Challenger Ridge Vineyard & Cellars
Challenger Ridge Vineyard & Cellars is the story of eight partners investing in a dream. Initially started in 2002 by French transplants Louis and Dominique Dially, the winery was sold to six partners in 2006. Now equipped with nearly 10 acres of prime pinot noir and a great deal of unbridled energy, the partners are poised to take Challenger Ridge to the next level.
Using a combination of estate grapes as well as fruit from Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, and Horse Heaven Hills, partner and head winemaker Randy Bonaventura is prepared to coax the terroir from these grapes, just as he did as Mount Baker Winery’s winemaker. For now, the current inventory is largely the responsibility of Louis Dially, but in the near future, that inventory will be expanded to include estate-grown chardonnay. In time, Randy hopes to grow the current annual production from 3,000 to 10,000 cases, but no more.
Randy is a very hands-on winemaker; he still wants to be involved in every step of the process, from pruning the vineyard to punching down the must. When production reaches more than 10,000 cases, he believes the winemaker’s role changes from being intimately involved to managing others. That’s not his cup of tea, as he learned first-hand from a previous stint at a New Zealand–based winery that produced more than 1,000,000 cases annually. There, he learned the antithesis of “artisan.” As he describes it, they used dump trucks instead of standard bins and 6-inch pipes instead of 1-inch pipes.
The new owners have exciting plans in store for Challenger Ridge visitors including the hosting of weddings, jazz concerts, and other events. In addition, as a member of the fledging Skagit Winery Association, Challenger Ridge will, in coordination with other local wineries, work to entice WineTrail enthusiasts to make the drive east on Highway 20 to its winery near Concrete. With a name like “Concrete,” you would not expect to discover a truly beautiful setting for a winery. Nestled on a Cascade foothill right off Highway 20, Challenger Ridge Vineyard & Cellars is close to the beautiful Skagit River. We suspect that many visitors will be taken by its charm and drop in often.
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Challenger Ridge Vineyard & Cellars was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Northwest Washington WineTrail on page 38!
