Red Mountain

Tapteil Vineyard, located on the southwest slope of Red Mountain in Eastern Washington, was first planted in the spring of 1985 and now totals 25 acres of three varieties--Cabernet Sauvignon (15.5 acres), Cabernet Franc (2.0 acres) and Merlot (7.5 acres). The vineyard lies between 740 and 880 feet in elevation on predominately silt loam soil. Site selection had a basic focal point - find the best site at which to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. This site, together with careful vineyard management, provides wine grapes of exceptional quality and shows why Red Mountain has continued to be the source for high quality wines.

The name "Tapteil" comes from the Sahaptian (the language of the Yakima Indians) term for "narrow" and refers to the narrow portion of the Yakima River as it flows south and east of Yakima. The term Tapteilmin or "narrow river people" was used to identify those living along this portion of the Yakima River.