|
The story of Washington’s wine history is a rich one.
It has surprisingly early roots, dating back to 1825 with the
arrival of
 the
Hudson Bay Company (HBC), a British fur-trading business.
Vine cuttings were among the first items sold to the state’s
early settlers who came to shop at Fort Vancouver Washington,
HBC’s base of operations on the north side of the Columbia
River.
From Fort Vancouver, vine cuttings managed to make
their way into the “fruit bowl” of
Eastern Washington through a
variety of means. As families ventured across the
sparsely populated wilderness of Washington, seeking land to
homestead, they were not only establishing the first
settlements in the state; they were establishing an
agricultural industry that continues to flourish today.
Early records point to the
Walla Walla Valley as Eastern Washington’s inaugural
vineyard-planting site. The region’s earliest pioneers
personally documented the existence of grape vineyards.
|
|
New York native Marcus Whitman (a doctor and minister),
together with his wife Narcissa, led a covered wagon train
from St. Louis to found a mission for the Cayuse Indians near
present-day Walla Walla. In their journey, the
party traveled further west than any previous American
settlers. Along the way, Narcissa and another female
companion became the first white women to cross the Rocky
Mountains. They arrived in Walla Walla on September 1,
1836. In a journal entry dated that month, Narcissa recounts
discovering grape vines growing in the garden — most likely
planted by French Canadian trappers who were among the
earliest explorers in Washington State.
Settlers in the Walla Walla Valley were quick to
discover the region’s perfect growing conditions for all kinds
of fruits and vegetables. Several nurseries sprang up in
the late 1850’s and early 1860’s. In 1859, A.B. Roberts
set about buying grape nursery stock for his nursery from
French Canadians living in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
He also imported some 80 different European grape varieties
through one of his French nursery workers (as reported in
articles published by a Walla Walla magazine during the years
of 1909 and1910).
Philip Ritz, also of Walla
Walla, established the Columbia Valley Nursery, which became a
great success. Like Roberts, Ritz stocked his nursery
with grape vine cuttings and planted his own vineyard.
Ritz’s vineyard held more than 20 varieties of grapes.
Following the lead of Roberts and Ritz, many others took up
the practice of winemaking, among them an Italian named Frank
Orselli who soon became sought after for his winemaking
expertise. As Walla Walla grew into an important city,
grapes and wine played a leading role in the prosperous
economy.
Looking Back...
The Yakima Valley
In the Yakima Valley, two
immigrant families — the Schannos from France, and the Herkes
from Germany — were the first to plant grape vines.
Before moving to the Yakima area from The Dalles, Oregon,
French brewer Charles Schanno
founded the first brewery in Oregon. When he moved to
Yakima in 1869 he carried with him vine cuttings he had
carried, “wrapped in wet straw on horseback,” from Fort
Vancouver (Yakima Herald, October 1933).
In addition to introducing wine grapes to the area,
Schanno, along with his brother Joseph, established an
irrigation system modeled after that of the HBC that allowed
him to employ the Naches River as a water source for his
vineyards.
Another early settler, German-born Anthony Herke,
homesteaded just west of Yakima in 1871. Herke, a
butcher and baker by trade, planted four grape varietals, both
red and white, in a one-acre vineyard. He and his family
drank a portion of the wine at home and donated a portion to
the nearby mission. In addition to planting one of the
first vineyards in the Yakima Valley, Herke is also credited
with sending grape cuttings to Wenatchee.
|
Eastern Washington's
Wine Regions
The Terroir
Yakima
Valley
Looking Back...
Today's scene
Wineries Map
Nearby Lodging
Nearby Dining
Red Mountain
Looking Back...
Today's scene
Wineries Map
Nearby Lodging
Nearby Dining
Columbia
Valley
Looking
Back...
Today's scene
Wineries Map
Nearby Lodging
Nearby Dining
Walla Walla Valley
Looking Back...
Today's scene
Wineries Map
Nearby
Lodging
Nearby
Dining
Wenatchee Valley
Looking Back...
Early Statewide Historic Roots
Pioneers of Eastern Washington's Wine Industry
Prohibition's Impact
Bad News... WWII and Fortified Wines
The Trail to Quality
Today's Wines |
