Stoutpup

Yesterday we went to Bainbridge Vineyard and Winery for a bit of wine tasting and wine education. We started the afternoon by riding over on the Puyallup. I just love ferry rides. It was such a beautiful day outside, even the bunch of super obnoxious college girls screeching and singing stupid songs on the deck next to us didn’t spoil the mood. We arrived at the winery just in time to join the 2 o clock tour. Bainbridge Winery is a small vineyard on the island and on of the two “real” wineries located there. That being said, the grapes are grown there, and the wine is produced and bottled at the winery. It does not import its grapes like many new “wineries” do these days.

The Vineyard and Winery is owned and run by Gerard and Jo Ann Bentryn. They’ve been growing grapes on the island for 30 years. I am so glad we ended up at this particular winery. Google picked it for us, but I had actually read about it in Seattle Magazine previously. We learned about how grapes are grown in the different regions and climates and we’ll carry this information with us next time we are driving through somewhere and see a vineyard with high-climbing vines versus low horizontal outstretched “arms”. Normally I find the tasting part of a wine tour to be the most fun, but really this tour was truly fascinating — with lots of history of the region and how the land was attained.

After the hour-long tour was over we went back to the tasting room. $3 will get you four tastes. We ended up buying 6 bottles of our favorite and will save these for special occasions. Gerard Bentryn says that one needs only to pay $10.00 for a bottle of wine that tastes acceptable for drinking with meals etc., and if you pay more than that — then you’re a sucker! Because unless the bottle says “grown, produced, and bottled by” the wine could be bottled 300 miles away from where it’s grapes were grown - even if it’s the best wine you’re ever tasted - it has less meaning. After hearing all Gerard had to say yesterday I really began to understand what he meant about his process of making wine and farming in general. I walked away thinking it’s a lot about integrity.

“Wine is Sex, a Vineyard is love and commitment.” That’s what Gerard says.

It’s appropriate that I am writing this post on Memorial Day because Gerard Bentryn, a noble man of extreme integrity, is also an Army veteran who is proud to have served his country but remains against war. I am happy to have visited his winery this weekend and look forward to returning - and of course drinking the wine.