WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE - SUMMER/FALL 2015

Red Mountain’s not much of a moun- ican Viticulture Area) can be somewhat their first vines in Red Mountain and tain in the pantheon of mountains confusing. The Red Mountain AVA lies called their vineyard Kiona. Not long af(1,410 feet) or for that matter very red, within the Yakima Valley AVA, which is ter, they planted a vineyard they called Ciel du Cheval. In 1980, they launched but it is a real mountain that has all the part of the Columbia Valley AVA. a winery in Williams’ basement (where makings for some of the best wines on the planet – mostly Cabernet sauvignon, Red Mountain’s most prominent pio- the tasting room remained until a new merlot, syrah, Cabernet franc, malbec, neers are Jim Holmes and John Wil- winery was built in 2007). and petit verdot. liams, wine hobbyists who were influenced by the early wine grape research Red Mountain may not be much to look The red in Red Mountain comes from conducted by Dr. Walter Clore at Wash- at to the casual visitor, but for the wine the cheat grass that turns red in the ington State University agricultural sta- maker the 4,040 acres of vineyards on its spring. Washington State AVAs (Amer- tion in Prosser. In 1975 they planted slopes offers all the essential elements to 32 Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015