Hightower Cellars

"Service only a smaller winery can provide. ... A perfect example is Hightower Cellars, located in Eastern Washington's Red Mountain growing region. Tim and Kelly Hightower literally run the entire winemaking process from start to finish. They're also wonderful hosts and you'll be hard pressed to find a nicer pair of people in the wine business." —Dan Radil, The Bellingham Herald

I couldn’t have said it better … so I won’t. Tim and Kelly Hightower and their yellow lab are the nicest family with a great story that involves the courage to leave their Western Washington comforts for the unknown tumbleweed infested land of the Columbia Valley. The Hightowers have the rare distinction of being a husband-and-wife winemaking duo. Beginning in the mid-’90s, they honed their winemaking skills in one of Woodinville’s business parks that cater to suburban “garagiste.” However, the temptation to own real estate in one of the world’s most acclaimed grape-growing locations proved too much, and in 2002, they decided to move to the agricultural land of Red Mountain.

The fact that the land they purchased includes water rights to support a 10-acre vineyard was icing on the cake. The Hightowers also source their grapes from nearby Artz and E & E Shaw vineyards, Alder Ridge in Horse Heaven Hills and Pepper Bridge in Walla Walla Valley. Even though their own vines produce cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, and petit verdot, the Hightowers will continue to rely on other growers for their fruit.

In the meantime, their yellow lab will continue to guard the vineyard, pose for pictures and allow visitors to sample the wine without barking.

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  Hightower Cellars was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Red Mountain WineTrail on page 388!