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		Winery Barrel Celebration Reprinted from April 2006 Issue -by ROSSELLA BRINA On April 28, along the slopes of Red Mountain near Benton City, the Hedges Family Estate will host their Spring Barrel Tasting from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. This event is part of their Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend, and offers patrons the opportunity to sample barrel lots from the Hedges’ 2005 harvest, hand-bottle a magnum of pre-release 2004 Three Vineyards straight from the barrel, enjoy complimentary wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres, and meet the Hedges family. The celebration will take place in the Hedges Family Estate chateau-like winery, which offers true European ambiance and a magnificent view of the surrounding vine-blanketed hills and the Yakima River. I was lucky enough to discover it during a recent excursion from Richland to Benton City. I was pleasantly surprised by the European feel of the place, with fourteen-foot ceiling in the tasting room, a large stone fireplace, dark wood accents, and a beautiful wood bar. It was as if I’d entered the grounds of one of the Italian and French villas I’d visited during my youth. The view of the valley is breathtaking, but there are also hidden treasures inside. Richland native Tom Hedges and his French-born wife Anne-Marie began Hedges Cellars in 1987. They purchased land on Red Mountain in 1989, after recognizing this area as a premier location for the production of their wines. The castle-style winery at the Hedges Family Estate was completed in 1995. We visited the Estate with Italian fresco artist Maria Grazia Repetto, who is living there while frescoing some of the mansion’s private rooms. Hedges Family Estate General Manager Pete Hedges, Tom’s brother, warmly welcomed us and kindly allowed us access to the upstairs room where Maria Grazia is completing a beautiful fresco that blends Renaissance themes with Red Mountain landscape. Born in Genoa, Italy, Maria Grazia Repetto studied art in Florence, where she restored seventeenth and eighteenth century frescoes. In 1997, Maria Grazia moved to Seattle where she opened L’Affresco Art Studio. When Tom and Anne-Marie contacted her, she took temporary residence inside the Hedges Family Estate, where she has found deep appreciation for life on this side of the mountains. For the frescoes in the upstairs rooms of the Hedges Family Estate, Maria Grazia depicted damsels and gentlemen in rich Renaissance clothing framed by arches overlooking the mountains that constitute the Hedges winery’s backdrop. The fresco perfectly compliments the dÈcor of the surrounding rooms, underscoring their markedly European taste. I felt I’d magically crossed the ocean back to my home country. In addition to frescoes, Maria Grazia is also professionally-skilled in watercolors, oil painting, acrylics, etching, faux finish and relief techniques. For more information about Maria Grazia Repetto and L’Affresco Art Studio, visit www.laffresco.com. By keeping a narrow focus on a few varieties and a few wines, Hedges has become a landmark winery in Washington State, with the Hedges Red Mountain wines consistently receiving high acclaim by wine connoisseurs. The first wine the Hedges produced was a Bordeaux-inspired blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Currently, their portfolio of wines includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and the most recent addition, FumÈ Chardonnay, a combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Today, the Hedges do business in 45 states and 15 foreign countries. Cost to attend the Spring Barrel Tasting at Hedges Family Estate is $60 per person and it includes one magnum per person, although additional magnums are available. For more information, visit www.hedgesfamilyestate.com/springbottling. The Hedges Family Estate address is 53511 North Sunset Road, Benton City, WA 99320.