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WAHLUKE SLOPE VINEYARDS
The Milbrandt family put down agricultural roots in Eastern Washington long before 1997, the year they planted their first grapevines in the area now designated as the Wahluke Slope AVA.
Both experience and instinct told brothers Butch and Jerry Milbrandt the area would be one of the best in the state for wine grapes. Today the Milbrandt family farms 10 distinct estate vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA. The unique soils and dry, warm climate have indeed made Wahluke Slope one of the best places in the state for wine grapes.
Wahluke Slope Facts:
- Naturally bounded by the Columbia River to the west and south and by the Saddle Mountains on the north.
- Elevation ranges from 425 feet along the Columbia River to 1,475 feet atop the highest irrigated lands.
- Granted AVA recognition in 2006, Wahluke Slope has 5,200 acres of vineyards, nearly 20% of the grape acreage in the state.
- Temperatures are among the highest in the state, with annual precipitation as low as any other wine-producing site in Washington State, allowing complete control of vine vigor and ripening through irrigation.
- Soils are uniform over large areas, excessively well drained and course in texture.
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