Peninsula Cellars
Week 25 - June 18-24, 2023
Summary
The only converted schoolhouse that is open to the public on OMP is home to Peninsula Cellars. There are many original elements of the late 1880s schoolhouse still intact, including the original chalkboards (!) now displaying Peninsula Cellars' menus and vineyard maps. Their own vineyard supplies most of the grapes, and the winemaking facility is around the corner. There are a lot of really well-thought-out school/wine puns and details that made me smile, my favorite was "Exchange Student" - a wine on the menu made from grapes outside of the region - (Yakima Valley).
Something to Love
The vibe of the schoolhouse is preserved. I felt it! And being surrounded by the original floors, windows, and chalkboards reinforced it. You have to notice this place when you drive by and be curious, there is no way around it. Having acknowledged this, school memories aren't everyone's most pleasant or favorite. I love that "detention," "exchange student" and the presence of #2 pencils on each table were a nod to the atypical, unpleasant, and ubiquitous all melded into one fun place.
Two Wines
Pinot Blanc 🍇🍇
Old School Red 🍇🍇
TCWY Wine Ratings:
🍇🍇🍇Best of the region (top 10%)
🍇🍇As good as the rest of the region
🍇Not as good as the rest of the region
To learn more about our wine rating system, click here
Something to Do
The honor-system farmstands are open! Asparagus is still around but dwindling; strawberries are knocking on the door. Peninsula Cellars is the closest OMP winery to town in the "second" cluster - I'm saying that after the base of OMP wineries, there is a couple-mile gap and then PC is the first one of that cluster. The advantage of being a little further from town is the chance to experience the quaintness of produce farmstands but also the farms behind them that they represent.
Something to Hope For
I noticed that most people were leaving with at least 1 or 2 bottles after their visit. I don't know why exactly, no shade. I know that some of this is June, and that there is just more volume. It's dissonant comparing it to my experiences at the wineries of this year's January. This is about hope- I hope that all of the wineries have that experience in the busy seasona and that it grows. Taking home a bottle of wine is a sign of intimacy, respect, and for sure, hope.