We stayed with Matt and Abbey of Two Mountain Winery and got a 'local' inside tour of the valley meeting local vinters, business owners, and inn keepers. We also got the local scoop on where to find the best authentic Mexican food - something we are desperately missing in the city.
When planning for our wine tasting event, I decided to keep the centerpieces simple with just candles in empty wine bottles and a single peony blossom in a few of the bottles. At our house, we had just started to see the first buds of peonies. I picked the only three blossoms that seemed like they may look decent by the evening.
Then I pulled into the driveway and saw this.
And there were more! Peonies were everywhere in full bloom and smelling heavenly. It was amazing to see the giant plants dripping with brilliantly colored flowers. I have plans to go back in October and dig up some of the root stock!
After the wine tasting event, we decided to spoil ourselves with a little spa time at the brand new Ummelina Spa called Open Sky. It's amazing. All outdoors - except for the massage teepee - I was glad to be wearing sunscreen because it was actually warm! Another reason to plan a trip today - it was 80 degrees all weekend.
Soaking tubs at Ummelina
The only other thing we wanted to do while we were there was to get really good Mexican food. This spot had truly authentic - and truly filling - food. We picked this one because we wanted to sit outside. Matt had a list of recommendations, but this was the only one with outdoor dining.
The catch, we found out when we got there, is that the car wash is next door. When the dryer starts up the conversation has to momentarily stop. It's way too loud to attempt to talk over and it was definitely a charming addition to the ambiance.
A quick gator/4 wheeler ride through the orchards and vineyards to go to a local winery's release party. It's a super tiny winery called Knight Hill and they had the most amazing Mouvedre. I'd never heard of the grape before Friday and I was enamored by the end of the weekend. It's usually used for blending, but in some instances the grape can stand alone and make a great wine.
They also have this view.
Lastly, we indulged my love of grocery stores with a stop at Fiesta Foods.
I wasn't disappointed.
Racks of spices and spice blends
A salsa bar! And a variety of sour cream. So delicious.
I can't encourage you enough to go spend a weekend in Zillah and explore some of the things that make Eastern Washington so cool. And cherries should be ready to pick in just a month or so - a great time to stop by the many fruit stands that dot the highway and make jam!
No comments:
Post a Comment