Winery and Vineyard Information

Arbor Crest Winery
Spokane, Washington

Arbor Crest is a winery gem away from the usual winery circuit. The winery
established its roots in the 1924 home of inventor Royal Newton Riblet
(now designated a National Historic Landmark). Winemaker Kristina
Mielke-van Loben Sels and her husband, James van Loben Sels have been
leading the efforts at the winery since 1999.

The tasting room is perched atop a rocky ridge just north of Spokane,
Washington, giving visitors a bird's eye view of the Spokane Valley. It is
a short but beautiful drive from Spokane, and the setting is ideal for
visitors who want to explore the vineyard and grounds. It is a study in
contrast - the gentle slope of the vineyards quickly leads to steep,
rugged cliffs that belie the casual terrain of Eastern Washington.

The winery's location plays a deeper and subtler role for visitors - and
for Arbor Crest's wines. It is difficult to ignore the winery's landscape,
and sampling wines in the tasting room draws natural connections between
the land and the wines. This is a place where one thinks about terroir -
the connections between wine and the earth are rarely as striking.

The tasting experience itself is classic Washington - low key, friendly,
and unpretentious. Still, there is no doubt that they are serious about
the wines. The staff knew the wines well, and they casually blend
professional knowledge with a relaxed, low-pressure approach. There were
just a handful of visitors in the tasting room, allowing the staff to
focus on each guest with more attention than is typical in many tasting
rooms.

Arbor Crest wines have a distinct Washington new-world style, but with
hints of old-world charm. The winery is well known for quality whites, and
their chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are consistently good values.
Mielke-van Loben Sels has recently upped the ante for Arbor Crest's
production of reds. Her recent cabernet and cabernet franc are
approachable and smooth, and are both more food-friendly than many of the
wines produced by her Washington State peers. Prices are reasonable, with
many Arbor Crest wines falling in the $8 to $30 range.

The winery is well worth a visit. It is quite memorable, and the
uniqueness of the grounds creates a stronger sense of attachment to the
wines.

This review was generously provided by ecorks at http://ecorks.com

I was first introduced to the Reisling from the Black Mesa Winery in New Mexico on a road trip during the spring of 2003. On my way back to Colorado and I thought I would sample some of the New Mexico Wines. I stopped by the Black Mesa Winery and purely by chance, picked up a Reisling.

It wasn't opened until Thanksgiving of 2005 while I was having dinner with some friends. It was a wonderful surprise. The flavor was very smooth and intense. (I'm not a sommolier, so don't expect to find the official terms in this review - This is just the experience of a non-professional)

I will look forward to going back to the Black Mesa Winery in New Mexico in search for more Reislings. Hopefully, I will have the same luck I had the last time. Unfortuantely, I didn't save the bottle, and am hoping my memory will serve me well.