If there is one thing that is SageCliffe, it is The Land. Those of you who have visited Cave B Estate Winery, or Cave B Inn & Spa know that it is this place which is SageCliffe….pick up any of the above and place them somewhere else and you would not have SageCliffe as we know it. We are here on the edge of these gorgeous cliffs, seemingly in the middle of nowhere but actually in the middle of everywhere. Natural beauty and interest abound. So it is the land that informs everything we do at SageCliffe: why we chose this location, how and when and in what way we build structures and pathways, parking lots and landscaping. It is the land that orients our windows and it is the land that allows for the quality of the Cave B wines. It is also the land that keeps us focused: in the hospitality, culinary and wine industries it is easy to get carried away…to ever-expand, to go in many different directions, to forget what started it all. But at SageCliffe we have a promise to ourselves that we won’t forget that it begins and ends with the land. This keeps us on the right track. And there have been times we have been tempted to stray! But, always, the gorge, the vineyards, the river and the sage bring us gently back.
And so. As we do expand and grow, we do so with what we hope is a lighter and lighter tread…we’d love to see our footprints fading almost as quickly as we place them upon the ground. This is why our newest addition to SageCliffe is Chiwana Village: a cluster of yurts nestled among the Cave B vineyards, with new and beautifully startling views from their (sustainable Douglas Fir!) windows. Rainier Industries, based in Seattle, is the manufacturer of the yurts, which will number 25 when all are complete. Rainier has achieved the premier certification for environmental stewardship, and that’s extremely important to us. We like their barely-there footprint, too.
So where are the yurts? When erected, they will be on the gentle slopes south and slightly west of the winery roundhouse; just a short vineyard-walk away from the winery, Inn and Spa. And yet, like the cliffehouses and Cavern Rooms, they nestle and hunch and wallow and hide among the hummocks and hills and vines…they are unobtrusive, these yurts. Just like we’re trying to be.
For now, we are in the midst of yurt-raising; and yes–it’s as community-building and exciting as a barn-raising! Seeing these yurts go up is engrossing, different, exciting and satisfying…this last particularly due to the fact we are not displacing to place–the land stands. We are feeling great about Chiwana Village, and simply can’t wait for you to give them a try. The Chiwana Village season will run from May-October, with a July opening this first season. We’ll have all the info you need up on our website soon, so keep checking back and stay tuned. And we’re already out there online: you can find Chiwana Village at SageCliffe on FB, and @chiwanavillage on Twitter. See you there!