The journey led him to the very southeast corner of Washington State and the town of Lowden, home of Rick Small and Woodward Canyon Winery. This was the beginning of a friendship between the Chalone Wine Group, Rick Small, and a group of Washington wine enthusiasts who together planted the first vines on the Canoe Ridge in 1989. The site was selected because of its distinctive conditions for growing excellent Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. Due to its location and proximity to the Columbia River, our vineyard experiences unique ripening patterns and temperatures important to us throughout the year. Spring temperatures are generally warmer resulting in an earlier bud break.
Daytime temperatures are warm but are balanced by cool nighttime temperatures.
These two characteristics provide us with a longer growing season during normal years, and a long enough growing season during cool years, to ripen the fruit to full maturity. To date, winter injury has been minimal due to these warmer temperatures compared to other viticultural areas in the state. Currently, we are in different stages of experimentation to fine tune our viticultural practices. Our ultimate goal is to grow the very best, balanced, and flavorful fruit we can, because this is where any great wine must begin. In preparation for the harvest of 1994, we went in search of a location for the new winery.