In 1975 my family started Kiona Vineyards and Winery. We plant grapes. We grow grapes. We make those grapes into wine. And then we sell wine. So here it goes:

We plant grapes: My Grandfather decided to pour his life savings into planting a 12 acre vineyard on a desolate swatch of dirt and sagebrush that would later be called the Red Mountain AVA. He had to bring in power, lay down a gravel road, and dig a well. People thought he was nuts. Back then one could not Google "grow wine grapes in Washington state" with any degree of success. But here we are, several decades and 250+ acres later, sitting on one of the most sought-after vineyard sites in the hemisphere.

We grow grapes: Pretty self explanatory. Visitors to our tasting room are able to see firsthand the vineyards we use to make our wines. Abstract descriptions of far-off grape sources are not a part of our curriculum. My Dad is the vineyard manager. He’s pretty awesome.

-JJ Williams