Yakima Wine Tour

Note:  Pictures are located below the article

Planning Spring events in the Northwest is always a dicey situation as we are all anxious to put our cars on the road but Mother Nature is not always accommodating. Such was the case as our first overnight tour was getting underway on this Saturday morning in June. Not to be deterred this spunky group of 356’s and a couple of early 911’s departed from Issaquah after savoring some of Mickey D’s equivalent to Starbuck’s everyday fancy lattes.

After an uneventful but rain soaked transit over Snoqualmie Pass the group was rewarded with brilliant blue skies and puffy clouds, albeit a bit chilly. A pit stop outside of Ellensburg allowed the cars to regroup and the drivers and passengers to obtain a little coffee relief. The sparkling snow-capped peaks of the North Cascades in the distance were an added pleasure to the eyes. To add a little driving fun to the tour the group sought out the lovely and windy drive through Ellensburg Canyon along the Yakima River. Being a conservative group there was not much opportunity for the State Patrol to give even a sideways glance.

Exiting the canyon, the group reentered I-82, driving past Yakima to settle in to the designated motel in Prosser. Off to lunch and sampling of the wines being served up at several wineries within walking distance of the motel. With so many wineries in the second-largest wine producing region in the US it is quite a test to take in so many fine vintners in just a short afternoon. However, judging by the bags and boxes the group made great strides in supporting the local economy.

For the evening the group of 11 cars wandered around a few roads to end up at Mercer Estates Winery for more wine sampling, great hors ‘d oeuvres, and a sumptuous paella dinner with locally grown asparagus. Plus lots of opportunity for lively conversation and notes on the day’s wine tasting. The clear air and the picturesque sundown added to the overall ambiance of the evening.

Sunday brought more sun and a great opportunity to explore the back roads through this beautiful wine- and fruit-growing region of Washington state. Thanks to fellow Porsche Pusher, Ernie Brennecke, the group was led through vineyards, orchards, and the largest hop-producing region in the US. Lots of potential Budweisers hanging on the lines! As I mentioned earlier, this tour group is fairly conservative but to follow Ernie’s 993C2S makes you want to see if the ‘ol 356 still has the spark to provide a little exhilaration. Nonetheless, sightseeing was the plan for the day so the group held their go-pedal in check.

Submitted by:

Jack Keyes

356 Group Northwest