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70 W i n e s & V i n e s M AY 2 0 1 4 O ne of the least publicized jobs of the winemaker is on display at two wineries owned by the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates group. At Northstar winery in Walla Walla, Wash., visitors can taste through the differences in Merlot from separate AVAs and then craft a blend, while guests of Conn Creek winery in Napa Valley can explore the nuances of that region's AVAs while making their own Cabernet blend. Blending Washington Northstar winery has placed four barrels of Merlot, one barrel of Petit Verdot and one of Cabernet Sauvignon in a special tasting area to provide wine for the blend- ing experience. Visitors receive a short presentation about the appellations from which the grapes were sourced as well as the prin- ciples of tasting and blending wine before sampling each of the wines by drawing on a spigot on the barrelhead. The barrels are filled with Merlot from Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain AVA. The Cabernet Sauvignon is from Walla Walla Valley, and the Petit Verdot is from the Wahluke Slope AVA in Columbia Valley. Bladder system keeps wine fresh Both Northstar and Conn Creek use a bladder system to preserve the wine in each barrel. After a barrel is filled, a staff member inserts a plastic bladder through the bunghole. The bladder is connected with a glass tube fixture containing a mixture of citric acid, sulfur dioxide and water. As wine is removed from the bar- rel, the sanitary solution flows into the bladder, making it expand and keeping the barrel "filled." During the first four months, guests drew 5 gallons of wine from each of the six barrels at Northstar winery. Once the Barrel Tasting and Blending Winery tasting rooms elevate tasting experience with blending By Andrew Adams Highlights • Two properties owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates offer a wine-blending experience for visitors. • Guests use graduated cylinders and barrel samples to develop their blends. • The recipes they create are then used to fill 750ml bottles, so that each visitor takes home his/her wine blend. After pulling their own barrel samples, guests at Northstar winery experiment with measured blending. S A L E S & M A R K E T I N G