Widgeon Hill Winery

wid-geon – a freshwater duck (Anas americana of North America) having a grayish or brownish back and a white belly and wing coverts.

Established in 1996 by Joel Mills, Widgeon Hill Winery is located about four miles east of I-5 via exit 81 between Chehalis and Centralia. It’s a little off the beaten path, but a short 10-minute drive brings you to a cozy tasting room/winery surrounded by a forest. From small beginnings as an amateur winemaker to a more commercial presence, Joel (and his apprentice son, Rhett) established Widgeon Hill Winery and won awards along the way. Unfortunately, in 2005 Joel passed away leaving the winery in the sole hands of Rhett to manage. While maintaining a day job as a real estate appraiser, Rhett has added to the winery’s reputation.

With annual production at nearly 1,000 barrels of wine, Rhett gets his grapes primarily from the Yakima Valley. For a small winery, Widgeon Hill offers an impressive array of wines, including chenin blanc, unoaked chardonnay, viognier, syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, zinfandel and a red blend named Tunupa Red.

Legend has it that the old-timers feasted on the widgeon duck that populated the Salzer Valley watershed, where Widgeon Hill is located. Now, the new timers can feast on wine at Widgeon Hill Winery. When you think about it, a bottle of Widgeon Hill Merlot would pair nicely with roasted duck!

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  Widgeon Hill Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Southwest Washington WineTrail on page 162!