Story
A hillside legacy
Minnick Hills is a beautiful located on the loess-covered slopes north of Walla Walla, Washington. The gently sloping site offers ideal conditions for growing world-class Bordeaux varieties. We grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, with smaller lots of Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere and Syrah.
Our south-facing vineyard hill, perched at 1,350 feet, is higher than most in the Walla Walla American Viticultural Area (AVA) and captures warm sun while drawing steady breezes that flow through the vines. The soils are a sought-after combination of windblown loess combined with Mt. Mazama volcanic ash that creates deep, exceptionally well-drained soils.
With good drainage and less concern about early frost, we can extend hang-time into the Fall harvest season, giving the grapes time to fully ripen. Our vines are healthy and their full canopy protects fruit from Eastern Washington's intense sun while flavors develop slowly and completely. Our drainage and drip irrigation enables us to concentrate flavors and increase brix with regulated deficit irrigation as harvest nears. The result: grapes with the concentrated flavors and an extra layer of complexity that vintners love.
The 25-acre vineyard's boutique size allows us to know each row and varietal, and cater to the individual needs of select premium winery customers that prize quality and service.
Terroir
Elevated site, restrained yields
Salmon-Safe
We're Certified Salmon-Safe and adhere to LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) certification requirements.
LIVE Certified
Deploying sustainable practices for weed and pest management.
Generational Farming
Fifth-generation farmers committed to sustainable stewardship.