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!

Review: Girls Weekend at Skamania Lodge on the Columbia River Gorge

The gorgeous rainbow from our room at Skamania Lodge that greeted us upon our arrival.

My Labor Day Weekend at Skamania Lodge was all about gratitude.

Darling Husband was anticipating a tree cone bumper crop - the largest in 15 years - and we didn't know if he was going to be able to join me on this Labor Day Weekend adventure. We learned two days before the trip that he couldn't go, but he had already called his mom Diane and she was available to accompany me.

I thought throughout my entire trip how thankful I was to have Diane's company. I certainly would have gone on my own. But, having her by my side added in hours of conversation and was great for our relationship. It was great for our family.

Here is what we enjoyed on our long weekend.

Two Bordeaux Cherry Margaritas (one is for Diane) at the Cascade Dining Room.

The drive
Skamania Lodge is about 2.5 hours from the Olympia area. Going south at 3 p.m. the Friday of Labor Day Weekend, we didn't encounter any bad traffic. We hopped on I-205 near Vancouver and headed east. The drive was really pretty once we were off I-5 south. The trees were changing into fall colors and we had peeks of the Columbia River along the way. We did hit a little congestion outside of Chehalis coming home, but Waze re-routed us and it took us just an extra 20 minutes.

The lodge
The lodge felt very much like summer camp with modern touches. Built in 1993, the lodge is newer and doesn't have the historical feel of Lake Quinault Lodge, for example, but it was still lovely. The views that greet you in the great room wrap you in trees, tall grasses and views of the Columbia River.

Every morning, Diane and I woke up, padded down to the lobby in our PJs and sipped coffee in rocking chairs enjoying the view. That was my favorite part.

We could sit here and enjoy the view all day.

Outside there was a beautiful patio, rows of Adirondack chairs, a huge swath of grass lawn for hula hooping and throwing footballs and a gas fire pit that we enjoyed.

Our room
Our room was on the second floor with a river view of the amphitheater. This was perfect for wedding watching and there were actually seven weddings throughout the weekend. Diane and I poured a glass of wine and watched the wedding ceremonies, giving each other a play-by-play.

We had a king bed and a roll away (for me). The rooms were sold out so I couldn't swap for two queen beds at the last minute, but this was fine. The room's bathroom had a nice huge counter top for all of our toiletries and makeup. I also loved the mini fridge where we stashed green juice, cheese, leftovers and wine.

Shrimp and grits in the Cascade Dining Room. It was Diane's first time trying grits and she loved them.

The art in our room was beautiful - and the whole lodge had quite the collection. The room didn't feel as luxurious and modern as the lobby, but it was OK. It was mostly quiet. We heard our upstairs neighbors stomping around and the occasional guest in the hall.

The food
We ate dinner twice in the River Rock grill and once in the Cascade Dining Room. We preferred the casual atmosphere and food of the grill. The best cocktail on the menu was the Bordeaux Cherry Margarita. We also enjoyed wood-fired pizza, salmon chowder, garlic fries and spicy chicken wings at the grill. THOSE FRIES! In the dining room, we split shrimp and grits and the pork chop with broccolini.

We also had the champagne brunch in the dining room Sunday morning. WOW! That's a lot of food. A huge buffet set out with bottomless mimosas or champagne. We enjoyed waffles, frittata, sausage, bacon and all the classics. Diane even had a piece of pie. We did suffer from sticker shock. It cost us $84 for both of us. We're light eaters, so Darling Husband would have been better suited for the buffet. We thought we could skip it and do the $18 breakfast at the River Rock grill instead next time.

Live music greeted us after dinner on Saturday night.

Yoga
I booked Diane and I into the outdoor yoga class that is held on Sundays during the summer. We met at the amphitheater at 9 a.m. It was cool, so we were bundled in sweatshirts and wore socks. The teacher was wonderful, calming and gentle.

It was just $10 per person and we enjoyed being outside experiencing the dew in the grass and the sounds of the birds. Class was as challenging as you wanted it to be - especially when it came to the balance pose. After just an hour, we padded away looser, taller and relaxed.

The spa
Before we departed for home, we booked two spa appointments at the Waterleaf Spa on site. Diane had a hot stone massage and I had a purifying facial. The spa is right at the entrance to the indoor pool and kids walking through were noisy. Not quite as zen as I had experienced elsewhere.

And some after-dinner sitting too...

Diane had great reviews of her massage. She said some of the stones were a little too hot, but the overall experience was blissful. My esthetician did well at keeping me relaxed and addressing my issues. It was 80 minutes I certainly do not regret. :)

Verdict: If you love weddings and coffee on quiet mornings with gorgeous views, the lodge is for you. While owned by the same company, Skamania was not as much of a zoo as Suncadia was. There were a couple of kiddos, but mostly wedding guests focused on wedding activities.

It was a spendier trip, and we kept the costs down on food and spent more on experiences.It felt like a wonderful weekend away at a grown-up summer camp. It made me grateful for Diane and grateful to be transitioning from an amazing summer into a glorious, quiet fall season.

I couldn't get the cutest lodge photo of Diane and I off my phone. :( Don't worry. I have many more to share in coming posts about what else we did during this fun trip!