Precept Wine, Seattle, purchased a Yakima Valley-area vineyard located just south of Red Mountain outside of Benton City, Wash. The company named the vineyard Skyfall after the view of the Yakima Valley and its neighboring Red Mountain, where the sky meets the mountain ridge, it says.
The new vineyard consists of 174 acres currently planted with 32 acres of wine grapes, 66 acres of sweet cherries, and 22 acres of other fruit, the company says. Historically a warm site located on a hill rise, the land will be converted to support mostly red wine varietals within three years. Grapes currently planted at the site are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Over time, the company will replant many vines to utilize more than 100 vineyard acres, and approximately 20 acres of sweet cherries will remain, said David J. Minick, vice president of vineyards for Precept Wine, in a statement.
“We are looking across the entire Northwest for land that has the potential to create premium wine,” said Andrew Browne, chief executive officer of Precept Wine, in a statement. “The goal is to have world-class sites that will be consistent sources of excellence with long-term production.”
Last month, Precept Wine acquired Yamhela vineyard, a premium Pinot Noir site in the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area in Oregon, the company says. The two recent vineyard purchases bring Precept Wine’s Northwest vineyard holdings to approximately 4,200 acres.