Over the last few weeks, I’ve been checking out wines from Washington’s Columbia Valley, trying to catch up on the latest developments within this vast AVA. By coincidence or luck, a message arrived noting that Rob Griffin, one of the region’s pioneering winemakers, has been at it since 1977, 46 vintages and still counting. Like all winery PR releases, this was a gentle nudge for attention. But it alerted me to the fact that if anyone knows the ins and outs regarding the best vineyard sites and how to make the finest Columbia Valley wines today, Rob would be the person.
He was making wines at Preston several years before Leonetti, Quilceda Creek, or L’Ecole #41 — three wineries often mentioned as pioneering wineries. His own winery, Barnard Griffin, was founded in 1983 by Rob and his wife, Deborah Barnard. By all accounts, theirs must be the oldest family-owned winery still in business today.
Looking back at the big picture of Washington State wine history, it was only in 1974 when Chateau Ste. Michelle was re-born as a major winery after it was purchased by the US Tobacco Company. In fact, Rob once remarked it was a Ste, Michelle back label pointing out that Washington — like the Bordeaux region — is at the 45 parallel that spurred his interest in the region.
Today, Washington State is home to over 800 wineries, and over 90% of them are small and family owned. But its production is dominated by big corporate names like Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, and Hogue, which is now part of the Gallo portfolio. In many places, supermarket shelves are overflowing with mass produced Columbia Valley wines. But what Rob Griffin’s story reminded me was that it is often small family wineries that take the initial risks, struggle to survive, and set high standards even more than the subsequent cult wine rockstars.
The second part of the PR message pointed out that the second generation at Barnard Griffin is taking on a major role. Sure enough, the back label of the 2020 Syrah identifies Rob and Deborah’s daughter, “Megan Hughes, 2nd generation winemaker.” After graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology from Washington State University, she returned to the family winery, and has been in charge of Barnard Griffin’s white wine production.
While rockstar winemakers are often overnight sensations, pioneers take the long route. Rob grew up in Napa where his uncle had a vineyard in Oakville, graduated from UC Davis, and briefly worked in Sonoma at Buena Vista. In 1976, when Napa Valley was the proverbial beehive of activity and about to freak out over the Judgment of Paris, he was being interviewed and hired by newcomer Preston Vineyards in Pasco Washington to launch the winery. The only other winery east of the Cascades was Hinzerling, which opened in 1976.
Some of his UC Davis professors tried to talk him out of going into such an unknown viticultural world, where the winters are cold and the summers are dry. However, being the head winemaker was a great way to enhance the resume. It was not an easy decision Griffin once noted: “I moved up here on my own nickel on a salary that I could barely afford to rent an apartment in Kennewick.”
But, he added, "I was anxious to be captain of the ship, the winemaker," he says. "I figured I’d invest a year or two, get my name on the marquee, and come back to California in a blaze of glory. And here I am all these years later, living a mile and a half from where I started!"
Well, we caught up with Rob and Megan recently and asked a few questions. Here are their thoughts and insights:
Q. (Norm Roby): What was the very first wine made and why did you choose it? And do you have a signature wine today?
(Rob): First wines made in 1983 were Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc (Fumé), and Riesling.
Difficult to anoint a signature wine, varies a bit by vintage. For consistency across 40 vintages, I’d say Chardonnay.
Q: How has your winemaking style changed over the 45 vintages? What influenced those changes the most: the consumer market, the climate and vintages, your personal preferences?
Rob: Winemaking is a bit of an evolutionary process, and I think the biggest single change has been a collective understanding and improvement in grape quality which obviously leads to better wine. Climate change has driven us to a riper style in most varieties, and today’s challenge is balancing fruit, acid, and alcohol. I chose Washington in 1977 because of a perception that this climate would produce wines of a more European balance; lively and tart on the attack with balance in the finish. The Washington climate also favors an amazing intensity of fruit or varietal character. My personal preferences are for clean, crisp, varietally correct wines that are unencumbered by excessive oak.
Q: From your experience in the Columbia Valley, what are the most important viticultural changes for improved wine quality that you’ve applied to your own vineyard? And what was or still is the biggest issue working with independent growers?
Rob: I arrived in Washington in 1977, at that time, if one was to characterize an “average” grower, it was a farmer with experience in tree fruit and Concord grape production. There was a collective period of “unlearning” growing techniques which can be described simplistically as over-watering and over-fertilizing. Once we understood the need to moderate these inputs and to lower target crop expectations, quality really began to express itself. There was a predictable backlash, and some growers suffered by underwatering and restricting canopies excessively. I think the key issue in working with independent growers is to communicate sustainable crop load and quality expectations. Smaller growers we need to be especially vigilant in the vineyard, identifying and solving problems before they become major issues.
Q: You make them all, from Albariño to Syrah, but which one is the most challenging and the most rewarding?
Rob: Speaking alphabetically it’s Albariño to Tempranillo these days. I think one of the more challenging varieties can be Cabernet Franc. It has an inborn tendency to over-produce and to have excessively herbaceous [pyrazine] character. The challenge is to lower the crop potential to just the right point so the aromatic character is fruit driven and the midpalate, rich and dense. The most rewarding wines are often among the best behaved both in the vineyard and at fermentation. My preferred analogy (outdated to be sure in the digital world) is with photography. Lots of work in the darkroom can produce stunning results but the best images are made “through the lens.” A lot of cellar manipulation can make the ordinary very much better, but the best wines require the least intervention.
Q: As a family-owned winery, how has the market changed and how have you adapted to those changes? What advice do you have for a family thinking about starting a winery in 2023?
Rob: We started our winery in 1983. At that time (I’m told), there were more wholesalers in the country than wineries and (regionally at least), and there was a lively interest and demand for new producers with an authentic story. Wineries were still “places,” and wine was made by individuals. More recently, wineries have become “labels” and depersonalized. Massive consolidation of retailers and wholesalers has severely limited access to the market by the small and unconnected. We were fortunate to establish ourselves in the wholesale trade in the 80’s, but need constant “reinvention” to stay relevant. The second generation will need to be vigilant! I would advise a family thinking of starting a winery to do so only if they have a realistic business plan focused on direct to consumer retail sales and a deep knowledge of the day-to-day realities of winemaking, grape growing, and marketing. We started with virtually no financing beyond pocket change and deep relationships in a very small industry. Love of the grape isn’t likely to be enough to overcome today’s problems.
Q. If you had to choose one, what is the best wine coming from these AVAS and single vineyards?
Rob: I’ll start with the disclaimer that I’m very leery of absolutes and “bests.” There is more regional similarity in Washington than we care to admit. In many cases AVA’s have devolved into neighborhood improvement associations with minimal science behind them. Soils differ subtly, most being deposited by the Missoula flood. There are obviously exceptions, but in general, growing practices trump sites IMHO.
For Megan:
Q: What are the key winemaking techniques/lessons you learned from your Dad? And what are you doing differently in the cellar?
Megan: I chose a quick path back to the winery after graduating from Washington State University to get as many years working with my Dad as possible. I wanted to know his “house” style, and with more Washington vintages under his belt than anyone, I figured he would be the perfect mentor. The key lesson he shared is to pay attention to climate and not so much weather. He taught me it’s the long game that matters, so set yourself up and don’t worry too much about the quick changes. Over a lifetime, he has taught me this is more a relationship business, and that fairness, honesty and loyalty matter.
Q: I read that you are currently focusing on white wines and have made an Albarino and a Semillon. Where does Chardonnay fit in your future and which whites are the best for your winery over the next decade and for the Columbia Valley going forward?
Megan: Yes, I have been focusing on the white wine program here, although we are a small facility and it’s easy to have your hand in everything. Chardonnay is a huge part of our program and was the long-standing engine that pulled the train. We ferment about 75% of our Chardonnay in neutral oak, which is very labor-intensive, but gives a nice roundness with the added lees contact. What’s best? That is hard to say, we have had great success with Albariño, and I am loving what it can do in Washington. I also think Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc will see growth (although they are already large parts of the Washington program). Washington has so many unique places to plant grapes that it is hard to say that, just because a variety that can’t do well where I am currently farming, it won’t do great someplace else. Exploration is key.
Q: Among red wines, are you exploring new cellar techniques or fine tuning approaches for Cabernet and Merlot, and are there other red varieties (Rhônes, Italians, whatever) that are of particular interest to you?
Megan: We are always exploring and trialing new techniques, almost nothing is the same from my first years here. Winemaking is obviously very traditional, but there is still room for play and searching for perfection. The major difference is how much gentler we can be with the fruit. We have completely eliminated several points of mechanical intervention, feeling this allows a gentler touch and results in less extracted wines.
Q: You now have wine in cans, but for trends, what are you learning from your wine club members, and what changes in focus do you see for the winery and for Columbia Valley?
Megan: It is no shock to anyone that wine needs to be approachable to the younger consumer. When I look at trends, the main thing I am seeing is not a stylistic trend, but a trend to be more in touch with where our consumable products come from. We are a real family, making real wine, in a very real and small part of the world. We treat the land and our people well, and much in the same way that you would care about where your meat or produce comes from, you should also care about where your wine comes from.
Q: Which group do you view as the most important to promote the winery: Print reviewers, bloggers, influencers on social media, or wine competitions / wine events?
Megan: If I knew that answer, I would get a lot more sleep. All I can do is make the best wine I possibly can, and hope people notice and care. We consistently submit our Rosé of Sangiovese to the largest competition (domestic) and do quite well. I buy wine by personal recommendations or the recommendation of a wine steward. The goal of making wine for any drinker at a price point that is easy to try, puts me in a place to hopefully earn the recommendation of those who try it.