Agate Field Vineyard

In this part of the Rattlesnake Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area), the wineries serve up a mixed bag when it comes to wine quality. If you’re hankering to visit a winery with a manmade pond or an oversized white windmill, by all means, seek it out. If, however, your palate desires premium wine, then I suggest that you check out Agate Field Vineyard. Seriously.

This is a winery rich in tradition, yet young in winemaking years. Founder Ben Rashford has been growing grapes on his 10-acre Zillah-based vineyard for more than 60 years. Yet it wasn’t until his wife, Ruth, suggested that they use some of the grapes to produce their own wine that Ben got the notion of Agate Field Vineyard wine. Fortunately, they decided to keep the venture in the family by turning to their daughter, Ginger, whose husband, Bob Radke, became their winemaker. Interestingly, Bob is a law enforcement officer with the Department of Agriculture by day, so WineTrail enthusiasts are advised not to be yanking any syrah plantings from the ground and making off with them.

Bob, Ginger, Ruth, and Ben often work the tasting room together, serving up elegant blends of estate cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot as well as syrah. But with small lot production, don’t be surprised if they are sold out of a vintage or two. The tasting room itself has a rustic, cowboy-Western feel, with a second-story deck overlooking the vineyards of Whiskey Canyon. Bring a picnic, uncork a bottle of Agate Field red, and enjoy the view. Inside, the spacious tasting room provides a comfortable environment, thanks in large part to the use of structurally insulated panels, which provide warmth during the winter, coolness in summer. It’s a relaxing space reflecting the friendly demeanor of Agate Field Vineyard’s familial staff.

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  Agate Field Vineyard was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Rattlesnake Hills WineTrail on page 296!