Desert Wind Winery

With its southwest flavor right here in the Northwest, Desert Wind is a very special place for wine aficionados. In its distinctive adobe-style tasting room, visitors may appreciate a relaxed atmosphere and sample remarkable wines created by the Fries family.

Family Business

Doug and Jo Ann Fries, the founders of Desert Wind, began their careers farming row crops in California. They moved their family to Oregon in the 1980s and began farming hazelnuts, then wine grapes. When the family decided to take their winemaking to a larger audience, they purchased and planted Desert Wind Vineyard in 1993. Son Greg studied agribusiness and enology extensively, and after receiving his degree from UC Davis, he joined the family business as head winemaker.

Fruit of Distinction

Desert Wind was built to showcase the best fruit from the winery's Wahluke Slope vineyard. Grapes come from two sites on the Wahluke Slope and include varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, and Syrah.

The 2004 vintage marked the first crush at the Desert Wind crush facility—and the vintage was acclaimed by many critics. The family takes particular pride in its flagship Bordeaux-style blend Ruah, which distinguishes Desert Wind in the marketplace. All of its wines, including the Ruah, are crafted to be approachable enough to be enjoyed upon release, but structured enough to withstand several years of aging.

The winery is a destination in and of itself, with a large tasting room and gift shop, event facility, upscale restaurant, and unique guest rooms. In addition to tastings to suit a variety of palates and moods, the winery offers special food and wine events, including private and public cooking classes. Tours can be arranged by appointment and take place in the winemaking facility, which is a separate building.

Southwest by Northwest

Desert Wind offers four luxury suites for overnight stay, all of which are appointed with Southwestern style furnishings. Each room has a gas kiva (beehive) fireplace, an individual balcony overlooking the Yakima River, mini-bar, flat-screen plasma TV, robes, and spacious private bathrooms. Details are important here, and there is a nightly turndown service with complimentary bottle of wine, as well as a daily breakfast basket. VIP Tours, which include a tour, tasting, barrel sampling, and appetizers, are offered as part of the overnight accommodation packages. A stand-alone VIP tour can be arranged with advance notice.

Culinary Joy

La Mesa is Desert Wind's on-site restaurant, focused on serving delicious wine country cuisine. La Mesa's primary focus is Southwest-influenced cuisine specially designed to be paired with Desert Wind wines. The restaurant adheres to a "farm-to-table" philosophy, working with local farmers and ranchers to secure many of the ingredients used in restaurant dishes. Many local, seasonal ingredients appear across the menu, which changes frequently. Desert Wind's signature ground chuck burger topped with brown sugar chipotle mayo and tobacco-cut onion rings is a popular choice among lunch guests; the ever-changing dinner menu offers more gourmet selections such as Wood-Roasted Chinook Salmon with Yukon Potato Torta and Mushroom and Smoky Pepper Ragout or Herb-Crusted Rib Eye with Black Eye Pea Succotash, Creole Mustard and Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings.