White Heron Cellars Claimed

The vineyard and winery site overlooks the Columbia River, Crescent Bar Resort, and the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Deep well-drained soils, southern slopes, excellent air drainage, and a ring of hills surrounding the site, make for an exceptional vineyard location. The first vines were planted in 1991. Varieties grown include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdant, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Syrah, Rosanne and Viognier. In the long term, White Heron will concentrate on Red Wines. The production of Bordeaux varieties and Syrah will be the primary focus. Many of these varieties are unusual and not commonly available in Washington State. It has been fun to watch these varieties mature in the vineyard and then in the bottle. Phyllis and Cameron Fries, the vintners and owners of White Heron Cellars, are both Washington natives. They met and graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. They moved to Switzerland for five years where Cameron attended wine making and viticulture schools, with Phyllis’ support. The wines from White Heron reflect Central European wine making styles.