Klipsun Vineyards West Richland
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ost everyone in the wine industry will admit that good fruit is a requirement for crafting good wine, and likewise good soil and terroir are necessary to grow good fruit. At Klipsun Vineyards, all of these elements come into play, and you
would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the Washington wine industry who disagrees.
Planted by husband-wife duo David and Patricia Gelles in 1984, the vineyards at Klipsun— named after the Chinook word for “sunset”—are made up of about 120 acres of mostly merlot and cabernet, with some sauvignon blanc, syrah, sémillon, and nebbiolo. Designed around the philosophy that they only wanted to plant what they would prefer to drink, David and Patricia have certainly taken advantage of the perfect site to create fruit with terrific concentration and depth. And those from far and wide have taken notice, including Quilceda Creek Vintners, Seven Hills Winery, L’Ecole No 41, EFESTE, Apolloni Vineyards, and Andrew Rich Wines.
As lively as her fuchsia hair color, Patricia energetically emphasizes that her favorite part of the process is meeting the winemakers, from those who are completely new to the business to those who have helped the Washington wine industry become what it is today.
Hardly content to just be satisfied with the status quo, David and Patricia are continually working to enhance the quality of their fruit as well as exploring new opportunities. In recent years, their daughter has even begun to craft her own sémillon with the moniker eKlipse, using fruit from Klipsun. Considering the family’s past, you certainly want to pay attention to whatever they choose to do in the future.
Right: Long-time employees Jesus Godinez, Erika Espindola, and Francisco Espindola help harvest the grapes. Facing page: World class, award-winning, 1984-planted cabernet vines. Photographs by Andréa Johnson
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