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Tapteil Vineyard Winery
BENTON CITY
Early experiences visiting wineries and vineyards in Australia, Washington,
Oregon, and California, left Tapteil Vineyard Winery founder Larry Pearson
with lasting impressions of the beauty of those agricultural areas and the
personal connection people have with wine. In the early 1980s, he found
himself back in Seattle continuing his engineering consultant career, and with
the capability to realistically search for land upon which to build a vineyard.
During his search, he looked for the perfect site for growing Cabernet
Sauvignon. Serendipitously, he found that site on Red Mountain during his
search, and along the way, his expanding appreciation for Washington State
grapes provided further inspiration in establishing his vineyard.
While searching for the perfect place to establish a vineyard and winery,
Larry also searched for the perfect name. His search led him to the Library
of Congress in Washington, DC. There, he researched historical documents
about the early explorers and missionaries who documented early interactions
with the Native Americans living in the area. From these, he found the terms
"Tapteil" and "Tapteilmin," which refer to the Yakima River and the people
who called the river valley home. "Tapteil" comes from the Sahaptin language
of the Yakama and Nez Perce peoples who inhabited this region of the Pacific
Northwest. The word directly translates to "narrow," and refers to the narrow
portion of the Yakima River as it flows to the Columbia River.
On land that was previously used for grazing, Tapteil Vineyard was first
planted in 1985. Although not the first vineyard on Red Mountain, it was
FACING PAGE: The front of Tapteil Vineyard Winery featuring
the logo "Earth, Wind, and Water."
ABOVE: A sweeping panoramic view of the Red Mountain
AVA and the Yakima Valley from the terrace at Tapteil.
Photographs by Richard Duvall
