Colvin Vineyards
Colvin Vineyards |
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Colvin Vineyards is truly a family business. Mark's
wife, JoAnne, is the winery co-founder. She assists with the organization
of the winery and provides inspiration and experience. Their daughter
Katherine, 11, has the title of "Creative Consultant" for discovering
the rock that became the winery's logo.
During the brutally hot summer of 1998, as Mark lay in a hammock recovering from a tortuous day in the vineyard, the Colvins' then seven-year old daughter Katherine said, "Daddy, look at this neat rock I found." As Mark held the rock in his hands and turned it over, there, to his amazement, was the logo. A golf-ball-sized piece had calved off of this rock and exposed an intricate pattern which is now our logo. In honor of her discovery, Katherine now holds the title of "Creative Consultant" for the winery, and Mark rewards her with a dollar commission each time he tells someone the story of The Rock. How the Winery Came to Be Part One: Colorado Vowing to find out more about wine, he spent the next ten years learning as much as he could from books. As he did so, he became more and more convinced that he wanted to be a winemaker. He also knew that he and his family would have to relocate, since Steamboat Springs, Colorado isn't exactly wine country. The Colvins began to research suitable places for their winery. They briefly considered Napa Valley, where JoAnne had been born and raised. Then, in 1987, Mark read about the Walla Walla Valley and drove there to talk with one of the first winemakers. He returned to Colorado convinced that the Walla Walla Valley was the right place. In 1993, the Colvin family moved from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to Walla Walla, Washington. Part Two: Walla Walla After a few amateur vintages, Colvin Vineyards was ready for their first commercial crush. In 1999, Ron Coleman of Tamarack Cellars graciously offered the use of his facility to crush their meager thirteen tons of Syrah and Merlot. This first vintage with Ron honed Mark's skills as a winemaker, and provided the confidence to proceed with more ambitious plans. Colvin Vineyards crushed their 2000 vintage at Mill Creek Cellars, and, with two vintages under their belt, began making plans with Henderson Orchard's guidance to build the winery Mark designed so long ago. The log winery they had always dreamed of became a reality. In 2001, at their newly completed facility, Colvin Vineyards crushed seventy tons of fruit comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah . They say chemists make great cooks. And certainly Mark's pharmaceutical and scientific side is fascinated by the amazing number of different flavors and aromas provided by the components found in a single bottle of wine. As a winemaker, he derives great pleasure out of both the mystery of great wine and also the science of winemaking, combining both in his efforts to produce fine vintages. Reviews for Colvin Wines from Wine Press NW 2000 Merlot 2000 Syrah SOLD OUT 2000 Cabernet Franc 2000 Walla Walla Red SOLD OUT Awards for Colvin Wines Double Gold Gold Silver Bronze |
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Colvin Pioneers Carmenere Grape To broaden the genetic diversity of grapes in this region, we have been carefully selecting specific clones we feel will thrive in the Walla Walla Valley. We believe that introducing new grape clones to the valley will increase the complexity of our wines. An example of our dedication to varietal diversity can be found in our introduction of the Carmenere, or Grand Vidure grape, to the Walla Walla Valley. Hundreds of years ago, it was well-known as a terrific blending grape. For years, winemaker Mark Colvin had been looking for this Bordeaux varietal, thought to be extinct following the in the mid-1800s destruction of French vineyards by phylloxera. Seven years ago, however, the grape was rediscovered in Chile. Mark had been searching for it for ten years, and finally tracked plants down in California. Colvin Vineyards is a pioneer in planting Carmenere grapes in the Walla Walla Valley. |
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Colvin
Vineyards is the
dream of owner and winemaker Mark Colvin. He designed the blueprint for
the structure on paper when the Colvin family was still living in Steamboat
Springs, Colorado, and the winery was still just a distant dream.
About the Logo
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