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Wheatfield Vines Vineyard is devoted to cultivating fruit that expresses the exceptional characteristics of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Wheatfield Vines is passionate about sharing the story of the Valley and the vineyard as well as connecting wine enthusiasts back to the land and fruit.
Wheatfield Vines’ owner, Steve Bruere, grew up in the heart of the Corn Belt in Central Iowa with a passion for agriculture and land. As his passion transformed into a career, he became intrigued by agriculture across the country and quickly grew fond of the Pacific Northwest. After numerous business trips to the area, Steve developed friendships and started to enjoy time spent at vineyards. It was not long before he became a partner of his first vineyard, Windhorse Vineyard, in the Columbia Gorge AVA. Steve is looking forward to this new venture in the Walla Walla Valley and sharing the rich history of the region as well as producing exquisite fruit to make delicious wines.
Andrew Schultz manages Wheatfield Vines’ vineyard production and development. With over five years of consulting experience, he is well versed with over 25 varietals. He understands the personality and timing of each variety and the importance these factors play in reaching optimal quality and production.
The Walla Walla Valley has been a regional agricultural hub for more than a century. Nearly 3,000 acres of prime vineyards and more than 100 remarkable wineries are represented. In 1984 the federal government designated the Walla Walla Valley as an American Viticultural Area (AVA). The Walla Walla AVA includes 112 wineries and approximately 1,900 acres of vineyards. The wine region is entirely included within the larger Columbia Valley AVA. After the Yakima Valley AVA, the Walla Walla AVA has the second highest concentration of vineyards and wineries in Washington State. The Walla Walla Valley overtly straddles state lines: two-thirds of the AVA is in Washington and one-third is in Oregon. The elevations across the appellation soar between 400 feet and 2,000 feet above sea level. Similarly, annual rainfall figures triple from a sparse seven inches at the western end of the valley to 22 inches along the foothills of the Blue Mountains to the east. The soils of the Walla Walla Valley consist largely of wind-deposited loess, which provides good drainage for vines. The 200-day-long growing season is characterized by hot days and cool nights.
Vineyard varietals include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Cabernet Franc. Typical of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, vertically trained canopies, controlled cluster spacing and row oriented sunlight exposure generates uniform fruit ripeness. The most common trellis system in the vineyard is Vertical Shoot Positioning, which trains the vines upward from the cordon (grape-bearing wire) in a thin curtain that allows sunshine to reach the maximum number of leaves. The leaves are harvesting sunshine and producing sugar to allow the grapes to be picked for harvest in the fall to produce some great red wines.
MERLOT 10 +/- acres
cabernet sauvignon 9 +/- acres
sangiovese 7.75 +/- acres
cabernet franc .5 +/- acres
barbara .5 +/- acres
syrah 1 +/-
nebbiolo .25 +/- acres
MERLOT 10 +/- acres
cabernet sauvignon 9 +/- acres
sangiovese 7.75 +/- acres
cabernet franc .5 +/- acres
barbara .5 +/- acres
syrah 1 +/-
nebbiolo .25 +/- acres
The Walla Walla Valley has an advantage when it comes to producing high-quality fruit. The 530 square-mile Walla Walla Valley Appellation gains from bountiful layers of topsoil which was an outcome of prehistoric Missoula floods. This topsoil combined with wind-deposited loess provides good drainage for vines.
There is a 200-day-long growing season that is characterized by hot days and cool nights. The region is set in a hardiness zone. Because of cold air coming down from the Blue Mountains and then being trapped in the Snake and Columbia River valleys, the Walla Walla AVA is cooler than surrounding AVAs. With 2,700-3,300 annual degree-days and consistent southwest wind, the perfect climate is created for quality grapes.
The vineyard sits at an elevation of 950 +/- feet with rolling topography and south facing slopes. The southern part of the Walla Walla Valley AVA extends into Oregon and is one of the warmer wine growing regions in Oregon.
ELEVATION 940 – 955 FEET
soil series of oliphant & onyx silt
rainfall 14″-16″ mostly in winter
heat units average 2,700 – 3,300 growing degree day units
wind consistent southwest airflow
ELEVATION 940 – 955 FEET
soil series of oliphant & onyx silt
rainfall 14″-16″ mostly in winter
heat units average 2,700 – 3,300 growing degree day units
wind consistent southwest airflow
Wheatfield Vines is actively seeking wineries and winemakers interested in sourcing grapes from the vineyard. Wheatfield Vines is eager to form partnerships throughout the Walla Walla Valley and share in the prosperity of the fruit grown in the vineyard.
For more information or to inquire about buying fruit from us, please contact Molli at 515.223.3895 or [email protected].
