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Latah Creek Wine Cellars

Latah Creek Wine Cellars Latah Creek Wine Cellars was established in 1982 in Spokane - a major metropolitan area in the Northeast corner of Washington State. The winery is one of only a few family owned and operated wineries within the State. Mike Conway, with nearly 30 years of winery experience, and his wife Ellena pair together to run one of most successful small wineries in this relatively new viticultural region. While Mike assumes the management, winemaking and vineyard tasks, Ellena takes on all the accounting and fiscal responsibilities. Grapes from which Latah Creek's award winning wines are made come from two geographically different areas about 150 miles South and West of the winery. The vineyard producing our Merlot and Cabernet grapes (along with our Muscat Canelli and Reserve Chardonnay) is located in Central Washington on the south facing hills of the Wahluke Slope. This region boasts the longest and warmest growing season in the Northwest. The reds produced are typically more full-bodied than from any other area in the state and can be easily identified by their inky-dark color. Our remaining grapes come from two separate vineyards located in the southern end of the Yakima Valley, between the cities of Prosser and Sunnyside. Slightly cooler than the Wahluke Slope, this area is noted for producing wines which are delicate and fruity in nature - lighter-styled whites excel.

Directions
Our winery and gift shop are convienently located in the Spokane Valley just off I-90 at the Pines Road exit. From I-90, Exit 289, turn north on Pines Road. Drive north to Indiana, the first street, marked by a stoplight, and turn right. Proceed east on Indiana about 2 blocks to the winery.


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Address Web Social
13030 E. Indiana Avenue, Spokane, WA, US, 99216 Email: mconway@latahcreek.com
Phone: 800-528-2427 Web: www.latahcreek.com
Fax: 509-926-0710
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Products



  HUCKLEBERRY D'LATAH
Huckleberries are a small, blueberry-like fruit. Despite efforts to cultivate and commercially grow this delectable treat, the only source for the Huckleberry continues to be from the wild in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Those brave enough to compete with bears and other animals indigenous to the area are rewarded with a dark-blue berry that is uniquely Northwest. Typically used for jams, jellies and pies, we have found that the blending together of the berry’s tart juice and our Riesling to be a real taste sensation. The subtle blueberry-like flavors of the Huckleberry add nice complexities to the wonderfully intense spice and floral characters of our Riesling.
  MAYWINE
Maywine has been described as "Springtime" in a bottle. It has traditionally been used as a wine for festive occasions and signifies the coming of spring, often served from a large bowl. Latah Creek's winemaker blends together premium Washington white wines (usually Johannisberg Riesling or Gewurztraminer) with fragrant woodruff herbs and natural strawberry concentrate. This wonderfully fruity wine was developed from a family recipe brought to this country years ago by a Hungarian winemaker who years later passed it on to our winemaker. The resultant wine, with the addition of the strawberry concentrate, is somewhat sweeter than the traditional German Maiwine. Maywine can be served chilled or over ice as a wonderful aperitif. The addition of a floating strawberry makes a striking presentation. Mix with equal parts of soda water for a refreshing summer cooler. For a quick and easy wintertime mulled wine, heat Maywine with a cinnamon stick. Maywine also makes an excellent accompaniment to curry dishes.
  Washington State CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Ted Jordan Meredith, Northwest Wine - Winegrowing Alchemy Along the Pacific Ring of Fire: "Cabernet........Arguably, Washington’s finest grape. Washington Cabernets are typically deeply colored and flavored, full bodied.... Washington Cabernets have a structure and backbone similar to classically styled Bordeaux, but with a ripeness and body more reminiscent of a California Cabernet. Ultimately, they are Cabernet Sauvignon in their own style." This Cabernet is big and bold. An ample amount of tannin balances out the intense fruit nicely. No fining was done on the wine and only minimal filtration was used prior to bottling. I aged the wine for about 8 months in medium toasted French oak.
  Washington State CABERNET-MERLOT
In celebration of our 20th Anniversary, we present this very special wine: our first-ever bottling of a Cabernet-Merlot. Grapes are from the Wahluke Slope Vineyards — an area that continually produces some of the best wines in the state. Wonderful mouth filling flavors of plum, blackberry and spice immediately greet the palate while hints of dark chocolate, oak vanillin and black currants linger on for a beautifully balanced finish. This remarkable wine is composed of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot.
  Washington State CHARDONNAY
A wonderfully full bodied, yet fruity Chardonnay. The rich, buttery character seen in this wine is the result of a cool (50 F.) primary and a full secondary malo-lactic fermentation. The long, smooth toasty finish was achieved by 2 months of French oak aging.
  Washington State MERLOT
This is a great pasta wine — big, bold, intense and lots of fruit. Beautiful colors of indigo and purple highlight this wine in the glass. Jammy black raspberry, sublte French oak vanillin and forward fruit highlight its flavor. You can enjoy this full-bodied Merlot now, or watch it soften gracefully with a few additional years cellar aging. To preserve the intense fruit characteristics of the grape, no cellar fining was done — only minimal filtration prior to bottling. Some sediment is to be expected.
  Washington State MOSCATO D'LATAH
What a difference years make. The 1999 vintage was the first release of our Moscato d’Latah and it was almost the last. The wine caused me so much trouble I was buying TUMS by the carton. I was very tempted to give up the entire effort and leave the Moscato making to the Italians. I’m glad I didn’t because the resultant wine was great and the response was phenomenal. The 98 cases bottled were gone in less than 2 months. Because of this success (and the number of pending orders for the new vintage), it was decided to go for Moscato d’Latah 2000. I did learn a few lessons from my first bottling so this time the process was much easier — filtering only took me one day instead of 2 1/2 months. Well, just when I was feeling good about myself and Moscato, along comes the 2001 vintage. It was like I had stepped back in time 2 years. Attempt, after attempt, after attempt, I finally got the wine filtered and ready to bottle but not until two months had passed. We were able to put this marvelous nectar into the bottle in late January. Then came 2002 which was as easy as 2000. The wine god’s must have known I needed a break this year. Maybe it’s any even year phenomenon. This wine is sold only at the winery. We hope you enjoy this wine as much as we do.
  Washington State MUSCAT CANELLI
Corbet Clark, American Wines of the Northwest: "Muscat - a neglected grape, but one that can produce remarkably good wines in Washington. The trademark of all Muscat is an extremely aromatic quality - it smells like a whole collection of tropical fruits and flowers. This pungency sets it apart from almost any other white grape...." Corbet Clark goes on to say: "Muscat grows well in eastern Washington, is a heavy producer, and generally made into a fairly sweet, low-alcohol wine, emphasizing the fresh fruit qualities of the grape. Lighter and subtler than California Muscats......". This wine continues to be one of the winemaker's favorite and more than any other variety, shows off his flair with the light and fruity varietals. This wine differs from the norm when it comes to Muscats in that it is finished with just under 4% residual sweetness and a relatively high acid. A delight by itself, this wonderfully balanced wine is also a suitable compliment for any shellfish meal and goes especially well with food prepared with lots of garlic or spice. An exceptional "sipping and sniffing" wine.
  Washington State NATALIE'S NECTAR
After years of being asked to make a sweet red wine, I finally found one I wanted to duplicate. In Northeastern Italy in the Veneto region, we discovered a wonderfully rich, deliciously sweet red wine made from a local grape I won’t even attempt to write or pronounce. Natalie, our daughter and future Latah Creek winemaker, and I took 4 barrels of our 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and produced Natalie’s Nectar. This sweet, dessert red has the richness and fullness of a fine Porto but without the sometimes overbearing alcohol. We released Natalie’s Nectar in November to rave reviews and expect the 170 cases to sell quickly. We hope you enjoy this unique wine as much as we do. Try serving this scrumptious dessert with biscotti and/or strong cheeses.
  Washington State Riesling
Ted Jordan Meredith, Northwest Wine - Winegrowing Alchemy Along the Pacific Ring of Fire: "The finest Northwest Rieslings occasionally approximate the elusive balance of ripeness, refinement, crisp acidity and complex flavors and scents that is the hallmark of the finer Rieslings from Germany or those from France's Alsace region. .........In America, except perhaps for the Rieslings of the Northwest, these European wines have no equal." This is a GREAT Riesling! The cool fall resulted in grapes with relatively high acid levels. Because of this, I left the residual sweetness of the finished wine at about 2.5%. The balance is wonderful and the fruit flavors are incredible. A slow, cold fermentation allowed the wine to retain its flowery, fragrant aromas and just a hint of "spritz". The crisp acidity perfectly balances out its deep, distinctly varietal flavors.
  Washington State SANGIOVESE
Everyone who has tasted our Sangiovese is as excited about it as we are. Just saying the word “Sangiovese” conjures up thoughts of the wonderfully fruity Chianti wines produced in the Tuscany region of Italy. This extremely versatile red is a relative newcomer to the wine scene of Washington State having only been in production the last few years. The grapes for ours came from the same vineyards as our Cabernet, Merlot, and occasional Syrah — the Wahluke Slope Vineyards in central Washington. This vineyard region continually produces some of the best wines in the state. The components seen in this Washington State Sangiovese are very typical of it’s Tuscan cousin — wonderful berry-like fruit flavors combines with subtle Italian herbs, nice bright red/purple color, and aromas of cherry and cassis. Enjoy this wine as an everyday “house red” — it’s a wonderful accompaniment with everything from game birds, pasta dishes and pizzas to pork roasts. I am especially intrigued by the lingering clove sensation that remains in the mouth long after the wine is gone.
  Washington State SEMILLON BLANC
This wine is sold only at the winery.
  Washington State SPOKANE BLUSH
This continues to be one of Spokane’s favorite blush wines. It’s wonderful, crisp balance and exceptional fruit characters are achieved by the blending together of premium Washington State varietal wines — specifically Johannisberg Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Muscat Canelli and a small amount of Sangiovese to achieve just the right “blush”. The result is a wine with a bright fresh bouquet and flavors of berries and cherries. Spokane Blush is an ideal accompaniment to summer barbeques, today’s lighter meals and also a delight by itself. If you enjoy “blush” wines but have grown tired of the sameness of White Zinfandels, then Spokane Blush is the “blush” for you.

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