Our Vineyards
Dineen Vineyards is located in the Yakima Valley AVA just north of the city of Zillah, Washington. We are in a unique hill-top area that is especially well suited for growing premium wine grapes as well as offering far-reaching views of the valley and Mounts Adams and Rainier in the distance. Dineen Vineyards began planting in the spring of 2001 and continues to add annually to the planted acreage. Currently 65 acres are under vine with another 12 acres of open ground scheduled for future planting. Our neighbors include the well recognized vineyards of Andrew Will, Sheridan, Two Mountain, and new up-and-comer, Ramseyer Vineyards.
Currently we are focused on planting grapes traditionally grown in the Bordeaux and Rhone Valley regions of France. Presently, our vineyards are home to the following varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah, Semillion, Viognier, Roussanne and Riesling.
Today, Pat Dineen’s focus is on the business side of the vineyard including overseeing the estate winemaking and wine sales. Daily operations at the vineyard are co-managed by brothers Matt and Patrick Rawn, owners of Two Mountain Winery. The Rawn brothers have extensive viticulture experience and are always available to assist winemakers’ specific needs and schedules. Matt and Patrick are greatly assisted by Crew Chief, Eliseo Gil and the rest of the capable crew.
Growing Philosophy & Vineyard Practices
Our mission is simple – grow the best fruit to meet and exceed the requirements of our buyers. We work to accommodate the specific criteria of the unique fruit buyer within acceptable viticulture practices. All of the work at Dineen Vineyards, from planting to harvest, is done by hand and the grapes are treated gently on the way to the bottle. The handwork in the vineyard helps prevent disease and eases training of the plants by allowing close observation as they grow. It ensures that the growing berries receive enough sun to ripen fully. Yields are kept low, at roughly 2-3 tons per acre by natural processes attributed to low vigor soils as well as careful growth management including water control, aggressive pruning, and shoot thinning. We practice sustainable viticulture with minimal use of non-organic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic compost is applied every other year to replenish nutrients that the vines consume in producing fruit.
As the fruit approaches maturity we supply our vintners with berry analysis which includes Brix (sugar content), Ph, and TA. Harvest decisions are mostly dictated by the vintner in coordination with our vineyard manager. All of our fruit is hand-harvested and field sorted which keeps the wine quality high by culling poor clusters and vine debris that could give off-flavors to the finished wine.
We encourage grape buyers to visit the vineyard and welcome their input during the growing season so that the fruit will meet their specific goals. The vines at Dineen Vineyards tend to produce rich and deeply colored wines with medium to soft tannins.
