Wawawai Canyon

When it comes to winemaking, “my husband, Ben [Moffett], is the pilot and I’m the copilot,” noted Christine Havens as she poured me a healthy dose of their cabernet sauvignon. No doubt Christine was being modest in terms of her winemaking involvement. After all, she met Ben while both were attending Walla Walla Community College’s Enology and Viticulture program. This was before they came home to Ben’s native Pullman and established Wawawai (pronounced wah-WOW-ee) Canyon Winery.

The couple brought with them the technical expertise to make fine wine and an inherent desire to add their own unique touch. As testimony to their creative license, they released an unfiltered pinot noir using an old-world sur lies technique for aging the wine. The result is a wine that has a very different flavor profile compared to a traditional “light” pinot noir. The word “amazing” came to mind as I sipped this pinot noir. Equally impressive was a gewürztraminer that could easily pass as a dessert wine in drag.

Ben’s parents, David and Stacia Moffett, both teach at nearby Washington State University and own a vineyard that borders the Snake River, about 20 miles south. The arid location provides a perfect setting to grow premium grapes. “What’s the biggest challenge with growing grapes?” I asked. “Grasshoppers,” Christine replied. Once every 10 years or so, a swarm of grasshoppers descend on the vineyard and devour the grapes. Nothing seems to deter them; they even eat through plastic nets. Nevertheless, despite this B-flick sci-fi scenario, the joy of producing premium grapes year after year makes up for the occasional attack of the grasshoppers.

Check out the winery’s gorgeous logo created by Christine, which also serves as the image on Wawawai Canyon wine labels. Christine is also responsible for much of the artwork that hangs in the tasting room, including paintings and bronze pieces. Except for the glass of wine in hand, you might just think you are visiting an art gallery. Clearly the entire family (and this is a family affair from the vineyard to the tasting room) has many other endeavors that intrigue them. Along with teaching, painting, consulting, and cooking, producing signature wines is one of many passions they pursue.

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  Wawawai Canyon was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Spokane-Pullman WineTrail on page 546!