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Signature Wines and Wineries of Washington
among the earliest in the area. To Larry's delight, the Red
Mountain American Viticultural Area was approved in 2001,
16 years after the start of his vineyard, and added more
validation that Red Mountain was an exceptional area for
producing wine. In the early days, friends and family were
recruited to help, and much of the work was done by hand
to plant and harvest the grapes. The only building on the site
at that time was the pump house—the ever-important water
source. But with a love of what the vineyard could offer, Larry
began building his dream. Today, Tapteil Vineyard is planted
to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit
Verdot, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre. There's also a block
of Riesling planted at the edge of the Yakima River. The latest
plantings at the Badlands include more Cabernet Sauvignon
as well as the Italian varietal, Aglianico.
TOP: Larry and Jane Pearson enjoying a glass of wine in the Tapteil
Vineyard on the slope of Red Mountain
LEFT: Our signature wines on display at the Tapteil tasting room
Photographs by Noah Forbes
