The setting for Freehand Cellars is breathtaking, Visit on a nice day so you can sit outside and enjoy the Yakima Valley below. The venue would be perfect for a private event such as a wedding. They also have a Vineyard House on Airbnb with one bedroom and one bath for about $150 per night.
We often stop at Treveri on our way home from Walla Walla or Red Mountain and I had wanted to try Freehand for a while. We certainly enjoyed the outdoor space, but our tasting was very mediocre. Our server was Kelly. She was way too busy to give us much time or information. We requested to share a tasting since we were driving home to Seattle. The wine was already all poured into mini carafes with plastic wrap over them. We were given served our wine and that was it – no interaction, no checking back – nothing until we went in to pay before we left. I was a bit surprised because it was not busy. One other couple besides us sitting inside and while we were there two woman and a small child came and sat outside.
There is a limited food menu that looked good. Snack Boards, Chicken Skewers, Seared Shrimp. We did not have any food.
I did like the fact that they serve local rotating beer. Several of our friends who love wine have spouses or significant others who are not that interested, but go tasting with us to be social. I like that they can enjoy a beverage other tan wine or water as in most tasting rooms.
Here is what we tasted that visit:
2021 Sauvignon Blanc – a bit citrusy – Maybe a bit too tart – $25/bottle
2021 Chardonnay – It was a bit oaky for me – $27/bottle
2021 Syrah – This was alright, a bit too oaky for my taste – $27/bottle
2020 Petit Verdot – This was good, very drinkable – $32 / bottle
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon – I enjoyed this and would have purchased a couple of bottles had we have had better service.
I believe in the title of this blog – “It’s not just grapes”. There are a lot of elements that go into enjoying wine. When you are in a tasting room the atmosphere, the way the wine is served and the attitude and enthusiasm of the server are huge elements. I think that the interaction with our server, the wine sitting out with plastic wrap and the general disinterest in whether we enjoyed ourselves or enjoyed the wine or learned anything about the winery lead to a very mediocre visit. That being said, I would give it another try just because the venue is so beautiful.
