Photo Gallery

Watch our photo gallery with background music of our musician friend, Sophie Carpenter

One thing you will notice about the Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard and Winery is that we are not very pretentious out here. We snap photos, and have a good time. Our wines are the product of a passion for making good, flavorful wines that satisfy. And, yes, we keep a photo album. We are constantly pasting photos in our album, and we are happy to share some of them with our friends. We think it's memorable for a group of friends to come out here, help us plant, or harvest, or crush, and we take lots of photos to memorialize the events at our winery. Photos of the changing seasons chronicle the never-ending cycle of life in the vineyard.

So, on these pages you will find a few photos along with descriptions of events, or perhaps, an essay. Even some of our friends contribute, and that's okay, too. Our website is for sharing, and enjoying, and remembering, and that includes you, too.

A GREAT 1ST YEAR FOR THE NEW WINE GARDEN. 2009 was a “turn the corner” year at the Yellow Farmhouse. We opened our long-awaited Wine Garden up the hill, and our guests flocked to it enjoying both the view and the music on week-ends. Tucked just under the top of the hill the new Wine Garden, with its bright blue umbrellas and the shade of the big pecan trees provided a perfect place to wile away a few hours overlooking the Missouri River Valley. The opening of the Wine Garden also brought our first outdoor events including “Sip, Sample and Shop”, a Friday evening in July opportunity to browse some of Defiance’s shops and boutiques, and the popular “Walk in the Vines” just before the Norton Harvest when the vines hang heavy with new fruit.

Our fall crowds especially liked the Wine Garden in the clear September, October and November days with a selection of music by Gabie McGarragh, Canadian Dave, and Colin McAfee. At the close of the season Canadian Dave was off to California as a contestant on “American Idol” program having won a chance in the preliminary eliminations in Atlanta. Good luck, Dave!

Our visitors especially liked our “Picnic baskets welcome” policy, and several families and friends used the Wine Garden as a gathering place for an outing to the Valley. The sound of children playing, and even a few dogs romping, on the big green hill (dogs are welcome on the hill, but you have to clean up after them!), reminded us of a simpler time

As we slipped into the Thanksgiving Season, and began putting away the umbrellas and the Wine Garden furniture we all had some pretty fond memories of our first year “on the hill”.

LAUREN, USUALLY BEHIND THE TASTING ROOM BAR, IS ON IT!

Our "photograph of the year" goes to Linda for this fun photo of our favorite bride, Lauren, who got married to Rob on October 17, and brought her whole wedding party to the Yellow Farmhouse for an afternoon luncheon and reception before the big reception that evenng. Yes, Lauren is sitting on the bar in the Tasting Room!

2009 NORTON HARVEST WAS A BIG ONE!

A few of our favorite 'cowboys" deliver fresh-picked Nortons off the Hill vineyard in the Gator.

WILSON MASTERS THE ART OF TASTING !

We know that it is tough work, working in a winery and all, but somehow Vineyard Manager, Paul Wilson, has been able to lumber through. Here Paul takes wine from the middle of the barrel for a taste test. It's a task that Paul has mastered, tasting that is, and he is pretty good at getting it out of the barrel, too!

WINE CLUB GATHERS FOR AN EVENING OF BOTTLING AFTER SERIOUS SAMPLING!

In this photo, reminiscent of an El Greco painting, our crack Bottling Crew huddles over the heat-shrink capper during a bottling run of Vingnoles. Note the intense interest and uninterrupted concentration - even after several glasses of wine!

BLENDED WINES TAKE CENTER STAGE AT DAVENLORE WINERY

Linda

Linda talks wine with Washington State Winemaker, Gordon Taylor, in the vineyard at Davenlore Vineyard & Winery near Prosser, Washington. Taylor is a master blender of high quality reds really taught us a thing or two about blended wines. Gorden's wife, Dr. Joan Davenport (know locally as "Dr. Dirt") is a professor and soils scientist at Washington State University.

"A WALK IN THE VINEYARD"

One our memorable evenings of the last year was our special dinner/concert "A Walk in the Vineyard". Held the night before the Norton harvest it's an opportunity for our guests to see a fully maturied vineyard with its plump fruit ready to pick. Winemaker Dale Rollings, and Vineyar Manager, Paul Wilson took groups through the vineyard with an explanation of the harvest process and showed how the grapes are tested to determine just the right time for picking. After dinner the Colin McAfee Band entertained.

WHY IS THIS MAN SMILING?

Some people get a kick out of the simplest things. Scott Liebel is one of the easiest going guys, and he is really good at bottling wine. Here Scott mans the 8-bottle bottler. Not shown is the empty glass! Scott & Denise were among our earliest Wine Club members and have always been around to lend a helping hand. Boy do we appreciate it!

And, of course ... It's Christmas. Our annual "Wine Cheese & Chocolate party for Yellow Farmhouse customesr brought out some good friends and an a few unknown sols that will soon be good friends. A little food, wine and caomraderie put us all in the Holiday Spirit!