Taste of Washington to replace Masset Winery Downtown

Downtown Yakima has lost a tasting room for one winery.

But it won't be long before wine lovers will get to taste wines from five others.

Masset Winery Downtown Cellars closed its doors last week. Co-owner Greg Masset said it was tough providing enough wine for two locations.

Masset will still run the main winery, which opened in 1999, at 620 E. Parker Heights Road in Wapato.

"(The downtown location) is more expensive to run than our other winery; we're just going to keep the main one going," he said.

Tim Cook, who partnered with Masset to open the downtown location at 312 E. Yakima Ave. in November 2007, will be now be the sole owner of a new business called Taste of Washington.

In addition to serving as a tasting room for five wineries, the new facility will sell beer, chocolate and other items from the state, offer appetizers and desserts and feature live entertainment.

"By offering beer (and other items), we would increase our facility to a segment that doesn't drink wine," he said.

Cook is aiming to open the new facility by mid-February, pending obtaining the necessary liquor licensing.

He is finalizing the lineup of wineries for the new facility, but Upland Estates Winery in Outlook and Naked Winery, which has locations in Hood River, Ore., and Wishram, Wash., have already agreed to be involved in the project.

David Barringer, president of Naked Winery, said he wanted to be part of the downtown revitalization that is happening in Yakima and liked the concept of customers tasting wine from multiple producers in one spot.

"We believe that it is a good place to be for the future," he said.

Although Upland Estates Winery has a long-established vineyard (some of the vines date back to the 1910s), the winery is young and owner Todd Newhouse said he believes the new facility will help the winery better reach potential customers.

"It just gets us out to a different crowd of people," Newhouse said.

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.

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