Seven years after establishing Heron Bluff Vineyard & Winery near Benton City, Leslie and Eric Hoppe are fulfilling their dream of opening a tasting room.

The Heron Bluff Vineyard & Winery tasting room opened quietly in June but makes its public debut with a grand opening event 4-7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26.

Guests can taste nine Heron Bluff roses and about five of its European-influenced reds.

“People will get an idea of the cross section of what we make,” said Eric Hoppe, a chemist and senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland when he’s not operating a vineyard and winery.

Ben Hoppe, son of winemaker Eric Hoppe, checks vines at Heron Bluff Vineyard & Winery near Benton City.

Wine has been part of his life since he was a middle schooler in Denver.

ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement

He first made wine at 14 after being fascinated watching yeast bud under a microscope in science class. He didn’t care for the taste of wine, but the process of making it drew him in.

At 18, he celebrated high school graduation by sharing a bottle he’d made from Welch’s grape juice concentrate.

“That’s when my parents discovered I was making wine,” he said. The verdict on the wine made with grape juice grapes: “Very drinkable.”

His first exposure to the wine business happened when he was an undergraduate in the 1970s.

Red Dye No. 2 had been banned as a food coloring after being found to be a cancer-causing carcinogen. He was part of a research team funded by a California winery that wanted to isolate red pigments from spent wine grapes to sell as a replacement.

Later, after moving to Washington, he continued as both a consultant to the industry and a dedicated hobbyist who sought out expertise when he could.

When business took him to Europe, he added visits to winemakers in France, Italy and Spain.

By the 2000s, he and his wife had decided to turn the hobby into a business and sought a suitable site.

They were priced out of Red Mountain, but found a former pasture on Old Inland Highway, near the Yakima River west of Benton City. The sloping site and sun exposure were promising. Soil tests confirmed it would be well suited to growing wine grapes. They bought it in 2015.

The couple built a home and winery, taking care to preserve a 100-year-old homestead and mature trees on the property. They planted the first 10 acres the following year and another eight after that. Hoppe’s European winery visits inspired the varieties he planted.

The vineyard produces grapes for sale as well as its own purposes. The winery also produces bulk wine, an arrangement that has helped the business remain solvent.

The tasting room was supposed to open in March 2020. it was 90% complete when Covid-19 prompted lockdowns. They couldn’t find contractors to finish the job.

“We’re three years late, but we’re finally going to get open,” said Hoppe, who adds that he plans to retire after more than 34 years with PNNL in early 2024.

Heron Bluff Vineyard & Winery is at 27938 W. Old Inland Empire Highway.

Leslie and Eric Hoppe celebrate the grand opening of Heron Bluff Winery in Benton City with a grand opening Aug. 26, 2023.

Tasting room hours are noon-5 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday and Thursdays by appointment. The property is available for special events, including weddings, celebrations and other gatherings.

Go to heronbluff.com or follow it on Facebook.

Bargains4Less USA to open

Bargains4Less USA, which specializes in selling merchandise returned to retailers such as Costco, Amazon, Home Depot, Target and more, holds a grand opening at 10 a.m., Sept. 9, at its newest location, 450 Kepps Road, Pasco.

There will be more than 300 pallets on offer during the opening, which features food, music and surprises. The business sells pallets of returned items, as well as individual items through a bin system where everything is priced at $5 or less.

Return pallets contain any and all merchandise sold by retailers and then returned, from clothing and home electronics to kitchen gear and sporting goods.

In addition to providing returned merchandise to sell at its own locations, Bargains4Less is a wholesaler to bin, remainder and other discount stores that sell returned merchandise from leading retailers.

Go to bargains4lessusa.com

Natural Grocers update

Natural Grocers has pushed back the opening date for its first Tri-Cities store to Sept. 13.

Natural Grocers sign on building of the former JOANN Fabrics and Crafts store off Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick.

Lakewood, Colo.-based specialty grocer is remodeling the original JoAnn Fabric & Craft, 751 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, into its Columbia Center Blvd., into a grocery. A spokeswoman confirmed the opening date has changed by about a week.

That hasn’t stopped Natural Grocers from introducing itself to its new market. The chain began mailing advertising circulars to area residents in early August.

New Beginnings Thrift now open

A banner hangs above the doorway to the former Basin Department Store announcing the pending opening of New Beginnings Thrift store in downtown Kennewick. The store will benefit Mirror Ministries and other local charities.

New Beginnings Thrift Store opened a Kennewick outlet at the former Basin Department Store, 111 W. First Ave., in mid-August.

The original New Beginnings is in Richland and supports YouMedical and DVS. It remains open.

The Kennewick store supports Mirror Ministries. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

Follow New Beginnings Thrift Store-Kennewick on Facebook.

Urgent care in West Richland

Three Rivers Urgent Care celebrates the grand opening of its new West Richland clinic with a ribbon cutting at 1:30 p.m., Aug. 26, at 1507 Bombing Range Road, Suite 8, near GESA Credit Union.

The Three Rivers team is led by managing provider Ric Melendrez PA-C.

Clinic hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m., seven days a week.

Sign Up: Boom Town Tri-Cities

Stay up to date on Tri-Cities growth and development with our weekly business newsletter. Get the latest on restaurant and business openings and closings, plus the region’s top housing and employment news. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Wednesday.