Milbrandt Vineyards
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Milbrandt Vineyards' tasting room in the Vintner’s Village area of Prosser, Washington offers a delightful winery visit for wine lovers and tourists. The Tuscan style tasting room has plenty of outdoor and indoor space to relax and enjoy a glass of wine.
In 2011, the current Milbrandt Vineyards owners, Butch and Jerry Milbrandt are a third farming generation family. The brothers came to this area of Washington as young children in the 1950’s. The vineyards consist of 2,000 acres of wine grapes that include 30 plus varieties, located on the Wahluke Slope and north of the Slope. Grape varieties growing in the vineyards include Chardonnay, Viognier, Muscat, Tempranillo and Malbec. The Northridge Vineyard on Wahluke Slope has Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. The Evergreen Vineyard is in the Ancient Lake region which is in the approval process for an AVA.
Winery and Tasting Room
The Milbrandt Vineyards facility was opened three years ago by Butch and Jerry Milbrandt. The winery and tasting room are located in Vintners Village, Prosser, Washington. The tasting room offers views of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The tasting counter features a light brown solid surface material. Opposite the tasting counter a fireplace is a focal point for a living room like area. The sofa and chairs offer comfortable seating, especially during the colder months.
In warmer weather, the outside patio has wrought iron tables and chairs. A fireplace at one end of the patio can help take the chill off cooler days. The patio area is enclosed by a small wall and fencing giving it an Italian courtyard feel.
The winery and tasting room are in a Tuscan-style facility. In addition to the Milbrandt wines in the tasting room, visitors can enjoy the numerous gift items available to browse including cheese boards, food books, aromatic candles, soaps and jewelry. Foods include cheeses such as gouda and cheeses from Washington State University. Art pieces decorate the walls of the tasting room. One artist has artwork created using rough Northwest cedar.
An interesting story we heard while in the tasting room relates to some of the wine labels showing a single tree bowed over from the wind and leaves fluttering to the ground. The story behind the label was that Butch and Jerry’s mother was very upset when they chose to move to this area of Washington where trees are scarce. Their mom gave instructions to order and plant 100 trees from Oregon. The image of a tree with blowing leaves reflects the winds in this area and the trees that were planted.
White Wines
Estates Evergreen Chardonnay 2009, was a straw color and barrel fermented. Aging was done sur lies. The wine offered an aroma of apple with a touch of minerality. The taste also had notes of apple and a hint of minerality with some fresh baked bread hints. The crisp finish was fruity with apple yielding to citrus. Viognier 2010, a straw color, was aromatic with peach nuances. The taste was dry and fruity with hints of mineral. The finish was dry and honeysuckle nuances lingered. Tradition Muscat 2010 was aromatic with notes of honeysuckle and hints of baking spices. Fruit notes were on the taste and finish. Suggested pairings were creme brûlée and fruit pies.
Red Wines
The Estates Tasting Room Red 2009 was a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier. The ruby wine offered floral and dark fruit notes. The taste had notes of cherries. The wine finished with mild tannins that yielded to pepper nuances The wine is sold only in the tasting room. Sentinel 2007 was produced with grapes from the Northridge Vineyard. This dark ruby wine was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec. The wine had dark fruit aromas with blackberry notes. There were notes of blueberry on the taste and finish. The wine had bold tannins and was chewy.
Enjoy a visit to Milbrandt Vineyards tasting room with numerous wines to taste and gift items to explore. Relax in front of the fireplace or outdoors in an Italian-style courtyard.
Milbrandt Vineyards
508 Cabernet Court
Prosser, Washington 99350
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