The Story Behind Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is one of the most relaxing and interesting event that I have been to. My friends and I have visited Otis Kenyon Winery in Woodinville. During my stay, I tasted about five different type of red wines and actually got to take one bottle home (For $30). My experience was relaxing because I went with friends and enjoyed each and every moment. Though the wine looked the same color, each tasted differently. Some tasted really bitter while some tasted really sweet. The two bitter taste included the 2006 and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon while the two sweet wines were called 2007 Syrah and 2007 Matchless Red Wine. The wine in between, which was bittersweet was called Merlot Vertical. It costs $100 but sometimes wine is well worth it.
Our wine tasting guide explained to us that red wine is best when eating meat. She says that they mix well together. Though red wine makes your teeth turn blue, it is well worth it. The story that brought Otis Kenyon Winery is very intriguing. It starts with a young boy named James Otis Kenyon.
“A young man, James Otis Kenyon, was a struggling dentist practicing in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. When a new dentist moved to town, James, for reasons that remain a mystery, burned his competitor’s office to the ground. After much speculation and a lengthy investigation, James spent a short period of time providing superb dental care to the staff and patients at a nearby hospital.
Ostracized by his wife and presumed dead by his two sons, the family moved to Walla Walla, Washington. Robert Otis Kenyon, the eldest son, never spoke of his father even to his son, Stephen Otis Kenyon. Yet, almost exactly 50 years after the incident that began the family legend, Steve discovered his grandfather living quietly on the Oregon coast.
James was reunited with his sons and became a joyful part of their families living long enough to witness the birth of his first great grandchild, Muriel. Although he passed on at age 101, James would have delighted in the birth and naming of his great grandson, Samuel Otis Kenyon.
Today, in tribute to four generations of Otis Kenyons each with strong ties to the Walla Walla Valley, owners Stephen Otis Kenyon and Deborah Dunbar have returned to the area to make wine. Guided by an unyielding commitment to excellence, and dedicated to sustainable and bio-diverse viticultural practices, they are passionate growers and producers of elegantly structured and affordable Bordeaux and Rhone varietal wines.
In honor of James Otis Kenyon, the label bears his silhouette.”
The actual making of the wine comes from Walla Walla Valley and they ship the complete wine to Woodinville. Woodinville consists of many other shops that have wine tasting as well. The Woodinville Winery is just a small branch from Walla Walla Valley. Wherever you go, any wine tasting event is a great experience for everyone. To understand the history of the valley is something intriguing and make the wine taste even better.
