Horse Heaven Hills is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in southeastern Washington lying in portions of Klickitat, Yakima, and Benton counties, north and west of the Columbia River and south of the Yakima Valley and lies within the vast Columbia Valley appellation. Horse Heaven Hills was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury on June 30, 2005 after reviewing the petition filed by Paul D. Lucas on behalf of regional wine grape growers. Horse Heaven Hills viticultural area is about 60 mi long and 22 mi wide located 115 mi east from Vancouver, Washington. The appellation encompasses 570000 acre with about 6400 acre under vine. Horse Heaven Hills borders the Yakima Valley AVA to the north and the Columbia River to the south. Its elevations vary from 200 ft above sea level at its southern boundary to 1800 ft at the northern boundary. Grapes planted in its south-facing slopes benefit from strong westerly winds via the Columbia Gorge, reducing botrytis or mildew issues and thickens grape skins producing fruit with a higher skin-to-juice ratio.

History

Growers have raised grapes in the Horse Heaven Hills region since 1972, when Don Mercer planted a 5 acre parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon at Phinny Hill Vineyards. Between 1978 and 1981, Stimson Lane planted 2000 acre in Paterson, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Grenache grapes. By the mid 1980s, commercial wine production included the Mercer Ranch Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon, and St. Michelle’s Gewurztraminer, Grenache Rose, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Plantings continued from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s in the Horse Heaven Hills region, and greatly accelerated after the vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills survived the hard freeze of 1996, which destroyed much of Washington State’s grape crop. As of 2002, there are at least 20 vineyards, with over 6400 acre under vine, plus four commercial wineries within the region.

Wineries

Horse Heaven Hills AVA is home to the single largest wine making facility in Washington, the Columbia Crest Winery owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle in Paterson. Alexandria Nicole Cellars has a 267 acre at Destiny Ridge Vineyards. The AVA is also home to Zephyr Ridge Vineyard, which produces grapes for many wineries in Washington, including Hogue Cellars and Swiftwater Cellars.

Wines

Some of Washington's cult wines are produced from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in this AVA including the 2002 and 2003 Quilceda Creek Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon, which scored the rare 100 point rating from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate. Only 15 other wines in the US have received this designation, all made from California grapes. Only five other previous vintages have received consecutive perfect scores in The Wine Advocate's publishing history. The Quilceda Creek wines were blends with grapes from three Red Mountain AVA vineyards and one Horse Heaven Hills AVA vineyard.