wahluke slope

I can usually bank on the fact I will like the red wine if the grapes come from this AVA. Yummy! It is a south-facing slope on the North side of the Columbia River at the base of Saddle Mountain.(See Mattawa and Vernita Bridge). There are some wineries here but many others just use the grapes from the area. Take a hike over-looking the White Bluffs or on Saddle Mountain in the spring or fall for some lovely views.

The Wahluke Slope is a somewhat pristine plateau region located to the south of the Saddle Mountains in central Washington state, USA. It is sandwiched between the Columbia river and the crest of the aforesaid "mountains". One way to approach the Wahluke Slope is by way of Highway 24. Consult any good highway atlas. When you cross the river at Vernita bridge you are immediately confronted by a rather barren-looking escarpment, roughly 100 feet high. At this point you have a choice of highways to follow, all of which will conduct you through an interesting landscape of one sort or another. If you follow the road to the right you will take a journey of many miles through the rolling sagebrush desert of the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife refuge.Here it shall become quite apparent to you why it is called Wahluke "Slope", for the land does indeed slope dramatically, though gradually, toward the crest of the Saddle Mountains. Beyond that crest, the road descends quickly into a region of irrigated farmland,and leads the touring motorist through the distinctive town of Othello, Wa. Back to Vernita Bridge. To your left, you will observe a road that climbs diagonally up the barren escarpment. If you choose to follow this road you will find yourself upon a flat tableland that has been almost entirely reclaimed for agricultural purposes, although traces of the original sagebrush desert may be seen at intervals. If you keep going, you will eventually pass through the distinctive town of Matawa, Wa. prior to rejoining the main road that runs along the river.