04/20/07 Shining Hill

The Shining Hill. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. I don't speak Italian. A few words but nothing to write home about. But when I heard the name Col Solare it was easy to pick out the word Solare&pronounced so- lar  ree as something to do with sun or bright. The name means shining hill in Italian and true to it's name, the new winery in the Red Mountain wine appellation has become a bright spot for a new tradition in wine making. Col Solare recently had their grand opening but won't be ready for regular visitors until some time in May. Marcus Notaro is the resident winemaker NOTARO: The real mission for Col Solare is to produce a wine that's among the top cabernet sauvignon based wines in the state. And Red Mountain has a reputation in and among itself as producing some of that top cabernet sauvignon. According to Notaro, Col Solare is a joint effort between two major players in the wine industry. NOTARO: Col Solare is a partnership between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Piero Antinori and the Antinori family and this partnership began in the early 90's after a visit from Piero Antinori. Not only can you expect extraordinary wines, visitors are treated to a spectacular panorama. NOTARO: The building itself is kind of a neat mixture between traditional and modern so you kind of have this fusion between old world and new world. And the spot itself is very unique. We're up high on Red Mountain  the winery itself sits at about 950 feet and faces out and down to the southwest. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.