The Inspired Intermedia digital book collection
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135 Cascade Cliffs Vineyard &Winery WISHRAM At Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery, the philosophy is simple: a profound respect for nature will produce equally profound wines. Owner Robert "Bob" Lorkowski believes in the minimal sculpting of fruit to produce wines that represent the best of what each varietal naturally has to offer. To say that his passion for wine runs in the family is an understatement. From as early as he can remember, Bob would help his parents fill the backseat of the family car with fruit from the local farmers' market and so they could make wine at home. His grandfather was a moonshiner and helped further cultivate Bob's fascination with fermentation. Then as a young man, Bob trained at UC Davis and honed his winemaking skills working for Cavatappi Winery in Kirkland, and Chinook Wines in Prosser. In the 1990s, while purchasing grapes for his own label, Sha Toe Du Bob, the previous owner of Cascade Cliffs, Ken Adcock, asked Bob if he'd consider taking a permanent interest in the winery, which was established in 1986 with five acres. Bob jumped at the chance and in 1997 purchased the winery and planted an additional 15 acres of grapevines. Since then, Bob has been directly involved with growing grapes and winemaking. His passion is for Piedmont varietals including Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo, but Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery also produces Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and various blends. At Bob's side is Vineyard Manager, Assistant Winemaker, and "Jack of all Trades," Edwardo Ornelas. With over 20 years of grape growing experience, Edwardo has been with Cascade Cliffs since inception. FACING PAGE: So it's said; "If there's water to the left, there's wine to the right." Looking over our Merlot vines into the Cabernet Sauvignon with the Columbia River in the background. TOP LEFT: The Missoula Floods carved out the Columbia Gorge to create some of the most breath-taking views. This beautiful family and vineyard are framed by basalt cliffs, Horsethief Butte and Mount Hood. Photographs by Andrea Johnson