Terroir

Red Willow Vineyard is comprised of five distinct grape growing blocks...

THE CHAPEL

Being in the Cascades rain shadow, the vineyard only gets ~6–8 inches of rain a year. With so little natural rainfall, every drop of water is intentional—shaping how the grapes develop through the season.

Fall color at Red Willow is part of the natural beauty of the vineyard.

Fall color signals the end of the growing season, as the vineyard settles into dormancy.

Autumn rows roll toward the chapel with a snow-covered Mt. Adams beyond.

Bitter winter temperatures help regulate vine health, setting the stage for a balanced growing season ahead.

Yakima Valley summers are warm and dry, driving steady growth across the vineyard

Winter is one of the few times the vineyard gets natural moisture, either from snow or seasonal storms, which helps recharge soils before the long, dry summer.

The chapel’s stonework, accented in winter, shows the fieldstone character that echoes the rugged hill it overlooks.

The interior of the chapel built from timber and stone from the surrounding hillside reflects the natural beauty of the vineyard.

Snowfall here acts as insulation, protecting roots and slowly replenishing moisture in an otherwise arid site.

With so little annual rainfall, seasonal storms help recharge the soils that sustain the vines through long, dry summers.

Morning fog drifts around the chapel hill.

Red and gold leaves sweep up toward the chapel, signaling the end of the growing season as the vineyard settles into fall.

The iconic chapel was built from stones unearthed across the vineyard, forming one of the best-known landmarks in Washington Wine country.

Snow and ice settles over dormant vines around the vineyard.

Slopes change everything—sunlight, airflow, and soil—shaping how grapes ripen across the vineyard.

Dawn at Red Willow. The sun rises behind the chapel marking a new day at the vineyard.

The chapel sits under a haunting October moon.

A snowy sillouette of the picturesque chapel in winter.

A harvest bin of Syrah rests below the chapel, headed to one of the 30-plus wineries that source grapes from Red Willow.

Stunning sunsets bring stunning views at Red Willow.

From the east side, the chapel rises above the rows of the vineyard, with gorgeous views of Mt. Adams beyond.

A rainbow rises behind the chapel hilltop.

The chapel stands above the hazy Yakima Valley on the vineyard's most iconic hillside.

A late-season frost settles over the vineyard, bringing the growing season to a close.

The chapel stands in snow, a winter view that underscores how high and open this Yakima Valley site really is.

Late-season light catches the chapel and the worn path below it, tracing the steep slope that makes this block one of Red Willow’s defining sites.

Sunrise at Red Willow from just the right spot at just the right time.

Fall settles over the Yakima Valley, as the vineyard turns gold beneath wide open skies.

A thin crescent moon hangs over the chapel in winter.

A small iconic Chapel made from stones unearthed throughout the vineyard overlooks this site. The top of the Chapel block sits around 1,250 ft.

Once a small island during the Missoula floods, the upper 2/3rds supports ancient soils developed out of virgin ground planted in 1993. East, west and south slopes each support different soil types. Underlying much of the hill is sandstone which can still be viewed in the outcroppings that were left untouched on part of the western slope. Also intermixed are river rocks likely deposited from the ancient flows of the Columbia river.

The western hills tend to have shallow rocky soils with a small amount of clay content throughout. Eastern slopes are deeper soils largely comprised of wind-blown loess with more concentrations of sand and silt. The south, being the steepest and hottest of all blocks, has a mixture of east/west soil types. This picturesque site is planted to Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, Malbec and Viognier.

LES VIGNES DE MARCOUX

Wild horses move along the edge of the Marcoux block, a familiar sight on this far western stretch of Red Willow Vineyard.

Snow settles quietly over the Marcoux vines, marking the dormant season when the vineyard rests before the next growing cycle.

Rows of early-season vines rise above a field of purple bloom, a living cover crop that feeds the soil.

The Marcoux block has a rustic, western feel.

Vines stretch across the rugged slopes of the Marcoux block, with the Yakima Valley unfolding beyond the vineyard’s western boundary.

Grapes ripen beneath turning leaves, signaling the final stretch before harvest.

The Marcoux sign marks one of the westernmost plantings in the Yakima Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area).

Bright rows of mustard bloom between the vines on the Marcoux block, a spring cover crop that returns nutrients to the soil.

A lone mustang patrols the western edge of the Marcoux block. Wild mustangs, roaming coyotes, and range cattle are all part of the landscape.

Marcoux is the maiden name of Mike Sauer’s mother. The Marcoux block is the furthest western block of grapes within the Yakima Valley AVA.

Nearly a full mile west of the Chapel, the valley gradually rises putting it between 1100–1300 ft. elevation. A gentle south-east facing slope flows throughout most of the 60-acre block. Soils are classified as a Warden sandy loam.

Les Vignes de (the vines of) Marcoux, bordered for miles by desert sage and cattle range, has a rustic, western feel. Occasional herds of wild mustangs, roaming coyotes, and range cattle are part of the landscape. Ahtanum Ridge, the foothills of the Cascades, and the top of snow-capped Mt. Adams are prominent features viewed from Marcoux.

The block was first planted with 40 acres of Riesling and Gewürztraminer in 1982. Gradually, the Riesling and Gewürz acreage has mostly been replaced with Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc, Touriga National, Dolcetto, and in 2012 plantings included new clones of Cab Sauv and Malbec.

OLNEY SPRINGS

Long summer days and intense sunlight drive ripening in the Yakima Valley.

Irrigation lines cut across the vineyard floor.

Decades of farming are etched into these rows.

Olney Springs is an overgrowth of Sumac that turns scarlet red during the Fall months.

Pruned vines stand in clean lines, each cut shaping the balance and yield for the coming harvest.

Snow still clings to the Toppenish Ridge in the distance, feeding the watershed that ultimately supports vineyards across the valley.

Bud break: the moment the vineyard transitions from winter dormancy to active growth.

Mowing in the vineyard. Managing ground cover between the rows helps reduce competition for water and nutrients.

The Olney Springs block sits isolated between the Peninsula and Marcoux blocks.

In the shadow of a natural springs coming out of the Ahtanum Ridge, Olney Springs itself—once a Native American pathway—is now an overgrowth of Sumac that turns scarlet red during the Fall months. Made up of two blocks both planted in 1999 in an east–westerly orientation following the hillsides, the first is a five-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon believed to be clone eight.

The second is a one-acre plot planted as an experimental block filled with ten different Cabernet clones, multiple Merlot, Cab Franc, and other varietals. This block is now referred to as David’s Block, in reference to David Lake taking all of the Bordeaux varietals and co-fermenting them together. Eight Bells Winery continues on this tradition. Soils are calcareous underneath with sandy loam on top.

PENINSULA

As we move closer to the growing season, the vineyard remains a place of quiet strength and anticipation.

Snow outlines the rolling hills of Red Willow, where elevation and exposure play a key role in ripening and vine balance.

Planted in 1973, this Cabernet Sauvignon block marks the beginning of Red Willow’s winegrowing history, though it is no longer in production.

There is a specific quiet that settles over the Peninsula Block during the fall—a moment to reflect on another vintage in the books.

1986. A landmark year for Red Willow and for Washington wine. These vines have spent four decades digging deep into our hillsides, producing fruit with a complexity and sense of place that only time can create.

Vines stretch across the Peninsula with Mount Adams rising in the distance, a constant presence beyond the Yakima Valley.

Autumn color blankets the vineyard beneath Mount Adams, where long growing seasons give way to crisp fall transitions.

Looking down the slope of the Peninsula block to the chapel beyond, a breath-taking winter scene.

Autumn color fills the Peninsula block, where multiple varietals reflect the diversity of this high-elevation site.

Syrah, first planted here in the 1980s, thrives on the Peninsula’s warm days and cooling influence from the nearby Cascades.

Gold on the vines, snow on the ridge. A dramatic morning looking out over the chapel from one of our favorite vantage points in the vineyard.

Winter settles across the Peninsula block, revealing the uniform structure of the vineyard against a quiet, snow-covered slope.

The Peninsula block, first coined by David Lake, is a unique formation jetting out of the Ahtanum Ridge.

A high elevation site once surrounded by water on all sides except the North during the great floods, our wine roots began here with the first planting of 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon. Gradually trying new varietals, Mike pioneered Cabernet Franc and Syrah on the site. Merlot and Petite Verdot also grow atop this beautiful vineyard. The 40-acre parcel is underlaid by volcanic soils with an influence of ancient river beds.

Much like the Chapel block, the west tends to be shallower with a degree of clay influence, while the east supports deeper loess soils of sandy and silty loam. Because of close proximity to the Cascades, one can find many volcanic soils, dominated by sandstone, pumice & Quartistic pebbles of the Ellensburg formation.

STEPHENSON BLOCK

The new Stephenson Block goes into the ground with the family chapel looking on from the hill.

The Stephenson block is named after the Stephenson family that first farmed this parcel of ground in the 1940’s.

It is located ½ mile south of the Chapel block. Unlike the other blocks, this block’s soil is the result of the Lake Missoula floods. Its elevation is a little over 1000’ and slopes downward to the east, giving the rows an E-W orientation.

The soils are richer, resulting in more fruit forward wines. The varieties grown on this site are Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon.