On our way home from raspberry picking, we were driving past Gouger Cellars in Ridgefield, WA. A sudden urge to stop in and soon we were taste testing red wines and enjoying a lovely shared snack involving melted brie cheese, honey, poached apples and dried fruits. Lovely combination!
We sat on their back patio as it was a perfect blue sky day in the Northwest. You could choose to sit under an arbor in the shade or out in the warm sun. Being a true Northwestener, we opted for the shade (anything over 75 degrees is getting a bit too toasty for me!)
The back patio overlooks an open field. Their patio is lined with young fruit trees and has a nice view of Mt. St. Helens – nearby but not too close, which is a good thing when it comes to volcanoes!
The winery offers a taste of 5 wines for $10, or you can choose by the glass and enjoy a very nice lunch there. The baked brie we tried was fabulous. The main tasting room is fairly small with standing tables and an open kitchen that lets you watch your meal being prepared. Their menu includes a hamburger, german sausage, turkey sandwich, pasta, crab melt, arugula salad, and prime rib.
They specialize in red wines and sparkling wines. Wine tastes are, of course, a personal matter, but I will say the Sangiovese was my favorite – nice and smooth, and my companion’s favorite was Chapter Two (a blend of petite syrah and zinfandel) which received the best of class award at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
A lovely stop for lunch, and a nice little winery to visit that is easy to get to just east of the I-5 exit at Ridgefield, WA north of Vancouver.
Gouger Cellars, LLC
26506 NE 10th Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642, US
(360) 909-4707
