Artisan wines of Spanish lineage crafted by winemaker Doug McCrea

Welcome to Salida Wines! The fall of 2006 was a milestone in 25+ years of Doug’s winemaking. Luck had it that we received a ton of Tempranillo, Spain’s ‘King of the Reds.’ After many vintages of making McCrea Cellars Rhone varietal wines, it was a chance to have some fun with a very new grape grown in the vineyards of Washington State.

Since Tempranillo, Grenache and Mourvedre all originated in Spain, it seemed a natural progression in Doug’s winemaking career to work with the third primary red grape of the Iberian Peninsula. After many award-winning versions of Grenache and Mourvedre, he believed that Tempranillo, particularly with its early ripening nature, could succeed equally well in the Pacific Northwest.

Once in barrel for about a year, Doug had no doubt that the Tempranillo was worthy of a distinct bottling. It clearly expressed both the aromas and flavors found in the legendary wines of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Today, Tempranillo is the cornerstone of the Salida brand, including Albarino, a lovely white wine produced from the preeminent grape of Spain’s Galicia region.

The word ‘Salida’ means to ‘exit,’ a Spanish metaphor for the harvest when the grapes ‘leave’ the vineyard. The label’s image symbolizes the change in the seasons from summer to fall, portrayed as an impressionistic grapevine, swept in the wind and displaying the brilliant colors of autumn.

Now six vintages later, what started as a lark from a small Yakima Valley vineyard has developed into a growing brand, and it’s clear that Tempranillo has a great future in Washington State!