A wine trip well worth taking

We are very fortunate here in the Northwest to have many wine destinations in our own backyard, close enough to drive to in less than a half day. We recently traveled to Cave B Winery and the SageCliffe Inn near the town of Quincy, Wash. and for wine enthusiasts or those just looking to get away and relax you must add this destination to your list.

A short two and one half hour drive from North Idaho due west on Interstate 90 will get you to the exit for the Gorge Amphitheater. The winery and inn is located right next to the Gorge, so only a short six miles off the freeway making the drive easy in addition to being short. The inn is situated on the cliffs overlooking the Columbia River and to call the view breathtaking maybe under-selling it a bit.

The inn has 57 rooms in total including an assortment of 25 yurts, or semi-permanent tent-like structures, with the remaining rooms being in freestanding casitas, the cavern rooms which are located together in one building and a few rooms in the main inn structure that includes the restaurant and front desk. The pool area also has a view of the Columbia and is tranquil with the sound of stream and waterfall fed by natural springs on the property. There are also hiking trails on the property leading down to the river, and a full spa, in short all you need for a relaxing stay, coupled with some activities.

The restaurant was an absolute treat. Under the guidance this year of Executive Chef Bear Ullman previously of the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla, we found the food to be sophisticated, perfectly prepared, and elegantly presented. The greens and other vegetables and fruits are astonishingly fresh as they are grown on the property and harvested fresh each day. The arugula salad with strawberries and goat cheese was especially memorable and worth ordering along with any of the dishes with the baby beets which are harvested like all else that day.

While the menu is still small as Chef Bear gets ramped up in his new digs, all of the categories are well-covered for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the aforementioned salads, and entrees including duck, salmon, lamb and beef. We tried many between the two of us and loved all of them.

The whole experience for us though as wine enthusiasts was tied together by the winery. We found the wines to be well made and very good. The whites were especially delicious with all possessing varietal truth which is very important to us, and all showing balance and restraint.

We were especially fond of the Sauvignon Blanc, the un-oaked and oaked Chardonnays and the Blanc de Blanc sparkling which is manufactured in the traditional methode Champenoise. Also delightful was the dry rose, called saignee, the term for pink wine made from juice removed from the fermentation process of red wine prior to completion. The pink was crisp, zippy and bone dry - the way we love it. We also enjoyed the Viognier, but would have preferred the wine to have emphasized more the peach aromatic and palate flavor the wine is known for.

In reds, we did not have enough time to try the monumental portfolio of varietals produced at Cave B; however what we did try we found to be very good and all paired well as did the whites with Chef Bear's creations. Although we thought the Sangiovese and Barbera could have benefited from a reduced oak profile, we thoroughly enjoyed XXIII Merlot, the Malbec, and the Syrah which had a very supple mouth feel, to go along with a rich palate of dark fruit flavors and a meaty aromatic that was fabulous.

All of the wines were fairly priced, especially in the restaurant setting and were also available for sampling in the winery tasting room where they were presented by a knowledgeable and friendly staff. While the restaurant wine list included only Cave B wines, the corkage fee is modest at $10, and a fully stocked bar and beer line up adds to the choices.

The SageCliffe Inn will only get better as some minor service issues continue to get resolved like improving poolside service, the addition of more chairs and towels at the pool, and better training of wait staff in the restaurant, which we found to be very friendly but not quite on their service timing.

Overall we found the combination of great food and great wine, a setting without compare, and great natural beauty to be a compelling reason for every wine enthusiast to make the drive, which we too will do again and soon. We understand that when there is a concert next door at the Gorge the Inn is fully booked, so if your goal is to relax and unwind those would be weekends to avoid, but regardless make the trip to Cave B and SageCliffe you will be thrilled with the experience.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of The Dinner Party — a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo, and writes frequently for the on line version of Coeur d'Alene magazine at www.cdamagazine.com. His articles can also be found on the blog at Thedinnerpartyshop.com.