Exploring Washington Wine: Cote Bonneville Estate Winery
The Yakima Valley may not have the same name recognition as that of its neighbour, Walla Walla, but it does hold claim to the largest planted grape acreage and most wineries of all the AVAs in Washington (of which there is 20 total). Having only one day to spend in the area on a recent road trip, I had to be strategic about where to visit. Perhaps it was that Kathy, the founder of Cote Bonneville was a physical therapist (my career background), or that her husband was an avid cyclist (one of my favourite activities), or that their daughter, the current winemaker, runs an all-female team. Yes, they own a world-class vineyard, but there was an instant connection besides the opportunity to taste some really good wine. There is a lot of fantastic wine produced in Yakima, but like all wine, Cote Bonneville has a story, one that resonated with me.
The Yakima Valley has a lot of similarities to the southern Okanagan Valley. Starting at the outskirts of Yakima and extending south and east for approximately 80 km, it boasts vast fruit orchards, predominantly apples and cherries. Yakima also grows 75% of North America’s hops, both for exporting and supplying the many local craft breweries. Geographically, it mirrors the southern part of the Okanagan with slope-side irrigation-fed green patches surrounded by desert hills. The primary soil type in both regions is loam or sandy soil, with vineyard-specific differences. The Okanagan River in BC is a tributary of the Columbia River, as is the Yakima River. They are both continental climates and have significant diurnal temperature changes, with the daytime temperatures hovering in the 30s during peak summer months.
Hugh and Kathy Shiels moved to Sunnyside, Washington in 1976, but it was not until 1991 that they purchased property that was to become the DuBrul vineyard. They planted it in 1992, and from there, things literally grew. Hugh was an orthopedic surgeon, his office located in what was originally the town train station and is currently the Cote Bonneville tasting room. Kathy raised three children in addition to helping out in the medical office and providing physical therapy in the school system. Kerry received her engineering degree and went off to explore the world. Her mom as her mentor, Kerry was always a trailblazer, with her first job working for Fiat in Italy. “I have always liked to make and build things. I made my first wine when I was in grade seven. It wasn’t very good, but it was wine. Now I make good wine”, she confidently remarks. After a few career moves with her engineering degree, she changed gears and attended UC Davis, receiving her degree in wine. She worked in vineyards in Argentina, California and Australia before returning to Washington and becoming the head winemaker at Cote Bonneville in 2009 when Stan Clark, the founding winemaker, passed away.
Kerry laughs as she recalls the story of how the actual winery began. Despite insisting otherwise, the Shiels noticed what other winemakers were doing with the grapes they sold. They called a family meeting and to no one’s surprise, made the big announcement that they were opening their own winery. In addition to hiring Stan, they also brought on a winemaking consultant, Coman Dinn, who still plays an active role as a mentor and colleague. Co is an incredibly knowledgeable advocate of the region when he is not busy making his own wine under his Co Dinn Cellars label with purchased grapes from the quality growers he knows so well. The industry as a whole is collaborative, “one big community”, Co and Kerry agreed. “We want each other to succeed.”
Despite the 38-degree temperature, we jumped at the opportunity to walk through the vines at their world-class designated DuBrul vineyards, a 45-acre parcel of land on a steep rocky hillside. “They knew it was good, they just didn’t know how good”, Kerry explains when questioned if her parents knew the potential of the land when they bought it. Different varietals are grown on each slope with varying elevations and aspects. The Riesling comes from the oldest part of the vineyard and is a wine she is particularly proud of. “People remember Black Tower. Then they were told to stop drinking sweet Riesling. I wanted to make more of an Spatlese style and let people know it’s ok to drink a sweeter Riesling”. We continued our journey up the dusty trail to the peak of the hill where we could survey the vines and the heart of the irrigation control. “My Dad still comes up here every day himself and turns on the taps manually”, Kerry proudly shares. “He knows the grapes, our business is just so hands-on”.
Other than her Dad Hugh and some of the field crew, the rest of the team is all female. “Women are more careful, they are more perfectionist and aware” she explains. “Growing up, I loved making things. Then I loved making wine because wine makes people happy and I could make people happy. But now I found out I am an inspiration to females. And that is big, and that is what I want my legacy to be. If I can help other women pursue what they want to accomplish, that blows my mind. I didn’t know that what I do would have that effect.”
Back in the air-conditioned tasting room, we tasted through the lineup of both Cote Bonneville and Co Dinn Cellars wine. The wines were all delicious, but what made them memorable were the makers who poured them and their personal stories. We left with a few bottles to not just drink at home, but to rekindle those memories. After all, that is what wine is, a story in a glass, just waiting to be shared. Cheers!
Post note: Kathy Shiels passed away after a lengthy illness earlier this year. Kerry and Hugh continue to grow grapes and make wine in her honour. Kerry strives to be a mentor to other young women as her mother was to her.