For
Terry Flanagan, owner of Ryan Patrick Vineyards, growing grapes and producing
wine was a dream just waiting to be realized. Flanagan grew up working
on his father's farm located near the small rural community of Quincy,
Washington. After a long business career working at other endeavors out
of the country, the appeal of returning to the farm to grow grapes and
make wine became overwhelming. Perhaps the old saying, "you can take
the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the
boy," is true after all.
During his business career, Flanagan worked for
a European company where he was exposed to European wines. A love for
fine wines evolved into a desire to get involve in the industry. As the
wine culture in California, and more recently Washington State, gained
momentum, he felt the time was right.
Flanagan returned to Eastern Washington full-time upon retirement in 1996.
He implemented the first phase of his plan by selecting the ideal location
for his family's future
vineyard. "We wanted the best location we could find to assure the
successful growth of top quality grapes. We also needed to minimize the
risk of freeze damage while maintaining the capability to ripen Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot grapes," explained Flanagan.
Ryan Patrick Vineyards houses three distinctly separate estate vineyards,
each divided into 20-acre parcels. The Bishop's Vineyard was planted in
1996 and is located on a peninsula on the banks of the Columbia River
with vertical basalt cliffs rising several hundred feet immediately to
the east. The Homestead Vineyard was planted next in 1998 on a portion
of the original Flanagan family homestead. The newest vineyard, Vivian's
Vineyard, is located near Trinidad on southern slopes overlooking the
Columbia Gorge.
Ryan
Patrick Vineyards provide grapes for several well-known wineries as well
as being the primary source for Ryan Patrick wines.
Ryan Patrick Vineyards produce two wines, a Chardonnay
and a Red Blend. Each wine reflects the terroir of individual vineyards
and the meticulous attention paid to each individual plant. The Chardonnay
is made from 100% estate grown grapes split evenly between Bishop's Vineyard
and Homestead Vineyard. The Red Blend is a traditional Bordeaux blend
of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
"From the beginning, our goal was to produce limited quantities of
reserve quality wines," explains Flanagan. "Volume was never
a priority." Ryan Patrick vintners select only the most promising
grapes from which to produce their wines. This sentiment is carried throughout
the entire winemaking process. Traditional winemaking principles are paired
with only the finest fruit. The result is wines that are balanced, well
integrated and fruit forward. They can be enjoyed immediately or cellared
for additional depth and complexity.
Ryan Patrick wines are the embodiment of a dream woven into years of dedication
and hard work. Terry Flanagan initiated this "path" but is directly
influenced by the support of his family. Vivian, his wife of over thirty
years helps coordinate administrative aspects of the business while Flanagan's
two sons- Ryan and Patrick, served as the inspiration for the company's
name. Both sons work within the wine industry- one as an apprentice cellar
master, the other as a Contract Administrator.
The Vineyards
Ryan Patrick Vineyards has three distinctly
separate estate vineyards.The vineyards provide grapes for several well-known
wineries as well as being the primary source for Ryan Patrick's own wines.
The
Bishop's Vineyard
This is the oldest of our vineyards, established in 1996. It is located
on a peninsula extending on the banks of the Columbia River. Immediately
to the east are vertical basalt cliffs rising several hundred feet.
The terroir of this twenty-acre vineyard is very unique. It has the marine
influence of the river as well as the heat retentive and radiative effects
of the basalt cliffs. The soils are a combination of rocky knolls and
deep loam. It presents real challenges from a viticulture standpoint,
however the result is an excellent site for growing premium wine grapes. The
Homestead Vineyard
This is our second vineyard and was established in 1998. It is a twenty-acre
site and is located adjacent to Highway Twenty-Eight, two and a half miles
west of Quincy. We can call this the "Homestead" vineyard as
it is planted on a portion of the original homestead taken out of sagebrush
by my father and I in 1950 when water came to the Columbia Basin Project.
This is one of the very first wine grape vineyards in the area and is
proving to be an excellent site for Chardonnay as well as other white
vaietals planned for the future. We anticipate full production in 2002.
Vivian's
Vineyard
This, our newest vineyard, is located near Trinidad on southern slopes
overlooking the Columbia Gorge. Known as "Vivian's Vineyard,"
it is planted in the European style, (3-foot spacing,) and will be cane
pruned. This style makes each vine struggle for soil nutrients and water,
thereby minimizing canopy growth. Plants focus all of their energy in
producing the fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Barbera and Nebbiolo
grapes will be harvested for the first time in 2002.
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For
Terry Flanagan, owner of Ryan Patrick Vineyards, growing grapes and producing
wine was a dream just waiting to be realized. Flanagan grew up working
on his father's farm located near the small rural community of Quincy,
Washington. After a long business career working at other endeavors out
of the country, the appeal of returning to the farm to grow grapes and
make wine became overwhelming. Perhaps the old saying, "you can take
the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the
boy," is true after all.
future
vineyard. "We wanted the best location we could find to assure the
successful growth of top quality grapes. We also needed to minimize the
risk of freeze damage while maintaining the capability to ripen Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot grapes," explained Flanagan.
Ryan
Patrick Vineyards provide grapes for several well-known wineries as well
as being the primary source for Ryan Patrick wines.
The
Bishop's Vineyard 
The
Homestead Vineyard 
