Review: Maryhill Winery on the Columbia River Gorge

Maryhill Winery on the Columbia River Gorge has the most stunning views!

Driving one hour east of Skamania Lodge to Maryhill Winery on the Columbia River Gorge was hands down Diane's favorite thing we did all Labor Day Weekend.

Originally, when I was planning the trip for Darling Husband and I, we had planned to do the zip line that Saturday. With Darling Husband working all weekend and having fashioned the trip into the ultimate girls getaway with my mother-in-law Diane, we decided wine tasting would be much more relaxing.

Here's what we loved at Maryhill:

The wine
We had a significant wine flight at the tasting bar, including the 2015 RSV Albarino, 2015 Rose of Sangiovese, 2013 Reserve Grenache, 2013 Classic Sangiovese, 2013 RSV Rosso Granato, 2012 RSV Zinfandel, 2014 Viognier and the 2012 Moscato Di Canelli.

Diane and I after our tasting at Maryhill. The windows behind us in the photo also capitalize on the lovely location.

We worked our way tasting the driest to the sweetest wines and we had a couple of standouts.

I really enjoyed the Rose. I had been sipping Rose this summer, inspired by a piece in Wine Enthusiast magazine. The pink color is fun and a chilled bottle of refreshing rose on our back porch after work just always struck the right chord.

I took home a bottle of the Maryhill rose and Darling Husband and I enjoyed it on a sunny September evening.

The red I liked most was the Zinfandel. This was the sweetest of the red wines they offered in the tasting. It was bright, berry-filled and wouldn't scare off Darling Husband, who doesn't like a heavy, bold, smoky red.

These were the wines we tasted that day (and our notes).

I took home a bottle of the Zin as well and gifted it to my Uncle Larry who hosted Darling Husband and I in Walla Walla the next weekend.

We also had a taste of the Petite Syrah and Diane bought a bottle of that and we enjoyed a glass on the Maryhill patio and the rest back at the lodge.

Diane loved the Viognier and the Moscato.

My only gripe about the tasting experience was that it did get very crowded at the lunch hour and our tasting room associate didn't tell us much about the wine. I had to ask him where the grapes were from and I was still getting very short answers as he rushed off to fill other glasses.

I like to learn much more about the wines as I'm tasting and the experience left me with questions.

An interesting combination of grape vines and desert hills.

The location
WOW, Maryhill has a stunning view. Right on the Columbia River Gorge, the sun, desert hills, river and grape vines paint a beautiful landscape. When we left the lodge it was 60 degrees and cloudy. One hour east at Maryhill, it was 78 degrees and pure sun.

The tasting room had a gorgeous antique wood bar. The patio was our favorite, and overlooked the river and the concert venue. We sat for a little bit and had lunch and enjoyed the live guitar music floating through the breeze. It was windy, so make sure to wear your hair up!

After a quick lunch from the barbecue food truck on site, I challenged Diane to a game of Bocce Ball on the large courts. It was so fun and was a great stop for kids and had a grassy area for pets.

Verdict: The one-hour drive was on a winding road that was a little scary at times from Skamania to Marhyhill, but it was totally worth it. Marhyhill produces a lot of wine in Washington and comparing it to Chateau Ste. Michelle that Bunny and I visited in June, Maryhill was 10 times better. Maryhill is more relaxed, the location is stunning and it felt less touristy. Go for the wine and stay for the view!

I would go back again in a heartbeat!