Vineyards
A fabulous opportunity arose when the historic Stewart Vineyard near Mattawa came up for sale and was purchased by Gilbert Orchards in 2002, with 30 acres of established wine grapes in a prime location on the Wahluke Slope.
The vineyard was originally planted in the 1970s by George Stewart, one of the original pioneers in Washington’s wine industry. Although the vineyard originally focused on white varietals, the site proved to be an excellent place to ripen the great red varieties of Bordeaux and the Rhone valley of France.
Curtiss Gilbert manages the vineyard that includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah, and Chardonnay.
The Gilbert family planted a two acre experimental vineyard in 2001 in the Ahtanum Valley west of Yakima. This has grown into 10 acres of grapes that are all planted near the winery. This is a very promising area for varieties such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Rousanne.