Blackwood Canyon Vintners

Paying a visit to Michael Moore, owner of Blackwood Canyon Vineyards and Winery, is a trip—in more than one sense of the word. Michael has a reputation for being a little over the top in his zeal to create wine using Old World European techniques, techniques handed down to him during his training at the University of California–Davis and from the winemaking experience he gained in California. Call him slightly eccentric or call him certifiably nuts, Michael is truly passionate about his wine and his techniques for growing grapes.

Located on a dirt road in the prized Red Mountain viticulture area, the winery’s secluded site might give you cause to think you are on the wrong trail. However, after a bumpy couple of miles, you’ll know you have arrived when you pull up to Michael’s somewhat disheveled tasting room/winery. An assortment of farming implements and other equipment are strewn around the outside of the winery. As you enter the tasting room, you will likely be greeted by Michael’s friendly weimaraner, with his striking blue-gray coat and inquisitive eyes, a table with literally 50 half-empty bottles of wine, and Michael himself sporting a well-worn cap and a two-day growth of beard.

For Michael, Blackwood Canyon represents a winery that “exists today as one of the last strongholds of old-school, traditional winemaking dedicated to world-class excellence.” He’ll immediately engage you in a discussion of his winemaking style and the number of years his wines have rested in storage. Pretty soon, he’ll weave into the conversation a flattering quote from a Tom Clancy novel as well as an undated accolade from Robert Parker himself. Time passes quickly, and an hour later you find yourself thinking that maybe Michael has hit the perfect winemaking formula and that all the other wineries are producing juice for the masses—because his wine is truly different.

WineTrail Note: WineTrail adventurers are in for a memorable visit at Blackwood Canyon. This is not like any tasting room in Washington. You may like it, you may not, but you will never forget it. At the end of the day, when you are reviewing the four or five wineries that you visited, Blackwood Canyon will consume a third of the conversation. Because when it comes to Blackwood Canyon, there’s much Moore to discuss.

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  Blackwood Canyon Vintners was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Red Mountain WineTrail on page 382!