Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/670021
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a y - J u n e 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 2 9 ince Gary Figgins and his family planted the first modern-day grape- vines in the Walla Walla Valley at Leonetti Cellar in 1977, the region has been a crucial part of Washington state's wine identity. However, the knock on Walla Walla, for many years, was it was home to numerous wineries and tasting rooms (cur- rently more than 120) but few vineyards. Decades later, while many local wineries still source fruit from throughout the larger Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley is flour- ishing as a grapegrowing region, with sev- eral new areas being explored to broaden its offerings and impact. SEVEIN PROJECT WILL DOUBLE ACREAGE By far the most significant vineyard proj- ect in Walla Walla Valley is SeVein Vine- yards. Located in the southern section of the valley, above highly regarded Seven Hills Vineyard, the property is a stagger- ing 2,700 acres in size, of which, 1,527 acres have water rights. When all of that land is under vine, SeVein will account for more than half of the planted acreage in the valley, which currently stands at 2,800. A thousand acres of the property have already been sold, and approximately one- third of that is currently under vine. "I think, long term, SeVein is going to be a real center of what's going on in the val- NORTHWEST WATCH SEAN P. SULLIVAN ley," says Chris Figgins, president of Fig- gins Family Wine Estates and a partner in the SeVein project. "There's a lot of acre- age up there being planted." The perception of this area also is sure to be influenced by a recently announced project from Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV). In 2015, WVV started a new divi- sion, Oregon Estate Vineyards, with the mission of finding unique vineyard areas in Oregon for single-site estate wineries. With SeVein located on the Oregon side of the valley, it was the first site it chose that was outside of Willamette Valley. + Walla Walla Valley once lacked sizeable vineyard acreage but is now a hotbed of planting. + One of the newer projects, SeVein, ultimately will double the valley's existing acreage. + The valley's first sub-appellation has been approved, and other vineyard regions are being explored. + These developments will increase Walla Walla Val- ley's profile and may one day redraw the appellation boundaries. AT A GLANCE New Frontiers Walla Walla Valley is primed for vineyard development. L'Ecole N° 41 is a partner with Leonetti Cellar and Pepper Bridge Winery in the acclaimed Seven Hills Vineyard. Located in the south central portion of the Walla Walla Valley appellation, it has an elevation of 900 to 1,100 feet.