Horse Heaven Hills is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in southeastern Washington lying in portions of Klickitat, Yakima, and Benton counties, north and west of the Columbia River and south of the Yakima Valley and lies within the vast Columbia Valley appellation. Horse Heaven Hills was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury on June 30, 2005 after reviewing the petition filed by Paul D. Lucas on behalf of regional wine grape growers. Horse Heaven Hills viticultural area is about 60 miles (97 km) long and 22 miles (35 km) wide located 115 miles (185 km) east from Vancouver, Washington. The appellation encompasses 570,000 acres (891 sq mi) with about 6,400 acres (2,590 ha) under vine.
Horse Heaven Hills borders the Yakima Valley AVA to the north and the Columbia River to the south. Its elevations vary from 200 feet (61 m) above sea level at its southern boundary to 1,800 feet (549 m) at the northern boundary. Grapes planted in its south-facing slopes benefit from strong westerly winds via the Columbia Gorge, reducing botrytis or mildew issues and thickens grape skins producing fruit with a higher skin-to-juice ratio.[1][2]
History
Growers have raised grapes in the Horse Heaven Hills region since 1972, when Don Mercer planted a 5 acres (2 ha) parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon at Phinny Hill Vineyards. Between 1978 and 1981, Stimson Lane planted 2,000 acres (809 ha) in Paterson, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Grenache grapes. By the mid 1980s, commercial wine production included the Mercer Ranch Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon, and St. Michelle’s Gewurztraminer, Grenache Rose, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Plantings continued from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s in the Horse Heaven Hills region, and greatly accelerated after the vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills survived the hard freeze of 1996, which destroyed much of Washington State’s grape crop. As of 2002, there are at least 20 vineyards, with over 6,400 acres (2,590 ha) under vine, plus four commercial wineries within the region.[1]
Some of Washington's cult wines are produced from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in this AVA including the 2002 and 2003 Quilceda Creek Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon, which scored the rare 100 point rating from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate.[5] Only 15 other wines in the US have received this designation, all made from California grapes.[6] Only five other previous vintages have received consecutive perfect scores in The Wine Advocate's publishing history.[7] The Quilceda Creek wines were blends with grapes from three Red Mountain AVA vineyards and one Horse Heaven Hills AVA vineyard.[8]
