![]() The whole region looks more like a set location for a Western than wine country. The gleaming, mile-plus-wide Columbia River draws the appellation’s southern boundary. “It almost feels like you’re in Iowa or Kansas,” says Kate Michaud, winemaker at Double Canyon. Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. Grasslands and agricultural crops stretch as far as the eye can see. When you crest the top of the Horse Heaven’s broad plateau, it’s immediately apparent why cowboy James Kinney proclaimed it “horse heaven” in 1857. The area doesn’t even have a gas station, stranding more than a few winemakers over the years. The closest town of any real size is 40 or more minutes away from most vineyards. There’s not much up here but a few families and a few vineyards.” “It’s in the middle of nowhere,” says Rob Mercer, president of Mercer Estate Winery, ICAN and Mercer Ranches. Cowboy CountryĮastern Washington, where almost all the state’s wine grapes are grown, is a desert where 30 or more miles might separate one far flung town from another.Įven by those standards, Horse Heaven Hills is remote. Yet many barely know this viticultural outpost exists. A large amount of production occurs in the appellation, which also boasts a rich agricultural history. It is also home to nearly a third of Washington State’s wine grape acreage. Horse Heaven Hills is a region of unsurpassed physical beauty. ![]()
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