Recently I was up in the area near Redmond, Washington for a friend’s wedding. On the last day of the trip, we stopped in on Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery to walk around the grounds and take a tour of the bottling facility. Fortunately I had my camera with me and took some shots of the beautiful surroundings as well as inside the winery itself.
The tour mentioned that the original owners of the winery had a fondness for planting exotic plants and trees on the grounds. This tree caught my eye almost immediately.
![European Copper Beech European Copper Beech](http://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_1437.jpg)
European Copper Beech
The tree is a European copper beech.
I loved the views looking up at its trunk and branches.
![Beautiful colors in the leaves Beautiful colors in the leaves](http://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_1399.jpg)
Beautiful colors in the leaves
![Just a gorgeous tree Just a gorgeous tree](http://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_1384.jpg)
Just a gorgeous tree
And here’s a quick not very exciting look at the tree from afar:
![The copper beech from afar The copper beech from afar](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
The copper beech from afar
This tree was not the only sight that caught my eye.
![Mushrooms and green Mushrooms and green](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Mushrooms and green
![Beautiful lawn and garden Beautiful lawn and garden](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Beautiful lawn and garden
Soon it was time to go on the tour of the winery. Since we were there on a holiday, no one was working to bottle any wine that day. This made for some fun shots of the empty industrial apparatus that makes up the winery’s bottling operations.
![Wine tanks Wine tanks](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Wine tanks
![Wine tanks detail Wine tanks detail](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Wine tanks detail
We later encountered a series of tanks which I think were steel but reflected the copper colored lighting and maroon walls in spectacular fashion. The rivets made really awesome patterns.
![Tanks and copper light Tanks and copper light](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Tanks and copper light
![Rivet detail. Really beautiful patterns. Rivet detail. Really beautiful patterns.](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Rivet detail. Really beautiful patterns.
![Tank study in black and white Tank study in black and white](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Tank study in black and white
![3068 gallons each - that's a lot of wine 3068 gallons each - that's a lot of wine](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
3068 gallons each - that's a lot of wine
![Giant wine barrel Giant wine barrel](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Giant wine barrel
![Barrels of wine in the showroom Barrels of wine in the showroom](https://blog.kurtlawson.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
Barrels of wine in the showroom
It was a really fun diversion.
by Kurt
Nancy Culbertson - Beautiful pictures!