Columbia Winery has been working with Alder Ridge since the vineyard was planted in 1997. This site, one of the most significant and extensive in Washington state, overlooks the Columbia River. The location along the river tempers the climate so it tends to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter—a dream location for producing high quality grapes.

According to Winemaker David Lake, what makes Alder Ridge such a special vineyard site is its location and varied topography. Within the vineyard there are a large number of small blocks that lie on different slopes and on different terrain. The vineyards range from 75 feet above the river to virtually the top of the ridge—close to 1000 feet. Instead of being just one long expanse of vineyard, Alder Ridge has a great deal of variation, which offers the winemaker a variety of lots from which to choose.

The vineyard also has good air drainage, excellent exposure to the sun and volcanic soils that are perfect for producing grapes with intense fruit flavors. Columbia Winery sources red grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec from Alder Ridge.

Recognizing the vineyard’s importance and tremendous grape quality, David Lake – who is known for his experimentation with new varietals – set out to produce a vineyard-designate Zinfandel and Barbera from this site to be part of the award winning David Lake Signature Series of wines. With the release of the 2001 vintage, Alder Ridge joins the long-established Eastern Washington vineyards of Red Willow, Otis, Wyckoff and Sagemoor as part of this exclusive vineyard-designate program.

The Columbia Winery Alder Ridge Zinfandel and Barbera were planted in 1999 on a bluff that lies just above the broad expanse of the Columbia River. David Lake was curious to see how these Mediterranean varietals would grow in Washington state. So he began to experiment at Alder Ridge knowing that the sheltered riverside location helps keep the plot the warmest in the vineyard—offering the best growing conditions for these heat-loving grape varieties.

2001 marked the first small vintage for these varietals, making Columbia Winery among the first to produce Zinfandel and Barbera in Washington state. And David Lake believes he’s achieved his goal of making an original Washington wine with these varietals. Both the Zinfandel and Barbera are full-bodied, substantial wines with good underlying natural acidity.

The labels for the David Lake Signature Alder Ridge Vineyard wines have an icon depicting the magnificent Chukar Partridge, often seen amongst the vines, and on the steep, rocky hillsides that surround them.