Pinot noir grapes are harvested at Bainbridge Vineyards
By Meegan M. Reid
TIDELANDS MAGAZINE
Be Our Guest: Cultivation and Hospitality Go Hand-in-Hand on Kitsap’s Family Farms
By David Albright
On another part of the island, Bainbridge Vineyards represents both the promise and the peril of maintaining a farm in a fast-growing region like Kitsap. Their original site was established just outside of Winslow in 1977. Today that site is known as “Vineyard Lane,” a housing development whose only connection to agriculture is the name on the street sign and the fertile soil that’s now trapped beneath concrete foundations.
But the business was able to relocate and today the winery is open to visitors just a few miles up from that original site, where guests can sip wine on an outdoor patio while gazing out on the rows of grape vines. Due to the cooler Maritime Northwest climate, owner Betsey Wittick says the grapes they grow make a lighter, more delicate wine as compared to the bigger heavier reds that come from warmer regions like Eastern Washington. “We want people to come to the farm and have a sense of something that’s from here.” Wittick says, explaining why it’s important for them to grow their grapes on site, “It delivers that taste of place.”
“To let you know how deeply spoiled we are here in the Northwest, I recently moderated a seminar where we poured the Bainbridge Vineyards Siegerrebe. We had a Master Sommelier on the panel; it was his first time tasting the variety. We can taste it right here in our backyard anytime we like. The winery also grows varieties like Dunkelfelder and Garanoir that I didn’t know existed in the Northwest. They are true pioneers and have been since their inception.
... People increasingly crave experiences and authenticity. Bainbridge Vineyards has both in abundance. It’s a must stop.
July 17th, 2019. ”
Owner Betsey Wittick, photo courtesy Hilary Dahl.
Pacific Northwest Magazine
How to grow your own wine grapes in Western Washington. - Colin McCrate
Founders Gerard and JoAnn Bentryn
Pacific Northwest Magazine
The founders of Bainbridge Vineyards were the first to grow and make Siegerrebe wine in the United States. - Andy Perdue
Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Siegerrebe 2017 is rated 90 points, December 2019. See the full review here by Sean P. Sullivan.