McKinley Springs Winery
Imagine being the trusty engine-maker for such auto greats as Ferrari, Mercedes, and Cadillac. Then, one day, it dawns on you that your little venture is capable of making high-end cars too. Or, from a wine perspective: Imagine selling your grapes for many years to such wineries as Bookwalters, Columbia Crest, Hogue Cellars, Northstar, Sagelands, Syncline Cellars, and Thurston Wolfe and one day realizing that you too can turn grapes into fine wine. Such is the case with McKinley Springs Vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area. Without McKinley Springs’ wonderful fruit, 18 wineries would need to find another “engine manufacturer” for their premium wines.
After more than 25 years of growing premium grapes, the Andrews family made the decision to take the next step: to ferment their product into premium wine. However, a wise person knows their limits, and the owners of McKinley Springs called upon established winemaker James Mantone of Syncline Wine Cellars fame to do the honors. Given Mantone’s reputation for producing stellar Rhone-style wines, it’s no surprise that one of McKinley Springs’ first vintages would be syrah. In addition to syrah, McKinley Springs produces cabernet sauvignon and chenin blanc, with production at a little more than 1,000 cases per year. The Andrews’ goal is to expand production to 5,000 cases per year and focus on quality.
The McKinley Springs address indicates Prosser, but the vineyard and winery are many miles to the south in the Horse Heaven Hills (named for the once-prevalent wild horses that inhabited them). It’s rural here; agriculture abounds, and from the McKinley Springs tasting room you can look south to Alder Ridge and Chateaux Champoux Vineyards. Surrounding the Andrews’ farm are 900 acres of carefully nurtured grapes. The plan is to double the vineyard size in the coming years. Sadie, the resident Australian sheep dog, is in keeping with the vineyard’s history. A century ago, sheepherders would stop at the only watering hole between Prosser and the Columbia River, where the sheep were loaded on to trains and transported to Montana for the summer. That watering hole was McKinley Springs.
A stunning metal sculpture greets you at the entrance to the winery. Right away, you know that McKinley Springs is serious about its wines. The new tasting room offers an airy space to sample its landmark offerings. Fortunately for WineTrail enthusiasts, there are plenty of large picture windows to view the windswept vineyards and hillsides. Dana Andrews is typically working the tasting room and, as a native, can readily point out distant landmarks, relate the history of the area, and, with developers moving in, offer a forecast of the future. Although changes abound, the one constant are the grapes outside—they’re not going anywhere.
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McKinley Springs Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Horse Heaven WineTrail on page 396!
