Abeja Winery's name is
pronounced 'ah-bay-ha,' ... the word is simple,
lyrical, and lovely, and is Spanish for "bee".
Its origin honors the immeasurable contributions
of Latino workers to the NW wine industry.
The bee also represents Abeja's respect for
the land and their desire to work in tandem
with nature.
Abeja is Ginger and Ken
Harrison, Winemaker John Abbott, and marketer
Molly Galt (John's partner). The winery is
located on a hundred year old farm east of
the town of Walla Walla, on rural Mill Creek
Road. Established as a winery and Bed and Breakfast
in 2000, the original estate was built between
1903 and 1907, and was restored 1997-today.
The Wines
Abeja's wines are made from
both purchased and estate-owned fruit. In early 2004, a ruinous freeze in eastern Washingon, where Abeja is located and sources its grapes, changed Abeja's plans. For the 2004 vintage, Abeja depended more
on purchased fruit from other areas. No Reserve Cabernet was made
in 2004. Yields were larger in 2005 and 2006, and
we expect to see more wine, and more made from Abeja's
estate vineyards, starting with the release of the
2005 and 2006 vintages (in 2008 and 2009).
Abeja's estate vineyards are
named Heather Hill (17 acres), and Mill Creek (15
acres). John plans on Cabernet Sauvignon being 85%
of production when the vineyards are fully in production,
with small amounts of Chardonnay and Viognier also
offered. An initial offering of 650 cases of the 2001 vintage were produced
from purchased fruit. The 2002 Cab was the first
made wth Heather Hill Vineyard fruit. The vineyard
is only 17 acres, so John will continue to work with
fruit from Sagemoor, Seven Hills, Minnick Hills,
Conner Lee, Kestral View Estates, and Celilo Vineyards.
John Abbott's ten years with
Canoe Ridge Vineyard and his deep knowledge of the
region's vineyards result in Abeja's access to the
best grapes available. John's partnership with Ken
Harrison adds financial stability and business accumen
to the mix.
John Abbott's interest in wine
began as many Oregon State students' has- through
the Sensory Lab at OSU. The lab conducts extensive
experiments on wine in a state-of0the-art testing
lab, and the facility uses students as volunteer
test subjects. John's involvement with the lab included
taking part in sensory evaluation experiments, in
the course of which he discovered that he has a natural
affinity for sensing flavors and aromas. Some of
the experiments he was involved with included the
first legal tests of cork taint in wine.
John's interest in wine led
to his transfer to the Enology program at Fresno
State, followed by jobs at Stags Leap and Acacia
Wineries in California. Applying to the Stimson Wine
Group, he moved to Washington, and after several
years and jobs, was offered the winemaking position
at Canoe Ridge.
During John's tenure at Canoe
Ridge Vineyard, he became known for his consistently
outstanding Merlots, Chardonnays, and Cabernet Sauvignons.
Amongst his peers, he is appreciated for his technical
expertise, infallible palate, and entertaining sense
of humor.
John Abbott made a name for
himself as winemaker at Canoe Ridge Vineyard, creating
a series of vintages of rich, well-crafted wines.
After ten years of hard work for corporate owner
The Chalone Group, John was ready for many winemakers'
dream- his own small winery, where he could make
small amounts of wine driven by his personal vision
of the perfect wine.
The next phase of John's winemaking career began
in the spring of 2002, when he left Canoe Ridge Vineyard
to get back in the cellar. Proud of the success of
Canoe Ridge, he was ready to begin again with a new
focus and a new approach. It was during this time
that John joined forces with his partner and friend,
Ken Harrison. They formed the unusual alliance of
Winery and Bed & Breakfast, Abeja, in 2002, and
have produced five vintages so far, to great fanfare
by wine press and wine lovers alike.
From the winery:
"In addition
to winemaking, our focus this past year and half
has been on a beautiful restoration of the winery,
once the mule barn for the old farm. It is an eclectic
mix of materials, styles and detail work. "
"Timbers from an old dry dock in Seaside gave
rise to the arbor in front. Recycled wood from the
bed of old rail cars was used to finish the floors
in the visitor and office areas.
Fabulous
iron work was made by an artisan in Portland. The
production area has taken its final form and all
of the special nuances that John has incorporated
into our winemaking practices are resulting in
wines of which we are extremely proud. We are deep
in the harvest of 2005 and while it is premature
to make a statement before all of the fruit is
in the door, it holds great promise."
Avalon Notes: There's no need for a decanter. The Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon 05 shows off its big aromas of black fruit, espresso, milk chocolate, graham, and violet
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The Abeja Chardonnay 2006 is loaded with bright, tree-ripened peach, nectarine, and lemon meringue. Candied peach and vanilla define a richness that is in perfect balance.
...read more
Wine Advocate 89 points: "The 2005 Merlot is dark ruby-colored with a nose of pain grille, cassis, and red currants. This is followed by a medium-bodied wine with flavors of spicy black cherry and
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This vintage of reserve brings together fruit from some of the state's oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines grown at Bacchus Vineyard with fruit from the younger, highly acclaimed, Seven Hills Vineyard in ...read more >>
