Our tasting room in Kirkland, WA is now closed. We took a chance and opened up at a time we thought the pandemic was waning. Unfortunately, the gamble didn't pay off. Thank you to those customers that supported us at that location, it's very much appreciated. If the right opportunity presents itself, we may try again.

​2019 Red Mountain Carmenere - Red Mountain - 100% Carmenere from Heart of the Hill Vineyard - $29.60/bottle.  A rare varietal with tons of potential in Washington State. This very aromatic red wine smells of cherry, licorice, curry spices, and menthol. Flavors of cocoa powder, cherry, long pepper, and coriander on the palate. This wine finishes with chalky tannins, a bright finish, and a creamy mouthfeel. 192 Cases produced.

2019 Barbera - Horse Heaven Hills - Coyote Canyon Vineyard - $23.20/bottle. 171 cases produced. On the nose there are hints of violet, wet earth, plum, and new leather. Flavors of strawberry, mixed berries, and dried cranberries abound. Aged in neutral oak barrels for 1 year.

2021 Albarino - Horse Heaven Hills - Coyote Canyon Vineyard - Fermented to dry in a stainless steel tank and bottled early to preserve fresh aromas of lemon chiffon, bubble gum, and a hint of mint. On the palate there are flavors of citrus and wild flowers. The finish is bright with hints of kiwi. 124 cases produced.

We are just a little over 2 years since the world shut down. After taking a break from posting and discontinuing other forms of social media, I've determined this website is the best way to communicate directly to our wine audience and customers I very much enjoy.

I hope to use this blog space as a way to engage and explain what we are doing at Bartholomew. Of course I plan to be present in my Kennewick tasting room as much as possible, but feel free to ask questions in the comments section as well as make suggestions as what you would like to see. I have a Youtube channel called Bartwine feel free to follow. Additionally, we will also post on Rumble.com where you can follow by searching "Bartholomew Winery" or "Bartwine".

Here's a look at what myself and Kevin, the assistant winemaker, have been up to during the winter months of 2022.

​Why do we rack wine? Racking is simply the process of transferring a wine from one container to another while leaving behind any sediment or "lees".  Over time fruit particles and dead yeast cells will settle out of the wine and pile up on the bottom of the barrel or tank.  In the first days after pressing a wine, this layer will be very thick and particularly troublesome.  This thick layer of yeast and fruit crud is referred to as the gross lees, whereas the thinner sediment later on is known as the fine lees.  The main purpose of racking is to separate the clean wine from these decaying lees to eventually form a crystal clear and ready-to-bottle wine.

Sincerely,

Bart Fawbush
Owner/Winemaker

Here are the 3 new releases for March 2018

2015 Tannat - Konnowac Vineyard - Rattlesnake Hills - $33
2015 Malbec - Lawrence Vineyard - Columbia Valley - $29
2017 Albarino - Coyote Canyon Vineyard - Horse Heaven Hills - $18

The bottling truck visited our new winery operation in Kennewick Washington. Below is a short clip of our 2017 Rose of Carmenere going into the bottles.

Check out this very well done interview I participated in recently. If you want to know what it takes to be a winemaker and find out about my personal journey, listen here. (skip to the 8 min. mark if you want to go right to the interview). Download for later listening, or play it now. I'd love to get your feedback.

We made it! Both literally and figuratively. The 2017 vintage is in the books as they say. The newest wine is resting in barrels soaking up all the goodness the oak has to provide. The white and rose are in tanks being prepared for bottling and release in the spring. A very fine vintage if I do say so myself. One of the highlights of the new vintage is the Albarino we picked from Coyote Canyon Vineyard, one of our favorite growers, in the Horse Heaven Hills. The early odds are that you will enjoy it this summer. I'm looking forward to figuring out what food pairs well with this varietal. Perhaps Spanish style tapas on a hot summer evening? Here's more from Wiki about Albarino CLICK HERE .

Please keep in touch with us on this website and/or our Facebook Page .

If you feel so inclined while you are here, please purchase a couple of bottles.

Thank you for your time!

Cheers,

​Bart Fawbush

In an effort to show more content regarding my journey as a winery owner and winemaker, I'll be posting videos and photos here for you to see. Please click, watch, and comment.

Have you ever noticed how fast time flies when you have deadlines? I can't believe it's already August 2017. With harvest quickly approaching, the new winery construction is progressing rapidly. The stucco on the outside of the building was being applied the day I visited and the concrete floors were being polished and treated. There is a lot to accomplish over the next 60 days, but I have faith the project will be move-in ready by the end of October. As long as all permits are approved and we can get internet service in the tasting room, we will open. As with everything in the wine industry, we must hurry and wait.

We are proud to be partnered with the Port of Kennewick and Banlin Construction. This is a first class project they are putting together. As you may know, there have been some delays. Completing this project has proven more difficult than the port commissioners, architect, city, and I thought. One foreman told me the finished project will be 100% better than the original drawings. I can't wait to see!

We hope to open this location in November 2017. Meanwhile, if you would like to purchase our wine now, feel free to navigate to our "Wine" page above, or visit our tasting room in Seattle, Washington.

Lots of folks have been asking why we decided to move our wine production across the state, so far away from our current home base. The truth is, we couldn't pass up this fantastic opportunity! The Port of Kennewick was building new winery sites; they just needed a few awesome tenants to make their vision a reality. That's where Bartholomew Winery and Palencia Winery - La Monarcha come in.

Currently, Bartholomew is leasing warehouse space built for "other" manufacturing, retrofitted to suit wine making. The new building in Kennewick is designed specifically to support wine production and hospitality services. It's an energy efficient building, which reduces operating costs and provide a “sustainable practices” marketing advantage. Adjacent to a nature trail are outdoor seating areas designed and situated to take full advantage of the surrounding natural area, while using the buildings to block the hustle and bustle of the busy street, and street-scape improvements to enhance the “manner of arrival”. Phase 2 improvements will add supporting elements (such as food trucks) and additional sites for complementary businesses (like beer, wine, spirits, art, and food). What's not to love!

Also, a forward thinking approach to waste water is incorporated into this winery site. New regulatory requirements are currently being discussed and enacted by the State of Washington Department of Ecology. The cost involved to accommodate these new regulations will be expensive for existing wineries. This is why the Port project is quite enticing to us. While all the individual wineries around the State will be attempting to understand and comply with these new requirements, the City of Kennewick is handling all of the permitting to discharge the winery waste water into their existing 6 million gallons of daily flow. We simply have to sign up for the City’s water and sewer meter billing, apply some simple best management practices, and pay a monthly water bill. Is it a perfect situation? Time will tell, but we are more than hopeful.

Personally, we are excited to help improve an under-served community of Kennewick, and transform it into a bustling center of commerce. Here is a 2-minute video provided by PBS showing a sneak peek of the wine village construction site and the key Port official and architect involved: ​www.pbs.org/video/3000929868/ (or click the image below) 

 From the Compass Wines Newsletter

Unless you are a regular imbiber of the red wines from Uruguay or the 'black wines' of Madiran, you are likely unfamiliar with Tannat. As should be apparent by the nickname of 'black wine', this is certainly not delicate or a shrinking violet of a wine. Rather, this is more like a 'purple people eater', but in a good way. Inky black with notes of dried lavender, kirsch, loganberry syrup and with a peppery finish not unlike a Petit Verdot. This is one of, if not the first, straight varietal version of this I have seen from Washington and if this is any indication of the potential, we have a new star on the horizon. Grilled steaks on the BBQ, a rich and robust leg of lamb or hearty stew are beckoning for this gem. Only about 100 cases were produced and we have only 5 of those. Pretty killer stuff. Their Website 

​And another from Review of Washington Wines...this from a visit at Taste Washington.

2014 Bartholomew Tannat, Rattlesnake Hills, Konnowak Vineyard ($32)
This is the first Washington Tannat I’ve run across, from a grape originating in Southwest France. It displays a deep ruby-crimson color and intriguing aromas of raspberries, cherries, cranberries and plums, with scents of black roses, tobacco, violets and smoldering incense. The flavors, as well, are attention getting, with layers of red and blue fruits that are intermixed with black licorice, cocoa, roasted coffee beans and earth. The grainy textured back picks up macerated berries and roasted nuts, mocha and charcoal, followed by sturdy tannins (a trait of Tannat) on the deep finish. 18.5+/20 points. Rand's Website

Thank you Compass and Review of Washington Wine for the kind words. We are very glad to have you as partners selling Bartholomew wine.

There are only 10 cases left. Grab some from our tasting room in the Old Rainier Brewery or online from this website. You can always purchase online and designate the order as "Pick-up" if you don't want to pay for shipping. We'll hold the order for you until you can make it into the tasting room.

2013 Bartholomew Primitivo, Horse Heaven Hills, Coyote Canyon Vineyard ($24)
Deep ruby colored, this relative of Zinfandel emits rich, smoky aromas of blackberry, cherry, plum, rosebuds, pipe tobacco, lavender and spiced incense. On the palate, the flavors are thick and generous, with intermixtures of licorice, dark cocoa, espresso, and Horse Heaven scorched earth. The chewy textured back picks up semi dried cherries, plum preserves, and mocha, followed by a spicy (nutmeg, clove) moderate alcohol (13.9%) and sweetish tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.
 
2013 Bartholomew 5th Quarter Blend, Columbia Valley ($??)
This is a tasty combination of 55% Carmenère, 20% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc. It shows a deep crimson-ruby color and seductive aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, crushed roses, mulberry, sweet tobacco, violets and oriental incense. The flavors, as well, are alluring, with layers of supple black and blue fruits that are interspersed with licorice, cocoa, black tea, and variegated earth minerals. The back picks up pressed berries, crème de cassis, blueberry preserves, and graphite, followed by a lingering sweetish tannin finish. This is a winner. 19/20 points.
 
2013 Bartholomew Carmenère, Red Mountain ($28)
This is a fine rendition of the “lost grape” of Bordeaux. It shows a deep crimson color and a perfumed nose of wild currants, black cherries, Damson plums, lavender, violets, sweet tobacco and incense. The black and blue fruit flavors are mouth encompassing, with notes of licorice, bittersweet chocolate, black tea, and Red Mountain calcareous minerals. The back reveals sensations of pressed berries, crème de cassis, kirsch, and mocha, all leading seamlessly into a long sweetish tannin finish. As a vin de plaisir, this gets a plus. 18.5+/20 points.

​Authored by Rand Sealey

Spring Release Weekend

Friday March 18th 5:30-8:30 pm, March 19th-20th Saturday and Sunday noon-5 pm. Pleased to announce the release of three new wines: 2015 Aligote, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2013 5th Quarter Blend.

2015 Aligote - Upland Vineyard - Snipes Mountain - $19/bottle. The other white wine originally from Burgundy. Grown in Washington state on old vines planted in 1979. Bone dry, with crisp acidity. No barrel contact or malolactic conversion. Green apple and citrus on the nose, with a creamy texture and full body.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon - Two Blondes Vineyard - Rattlesnake Hills - $38/bottle. Our first vintage from this award winning vineyard. The "king" of all wine varietals will have you calling for more. Smooth, integrated tannins and 25% new oak balance the dark fruit flavors and earth. A warm vintage with bright fruit flavors and restrained alcohol. An amazing buy.
​
2013 5th Quarter Blend - Columbia Valley - $32/bottle. What happens when you blend a wine that doesn't fit "traditional" definitions? If it's not Right Bank or Left Bank, what is it? It belongs in the 5th Quarter. Yes, a play on the Italian term "quinto quarto", however these lots of wine are not the leftover cuts, these are prime. Certain to make your taste buds sing! This Red Mountain Carmenere dominant 5 varietal Bordeaux style blend is like none other. Plenty of spice and earth balanced with great color, tannin, and fruit flavors. Varietals: Carmenere, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.

Here is the new and updated map. Use this link to view our interactive Google map.

On this day, we pressed Viognier and de-stemmed both Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon. Eight or so hours compressed into one minute. Enjoy!