Feast of the Arts

September 26

Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards

In 1980, Jeff and Vicki Gordon along with Jeff’s brother Bill decided to plant wine grapes on a sagebrush-covered slope overlooking the Snake River in southeastern Washington’s Columbia Valley. At that time there were only 19 wineries in Washington and less than 5,000 acres of wine grapes in production (today, there are over 475 wineries and 30,000+ acres of vineyards in the state). In 1985, Gordon Brothers released their first small lot of Chardonnay produced (139 cases) from their estate vines. Since then, the winery has grown in both production and world acclaim.

Gordon Brothers is a leader in the Washington winemaking boom. Crafting wines from an exceptional piece of land, the Gordon Brothers portfolio of estate wines has grown to include Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Late Harvest Gewürztraminer, Syrah, and their highly acclaimed flagship red blend, “Tradition.”

In addition to founding Gordon Brothers, Jeff was the first president of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. He was also instrumental in the development of Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology program. Currently Jeff proudly serves as chairman of the Washington Wine Commission. In 2001, Jeff and Vicki’s daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Marc Nelson (both WSU graduates), joined the family business. Katie manages marketing and brand development while Marc is learning the craft of managing the vineyards.

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Pasco, WA
Established in 1983
Annual production: 25,000 cases
www.gordonwines.com

• 2008 marks the 25th Anniversary for Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards 

• Maker’s of the “Best Syrah in the World” and the “Highest-Rated Syrah in North America” at the 2006 World Decanter Wine Awards in London, and voted “Best in Washington State” by Washington CEO Magazine 

• The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2001 Tradition, and the 2005 Chardonnay all awarded the 2007 Grand Awards of Excellence by the Seattle Wine Awards

Wine-By-CougarsWine-By-Cougars wine club has previously showcased Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards. All alumni, friends of WSU, and wine aficionados alike can enjoy hand-crafted superb wine delivered to your doorstep.

Did you know?

The Viticulture and Enology option for a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from WSU is the first program of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at http://winegrapes.wsu.edu. More »


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