What happens when two wine-loving, native Washingtonians fall into the rabbit hole of wine? They move to the Yakima Valley and plant a vineyard, of course. At least for Scott and Denise Whitman, that’s how Whitman Hill Winery eventually came to be. But first there was a curiosity, a collection and a collaboration.
Scott and Denise, who were leading other careers at the time, fell in love with California wine in the 1990s. They collected different bottles from small producers around Napa Valley. But it wasn’t just the wine that attracted them; it was the “why” behind it. Why does this wine taste so good? Or sometimes, why was this wine ever bottled? As their collection grew, so too did their fascination with the makings of a quality wine. So in 2007, Scott started apprenticing at a winery in Walla Walla, Washington, working alongside the winemakers during harvest. After a few years learning the ropes, Scott and Denise, along with another couple, started their own brand called Coach House Cellars in Bellingham, Washington, sourcing fruit from Yakima Valley and Walla Walla.
While Scott and Denise enjoyed much success producing wines from the Bellingham winery, they were also learning a lot about what separated good wines from great wines: the grapes. So, in 2019 they sold their brand and began the search for property in Washington’s Yakima Valley, a pursuit that ultimately led them to the small town of Zillah and a 25-acre property they contracted in early 2020. And although 2020 was a tough year in general worldwide, the timing lined up for the Whitmans, who took the opportunity to focus all of their attention on rehabbing the land, planting vines and working the estate toward the quality viticulture they desired for their wines.
The new property in Zillah featured 9 acres planted to vine, but had also been farmed to various products for the previous 50-plus years, so the Whitmans immediately began implementing regenerative and sustainable farming practices to help bring about a natural restoration of the soils. And these soils of alluvial and sedimentary rocks, loam, sand and caliche, they knew, were ideal for their grape expectations. The site, owing to its elevation between 1,100 and 1,200 feet, also benefited from steady air flow, balanced sun exposure and a natural cool air drainage that would promote a long growing season and balanced ripening. They completed their first harvest that fall of 2020, marking the beginning of Whitman Hill — named for both their married name of Whitman and Denise’s fitting maiden name, Hill.
In 2021, the Whitmans continued planting new vines and also acquired and remodeled a tasting room down the road from the vineyard. And as the vineyard continued to expand, they also hired a permanent vineyard team and a small hospitality staff with whom they work closely. Work in the vineyard remained focused on sustainability and regenerative farming, but also reduced yields to concentrate the vines’ energy into fewer, but healthier, complex clusters with the goal of producing varietally expressive wines. The vineyard is Certified Sustainable and Salmon-Safe. Simultaneously, the tasting room team channeled their energy into wine education driven by passion and curiosity. Additional vines were planted in 2024-2025 for a total today of 35 acres, 23 of which are currently bearing fruit for the 2,500 to 3,500 cases of wine produced each year.
And as for those wines, the Whitmans have always focused primarily on the Bordeaux varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec, along with a few other international grapes, Syrah and Chardonnay. The winemaking philosophy for the Whitmans — aside from high-quality, concentrated wines that demonstrate unequivocal balance — is varietal typicity. They want their Cabernet Sauvignon to smell and taste like Cabernet Sauvignon, their Merlot to express like Merlot, and none of their wines to be drowned out by a blend, barrel or strong winemaking hand. Scott and Denise have spent years learning about the role of good viticulture in winemaking and, ultimately, they want that hard work, and the dedication of their vineyard crew, to be recognizable in the glass. They plant, farm, harvest and craft their wines with care. Watching people enjoy them, and make memories around them, is what brings it all back to their real “why,” their original “grape expectations”: wines expressive of grape, place and people. And for the Whitmans, that place is right here in Washington.
Family-owned and operated, Whitman Hill Winery sits among the vines in the Yakima Valley with an additional tasting room in Woodinville, Washington, just outside of Seattle. The estate tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday and offers both seated signature tastings as well as vineyard excursions, including a new vineyard walking tour at the estate property. The Woodinville tasting room offers weekend hours with both signature and elevated food pairing tastings.
