wine was co-fermented with Viognier. This dark purple wine had an aroma with spice notes and the taste was of dark fruit yielding to spice. The finish was fruity with tannins and spices that kicked in on the aftertaste. Counoise 2008 was a dark ruby color. Cedar and spice notes were on the aroma while the taste had nuances of plum and cedar. The fruity finish was spicy with tannins. This was a remarkable wine since it was unusual and offered bright notes. Petite Sirah 2009 Mr. Big was a dark purple with an aroma of dark fruit. The taste offered blackberry notes, black cherry and a hint of plum. The fruity finish had bold tannins.
What would make a good wine for adults to share celebrating a child’s birth? Alexanderia Nicole offered a 2010 Late Harvest Muscat. The orange blossoms on the aroma matched the orange and tropical fruits on the taste. The finish was more dry than sweet, which makes this late harvest wine appropriate for dry white wine drinkers that do not like overly sweet wines. The wine was paired with an edible fruit arrangement. The combination offered a light afternoon treat as our first grand daughter slept while the adults took turns holding her.
Glamping
Can camping be glamorous? Alexandria Nicole Cellars offers a “glamping” experience in the vineyards. Experience camping in the vineyards with enhanced amenities. Tents are provided and each tent has a queen-size bed with a comforter. The amenities also include air conditioning, space heater, mini fridge, propane BBQ and a propane fire pit.
Enjoy a visit to one of the Alexandria Nicole tasting rooms in Woodinville or Prosser. If the idea of glamping is enticing consider a visit to a winery where you can go glamping in a vineyard.
Alexandria Nicole Cellars: Destiny Ridge Vineyards and Winery
158422 W Sonova Rd Way
Prosser, WA 99350
GPS: N45º 52.888’ W119º 49.664’
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