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Our Land
A Remarkable Place to Grow
Our vineyards are rooted in Goose Gap, a unique saddle of land in the Columbia Valley between Red Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills. When Arvid Monson first envisioned planting grapes here, he sought the guidance of Dr. Walter Clore, the pioneering horticulturist often called the father of Washington wine. Dr. Clore recognized what the Monson family saw in this landscape: extraordinary potential.
Today, Goose Ridge farms more than 2,200 acres of estate vineyards, creating the largest contiguous estate vineyard in Washington State. But acreage isn’t what makes this place remarkable. It’s the unique combination of soils, slopes, climate, and generations of thoughtful stewardship that give Goose Ridge wines a true sense of place.
Recognized for Its Distinction
The Monson family believed Goose Gap was unlike any other place to grow grapes long before it had a name on a wine label.
In 2021, that belief was confirmed when the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau established Goose Gap as Washington’s 19th American Viticultural Area (AVA). The designation recognized that Goose Gap’s geology, soils, elevation, and slope orientation are measurably different from the surrounding Columbia Valley and Yakima Valley growing regions.
An AVA is not an award. It is recognition that a place possesses characteristics capable of producing wines with a distinct identity. Goose Gap’s east-to-west ridge, cooler north- and northeast-facing slopes, and ancient windblown soils create growing conditions unlike those found in neighboring appellations. Rather than one uniform vineyard, Goose Ridge farms a collection of unique vineyard blocks, each contributing its own expression of this remarkable landscape.
Farming With the Future in Mind
The Monson family has always believed that great farming means thinking beyond the next harvest.
“You don’t farm for this generation. You farm for the next generation.”
That philosophy continues to guide every decision in the vineyard. Cover crops help build healthy soils and naturally manage pests, while owls, bats, hawks, falcons, coyotes, and other wildlife contribute to a balanced agricultural ecosystem.
Goose Ridge was also among the early vineyards certified through Sustainable WA, Washington’s third-party sustainability program for wine grapes. The certification reflects a philosophy the family has embraced for generations: care for the land, care for the people who work it, and make decisions that will benefit future generations.
Estate Grown from the Ground Up
Every Goose Ridge wine begins on our estate.
Because we farm our own vineyards, our farming and winemaking teams work side by side throughout the growing season, matching each variety to the part of the vineyard where it thrives and responding to the unique conditions of every vintage.
Sixteen grape varieties are grown across the estate, allowing each block to express the character of Goose Gap in its own way. Every bottle reflects a direct connection between the land, the people who farm it, and the wines we proudly share.
Goose Gap at a Glance
Established
2021, as Washington’s 19th AVA
Total Area
Approximately 8,129 acres
Vineyards at Establishment
More than 1,800 acres
What Makes It Different
An east-to-west ridge with plantable north and northeast-facing slopes, unlike the surrounding vineyard areas
Soil Composition
Deep, windblown soils layered over ancient flood sediments and fractured basalt
What It Means for the Grapes
More gradual ripening, varied vineyard exposures and distinctive expressions from individual blocks