Two Mountain Winery

Brothers Matthew and Patrick Rawn are today’s driving force behind Two Mountain Winery. However, they would be the first to tell you that they are but part of a family of farmers that have been actively growing things for over a half century. In fact, their uncle Ron Schmidt was the initial driving force converting part of their fruit orchards to vinifera in 2000.

Today, Matthew and Patrick manage the 26-acre estate Copeland Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills viticulture area of the Yakima Valley farming the fruit from bud break to bottling. Grape varieties include chardonnay, riesling, lemberger, merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and touriga nacional (a main grape for Portuguese port wine and rarely seen in Washington). From these eight grapes varieties, the brothers Rawn craft varietal reds and whites, a rosé and a couple lip smacking red blends. As you sample the cabernet sauvignon, imagine how grilled tenderloin would pair with this richly layered wine.

Most years, the vineyard generates 3 to 4 tons of grapes per acre, which translates to 200 tons of grapes. It takes a lot of pruning, tendril tucking, cluster thinning, and sucker pulling to harvest a couple hundred tons of sugar rich grapes each year. It might be fair to say that the brothers know every vineyard row and vine.

As you might expect, the tasting room and winery provide a stunning view of both Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. It’s a reminder that the Cascade Range is both a major rain shadow in the Yakima Valley (only about 6 inches of precipitation per year) as well as the source for water that feeds the Yakima River. Thank you Cascades.

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  Two Mountain Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Rattlesnake Hills WineTrail North on page 290!