All great wines are made first in the vineyard. We know that world-class wine requires nothing less than world-class fruit. So, we select and lease special plots in the finest vineyards and have them farmed for us in accordance with our viticultural direction.
We value vine age and have some of the oldest vines in the Columbia Valley, Washington producing grapes for our wines. The altitude and exposure of the vineyards is very important to us, as they encourage quick drainage and produce grapes with balanced acidity. Our vineyards utilize Vertical Shoot Positioning, as it encourages even ripening, free flow of winds, and also allows for consistent canopy management. We seek to be good stewards of the soils and vines that give us our fruit so that they will continue to give us our world-class grapes in the future.
HEDGES ESTATE VINEYARD
Red Mountain
Located on Red Mountain, Washington’s smallest AVA, the Hedges Estate vineyard is one of our sources for red varietals. Originally planted in 1991 by Tom and Ann-Marie Hedges, they practice bio-dynamic farming and their family lives in the vineyard and farm it to this day. Hedges Estate adds backbone to our wines, and the soil consist of sediments and gravels deposited by the Great Missoula Floods, overlain with a thin layer of wind-blown loess. As a result, the berries from these vines allow us to produce scene-stealing wines with an identifiable style of power, length and structure.
ROSEBUD VINEYARD
Wahluke Slope
Established in 1979 and family owned and operated for three generations, the Rosebud vineyard is one of the earliest to be planted on the Wahluke Slope. Located in one of the driest and warmest sites in the state, the vineyard produces consistent quality wine grape that represents the unique qualities and potential of the Wahluke Slope. These, in turn, result in an extraordinary premium Washington wine.
BEL’VILLA VINEYARD
Red Mountain
Located on Red Mountain directly above the Hedges Estate vineyard, Bel’Villa is another treasured source of red grapes for us. Planted by the Hedges family in 1997, Bel’Villa is farmed biodynamically and is certified Salmon Safe. One of the highest altitude vineyards on Red Mountain, the soils are a stratum of silts and sands deposited during the Great Missoula Floods, and are quick draining.
CONNER-LEE VINEYARD
Wahluke Slope
Located on Radar Hill, just to the east of the Wahluke Slope AVA and south of the town of Othello, Conner-Lee was planted in 1982 and is one of our sources for Merlot. Higher in elevation and cooler than most Washington vineyards, Conner-Lee adds bright acidity to our wines. Certified Salmon-Safe, Connor-Lee has silty, loam soils that are relatively deep for Washington. These grapes allow us to produce the best quality Walla Walla wines!