Cowan Vineyards

In Washington, to be both a viticulturist and a winemaker is unusual. Such is the case with Cowan Vineyards’ David Cowan. As he puts it, “I’m a dirt guy … I’m close to the ground.” The Cowan’s prized land is located near Prosser in the Yakima Valley AVA, and the 65-acres of grapes they grow reflect that he’s a farmer first.

David cultivates 300 acres of fruit trees (including apple, cherry, pear) and vineyards. Grapes alone account for 200 tons of pickings and include cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, gewürztraminer, and riesling. With that much fruit, David has other wineries lining up to buy his grapes. With so much demand for his grapes, it wasn’t long before David realized that he had something very special, and the idea of starting his own winery using his choicest grapes took hold … or more appropriately, took root.

As David puts it, “Growing our own grapes gives us a definite advantage. We control every aspect of the grape all the way to crush. After crushing, we decide which juice goes into what barrels and then age them at least 12 to 16 months. We decide when to bottle and have our own storage so the barrels stay at the right temperature and humidity.” Sometimes it’s good to be controlling.

The unique tartan label on bottles of Cowan wine reflects the family’s Scottish heritage. In fact, if you happen to stop by while there is a Scottish festival in the area (as this WineTrail trekker did), there’s a good chance you’ll spot David wearing his kilt. David’s wife, Susan, often works the tasting room and is responsible for the wine related merchandise to purchase. Incidentally, if you need a place to stay, ask about their rental property strategically located in the heart of wine country.

If you can’t make it to their Prosser location, visit the Cowan Vineyards tasting room in Woodinville’s Warehouse District. Here you can check out the tartan labels and taste what they mean by, “Handcrafted from the Ground Up!”

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  Cowan Vineyards was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Prosser WineTrail North on page 336!