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Birchfield Manor Country Inn
Picture a 1910 farmhouse two miles from town, surrounded by pasture, hop fields and a bird sanctuary, set against the tranquility of the Yakima Valley Wine Country. That’s Birchfield Manor Country Inn. Located in the first American Viticulture Area designated in Washington, this region’s excellent wine attracts many visitors every year.
Originally the main house to a 15,000-acre sheep ranch, today it is a B&B and gourmet restaurant owned and maintained by the Masset family, along with Tim Newbury. A cottage house built in 1995 stands next to the original farmhouse, offering a total of nine single rooms and two suites to welcome guests.
Two chefs to
please your palette
Larger than a typical B&B yet smaller than a hotel, Birchfield Manor has the accommodations of a four-star hotel while retaining the warm feeling of a gracious home. It was the perfect property in the perfect setting that the Masset family had always dreamed of owning. With two chefs in the family—Wil Masset received his culinary training in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and his son, Brad, completed the Culinary Arts program at Seattle Community College — Birchfield Manor offers a multi-course dining experience unique to central Washington.
A mix of Country French and Victorian décor, the inn offers a relaxed feeling throughout the common areas and the rooms. Eight of the nine rooms have whirlpool tubs, and some offer gas fireplaces plus a private deck or patio. The two penthouse suites have television. All rooms in the house and cottage have private baths and wireless Internet.
Take a tour of the Valley
Looking out your window, the panoramic views of the valley and the surrounding hills are dramatic and appear to continually change as the sun moves across the sky. Park-like grounds surround the outdoor pool.
Beyond the manor’s grounds, local wineries dot the countryside. Wil and Brad were happy to personalize a tour of the local wineries for Mardi and me, and direct us to roadside stands for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Golf enthusiasts can talk to Tim Newbury about tee times at the best golf courses around. Other activities nearby include hiking and rafting.
From the dining room to wine cellar
If wine tasting, gourmet cuisine and romantic evenings are high on your list of priorities, you’ll feel right at home at Birchfield Manor. The complimentary award-winning breakfast begins with homemade granola, followed up by a savory chicken and wild mushroom frittata.
Multi-course dinners are served Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Any evening you can enjoy a hors d’oeuvre plate, dinner, dessert or handmade chocolates in your room. My favorite dinner is the fresh filet of king salmon wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Served with Yakima Valley chardonnay sauce, it is an innovative and delicious twist to a Northwest favorite. For dessert, chocolate lovers will swoon over the triple Belgian chocolate mousse torte with fresh raspberry sauce.
In addition to the main dining room, dinner is also served in the wine cellar. A romantic setting, it is perfect for an intimate dinner. With an extensive selection of award winning Washington wines (including Wine Press NW Award of Excellence, Wine Spectator Award of Excellent and others), you’re sure to discover a new favorite to take home with you.
Windy Point Vineyards
Originally called Windy Point Fruit Ranch, the Windy Point Vineyards in Yakima were purchased in 1972 by Stanislaw Stepniewski and his wife, Patricia. Stan, a retired mechanical engineer from Southern California and a Polish immigrant, had the vision of growing grapes and developing the fruit ranch as a winery from the very beginning. Yet it wasn’t until after his death in 1998 that his dream began to take shape under the direction of his son, Mike Stepniewski, and daughter-in-law, Liz.
A winemaking experience that’s close to the Earth
Supported by his 30 years of experience in farming and managing the fruit ranch, Mike, with the help of Liz, planted the first acreage of Windy Point Vineyards grapes in 1999. While the first estate grapes were not crushed until 2002, the first vintage of Windy Point Vineyards was produced in 2001 using purchased grapes. Today, all grapes are estate-grown.
A family-run operation, everything is handcrafted from the pruning and training of the vine to the picking of the grapes and making of the wine. There are no huge stainless steal tanks or vast rooms, which makes their winemaking an intimate craft.
It’s an intimacy reflected in their beautiful wine room that was built in 2003. Reminiscent of a 1950s Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian project, its beautiful architecture, rich wood and glass windows bring the outdoors right inside. And the views, extending from Mount Adams to the Tri-Cities, are simply jaw-dropping.
The tasting bar is built around the commercial kitchen, which make guests feel they’ve been invited into Mike and Liz’s home to hang around the kitchen and sip wine. The adjacent dinning area seats up to 24 people and is used for winemaker dinners and cooking classes taught by local chefs. Just steps away, the gift shop carries unique wine related items including wine racks, wine-themed dishes and serving pieces, plus books, food, spices and oils.
Outside, you’ll find a large, outdoor aquarium inhabited by North American turtles that Mike raises. Nearby, a beautiful rose garden displays a variety of lovingly cared for roses that bloom May through November. Overlooking the valley, it’s a postcard-picture view.
Learning from the ground up
Experimenting first with fruit from their orchards, winemaker Liz next moved on to wine grapes for their first production. She credits the generosity of local winemakers for their endless time, advice, and even hands-on help in the early years. Today, she holds an uncompromising adherence to producing high quality wine at an affordable price in a setting that brings people together – not only to enjoy wine but to expand in other ways by interacting with others.
Windy Point produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Barbara, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer wines. They are best known for their !Exclamation Point!, which is a 60 percent Cabernet Franc and 40 percent Merlot blend. However, Liz and Mike are most proud of their Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Franc blends, which are helping to raise the perception that Cabernet Franc is the equal of Cabernet Sauvignon, and that Washington state is the premier grower of this increasingly popular grape. Mardi and I believe it’s an idea come to fruition that began in Stanislaw Stepniewski’s heart many years ago.
Birchfield Manor Country Inn
Address: 2018 Birchfield Road
Location: Yakima 98901
Hosts: Brad Masset & family
Phone: 509-452-1960
Toll Free: 800-375-3420
E-mail: reservations@birchfieldmanor.com
Web site: www.birchfieldmanor.com
Rooms: 11
Rates: $119–$219
Windy Point Vineyards
Address: 420 Windy Point Drive
Location: Wapato 98951
Winemaker: Liz Stepniewski
Phone: 509-877-6824
E-mail Address: winemaker@windypointvineyards.com
Web site Address: www.windypointvineyards.com
Tasting Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday; December and January hours vary.
Fred and Mardi Nystrom have called Issaquah home for close to 25 years. Their current travel guidebooks, “Special Places of Washington,” and “The Great Wineries of Washington” can be found in bookstores or purchased online at www.specialplaces.com.
