Gifford Hirlinger Winery

Located on Stateline Road on the south side of Walla Walla, Gifford Hirlinger Winery is literally a stone’s throw — or a mere lob — from Oregon. Housed in an ultramodern building, the winery is the domain of to winemaker and co-owner Mike Berghan. The architecture is stunning and offers ample patio space to enjoy a bottle of wine with a front-row seat for viewing Mike’s now-matured vineyard.

This is a family affair, complete with Mike’s parents, his wife, Melissa, and assorted laughing children pitching in to assist. Resident border collies Chewy and Charlie also contribute to the process. I suspect that, besides looking adorable, the dogs keep the local deer from munching on the ripening grapes.

In early 2000, Mike made his mark on the Walla Walla wine scene with a red blend he appropriately named “Stateline Red,” a Bordeaux marriage of estate cabernet and merlot. Berghan Vineyard also produces cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo, merlot, Malbec, petit verdot, and pinot gris. This is a hands-on operation: The Berghans’ fingernails become brown from the soil, green from pruning, and purple from the crush. They’ve come to know the Walla Walla terroir intimately.

Visitors can choose from a variety of wines — primarily reds — to swirl and sip, but personally, I went straight for Mike’s cabernet sauvignon, because I believe it showcases Walla Walla Valley black fruit so nicely. Rich, dark cherry flavors, tobacco notes, and hints of licorice with an exceptional finish are what I took away from this wine. Smacking my lips, I looked around for anything “grill worthy” to pair with this bold but tannin-tamed wine. Charlie and Chewy cocked their heads in curiosity at my strange gesture of appreciation.

Originally from Sandpoint, Idaho, Mike became incredibly bored while chasing the American dream at Smith Barney in San Francisco. He did what many of us only daydream of doing: He quit his high-paying job to get his hands dirty (literally) working for a vineyard management company in California. Eventually, he landed in Walla Walla, but that wasn’t by chance; his ancestors homesteaded in the Walla Walla Valley. In fact, the name Gifford Hirlinger (GH for short) derives from his not-too-distant relatives. Yes, it’s true that the name twists the tongue a bit, but my opinion of GH wines is not at all difficult to pronounce: liquid decadence.

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  Order the book!

  Gifford Hirlinger Winery was featured in WineTrails of Walla Walla as part of the Walla Walla WineTrail South on page 524!

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  Order the book!

  Gifford Hirlinger Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Walla Walla WineTrail South on page 524!