Ciel du Cheval. Intense not only describes the wines made from Ciel du Cheval grapes, but also the efforts made to grow the grapes. The vineyard has a simple mission: grow grapes that are the best reflection of the unique terroir and give a sense of place. However, like the rest of the vineyards on Red Mountain, the soils at Ciel are extremely homogeneous.
As a result, Ciel has been divided into thirty-six separate blocks. Each block is custom farmed to achieve the best results possible. The variety, clonal selection, plant spacing, row orientation, training methods, and irrigation plans are unique to each block.
An extensive network of sensors monitors soil moisture and local weather. And plant and soil samples are evaluated for available nutrients. All of this information is analyzed and changes are made. Farming this way requires more resources, but the results are worth it. These principles include:. Vineyard Facts. These principles include: Employee Safety. We take the time to ensure that all employees receive regular safety training, and to ensure all risks are managed appropriately.
Earth Friendly. Ciel avoids taking actions that can harm the environment. Thank goodness because then he might not have discovered Red Mountain, one of the best places anywhere to grow wine grapes.
Holmes worked at Hanford, where he was a nuclear engineer. There he met John Williams, and the two became friends. It took us six months to lose all of our money. Everyone thought it was a good deal. A few months later, the pair read a report by Walter Clore of Washington State University about the viticultural viability of the area. They spent the next three years drilling a well and bringing in electricity, then they planted wine grapes on what would become Kiona Vineyards. Many Italian immigrants lived in the area, so great wine and food were a natural part of life.
When he moved to Washington state in , there was no wine culture to speak of, and he ended up traveling to Europe and learning more and more about wine. All of that set him up for the adventure of being a Red Mountain pioneer. Today, more than 1, acres of wine grapes are planted there. At the same time Holmes and Williams planted Kiona, they also put together a group of investors to plant another vineyard across the road. Part of that group were David and Patricia Gelles, two wine enthusiasts who were interested in getting their hands dirty.
A decade later, they would launch Klipsun Vineyards on Red Mountain. Three years later, they decided to go their separate ways. I had an adventurous spirit and wanted to try new things with new varieties, while John was satisfied with the direction things were going. So they parted amicably and remain best of friends, with Williams taking Kiona and Holmes taking Ciel du Cheval Vineyard.
Both have made the best of their opportunities. At the time, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard was 80 acres, and Holmes soon bought another 80 acres with the ambition of more grapes. He planted 40 acres as part of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, and the other 40 became two vineyard partnerships, both planted in The first is Galitzine Vineyard, a acre vineyard that is a partnership between Holmes and the Golitzin family, owners of famed Quilceda Creek Vintners in Snohomish near Everett.
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