If you’re under the impression that Red Mountain lacks dimension or tourism diversity, I count that as a personal failure. You must think we ride horses, play with chickens, and guzzle wine straight from the barrel. That IS the majority of the content of our newsletters, after all. I apologize for probably misleading you. We don’t guzzle, per se.
I came up with a list of 10 things to do here, most of which you can do year-round. Surprisingly, none of them involve chickens or wine guzzling (necessarily). (Is chicken yoga a potential business opportunity? Stay tuned, I heard that the goat yoga at a winery nearby was a huge hit.)
These are in no particular order or ranking:
- Get Edutained — Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Wine is bottled poetry.” Learn the art of wine tasting from people who make it. Start your wine-tasting tour with an edutainment class at Frichette Winery where they’ll teach you the fine art of the swirl.
- Read a Book — Enjoy a glass of Hedges Family Estate wine, kick back on their patio overlooking the AVA and valley, and dig in to “Red Mountain” — written by Hedges’ own Boo Walker and featuring Red Mountain. (We read it, loved it, and found ourselves in it!) Spend the rest of your visit trying to identify which of Red Mountain’s many inhabitants may have inspired characters in the book! Also, check out my blog post with more great places (and books) to enjoy!
- Ride Horses — Sure, we offer all kinds of wine tours but did you know that we offer trail rides without the wine-tasting? These are fun for the whole family (ages 6 and up). Beautiful scenery, gentle horses, and our typical wonderful weather make our 1-hour rides a great outing!
- Golf — Yes, there is golf on Red Mountain! Head on over to Monte Scarlatto and check out their beautiful 9 hole, par 3 golf course on the estate. Finish your game at the “10th hole” tasting room and enjoy their wonderful wines.
- See Amazing Works of Art — Red Mountain is home to some great artists, such that a person could make a day of visiting the local art scene:
- Kiona Vineyards Winery — hosting artwork from photographer John Clement and metal art from Ted Neth.
- Linda Andrews — Linda is an exceptional artist working in fused glass and cast bronze. Check out her website and call for an appointment. Her fused glass can be seen at Kiona Winery and Col Solare.
- Tapteil — Jane Pearson’s beautiful acrylic paintings adorn the walls of the tasting room and her artwork is featured on their wine labels.
- Eat Great Food — The Vineyard Grille at Terra Blanca is a beautiful and fun bistro.
Dinner al fresco
Have lunch or dinner on their beautiful patio with a glass of wine, or ask for something to go and take it to your favorite spot on Red Mountain. Also, check out our list of best picnic spots on Red Mountain (um, actually there are no bad places to picnic out here, which makes my job easy).In the warmer months it’s easy to find a food truck or two out here, too!And, we have to throw our hat in here too — Red Mountain Trails offers sunset dinner tours among the vines on Friday and Saturday nights. Check us out for reservations!
Practice Yoga — What’s better than yoga? Yoga at a winery. You will love the Sip n’ Stretch series at Purple Star, offered Saturday mornings. It’s the perfect way to start your weekend in wine country.
- There is also a yoga series at the beautiful setting of Hedges’ Family Estate. Click here and look for “Yoga in the Vines”.
- Do A Good Thing — Red Mountain Wineries (and tour operators) have banded together and planted “Giving Gardens”. The produce from these gardens is donated to the Benton City Food Bank. Tour the wineries and check out their Giving Gardens. Participate in one of their events (which usually involve gourmet food prepared with produce from the Giving Gardens) and the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank. Last year the Giving Gardens donated 750 pounds of produce and purchased two freezers for the Food Bank!
- Go on a Bike Tour — I don’t want to make this
post all about Red Mountain Trails, so I’ll just say that if you want a guided bike tour, we provide the guides and bikes and gourmet food and can take you to awesome places where no one else goes and you’ll love it and that’s all. - Camp — Bring your RV to Red Mountain! Monte Scarlatto will soon offer RV parking right among the vines. Imagine camping among the vines and being surrounded by all of these things to do, without having to drive anywhere!
This is not a comprehensive list at all, there’s plenty more! If you’re planning a trip out here, check out our newsletter and sign up for news of upcoming events and itineraries to make the most of your visit.
Hope to see y’all soon!
