OTB #1 One Man Band – White Heron 2005 Syrah – Columbia Valley

Paul Gregutt noted in his post on Thursday that:

“Washington’s other 650 wineries each produce an average of just 137 cases of wine annually. They can price it as high as they like and sell it all to friends and family, or trade it like currency if things get really tight.”

Now this was an April Fool’s post but there is enough truth in this hyperbole that those of us who live here probably thought, “Yeah, that’s about right. Wonder how much ‘o6 Syrah Tom and Susan will trade me for a couple dozen eggs and a pound of bacon?”

At lots of these small wineries it’s not at all uncommon to meet the vineyard manager, winemaker, tasting room host, bottle line foreman, lab chemist, owner, barrel procurement agent, and distributer all at one time. That’s because those titles all fit the one (or two) people who run the whole show.

That is the case with Cameron and Phyllis Fries at White Heron in Quincy. I’ve climbed up the hill in my car to White Heron probably four or five times. I’ve never met Phyllis, but a couple of those times I found Cameron in or near the tasting room and the front door was open. Other times, the door was closed and the note on the index card said “Call (509) XXX-WINE, we’re out in the vineyard or around back and can’t hear the door bell”.

I’ve called that number a time or two, and Cameron always (eventually) shows up sporting a huge smile, a scruffy beard, size 16 shoes, and a tool in his hand. That tool might be pruning shears, a rubber mallet from pounding barrel bungs, a wine thief from some sampling, a wrench from working on the corking machine, or a tape gun from making up case boxes. He’ll put down that tool, shake your hand, and find a cork screw.

The wines from White Heron are mostly made from grapes grown within about a hundred yards of so of its tasting room on the side of a steep slope facing south toward the Columbia River and Gorge. The name of the Fries’ vineyard is Marisopa after a native wildflower, a lily, found here. At least ten different grape varietals are grown including the Bordeaux varietals (Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot) grown all over Eastern Washington and a few rarities Gamay, Rousanne, and Pinot Noir. Yes, Washington does grow some Pinot Noir.

We opened a bottle of White Heron 2005 Syrah this week and had it with grilled burgers. This wine has a big fruit nose tells you CHERRY in your face. Once it opened up fully, the cherry and plum stayed on the palate (no over oaking here), and after about an hour, the peppery Syrah notes began to sing on the back end.

One day I was in White Heron and got a real kick out of some tourists who could hardly believe that wine was actually made on this very spot, where the grapes were grown, with the Columbia River shining in the distance. Cameron was a great host to these people and shared everything in his lineup. At the end, they really liked a Red Blend that wasn’t ready to be sold yet. It had just been bottled that day and didn’t have a seal or label. I’m not even sure the bottle Cameron was pouring from had ever been corked. Nonetheless, these folks wanted some, so Cameron snuck in the back and brought back a few unlabelled bottles and stuffed them into a paper bag. He made up a price on the spot, two chickens I think, and they loaded back into their truckster and went on down the road.

Don’t worry, Cameron, I won’t tell anybody you bartered wine this way.
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I am a collector of trivia and like learning about where I live or where I’m going to be visiting. As an adjunct to my Off the Bus Tour, at the end of each post I’m going to add a “Fun Fact” about Eastern Washington that may have nothing to do with wine.

OTB Fun Fact: The Missoula Floods, which towards end of the last Ice Age periodically covered much of Eastern Washington, are estimated to have been moving at speeds of up to forty five miles per hour and the volume of water is estimated to have been more than ten times the amount of all of the earth’s current rivers….combined. Noah, you’re gonna need a bigger boat.