Hinzerling Vineyards -- MikeL's Guide to WA Wineries

MikeL's Guide to WA Wineries Hinzerling Vineyards 1520 Sheridan Ave., Prosser, WA 99350 Phone: 509-786-2163, 800-727-6702

[Label source: Beth Schoenberg]

Tours: If not too busy
Tasting room: 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun; same in winter, but call ahead
Official website: http://hinzerling.com/
email: click to email (winery)
BW-WA-64; bonded 1976
Owners: The Wallace family

Click here for map/directions.

YVWGA member winery
Page last updated: 19-Mar-2005, Page generated: 11-Sep-2005


Winery	Dry Gewurtz- traminer label	Angelica label	1978 Cabernet Sauvignon label	1990 Wallace port label	1980 Blanc de Blanc label


1983 "Prosser Falls" label	Ashfall Blush label	1980 Merlot label	1981 Ashfall White label	1982 Chardonnay label


Three Muses Ruby Port label	Rouge label

Newsletters: Mar 05, Oct 04, Aug 04, May 04 (another), May 04, Apr 04 (another), Apr 04, Mar 04, Jan 04, Sep 03 (another), Sep 03, Aug 03, Jul 03, May 03 (and another), May 03 (another), May 03, Apr 03 (another), Apr 03, Mar 03, Feb 03, Nov 02, Sep 02 (another), Sep 02, Jul 02 (another), Jul 02, May 02, Spring 02, Mar 02, Feb 02, Jan 02, Sep 01, 20-Aug 01, 02-Aug 01, May 01, Mar 01, Feb 00, Fall 99, Summer 99, Winter 98, Sep. 98, Summer 98, Summer 97.

Production: (1989) 3k cases, (1986) 2.5k cases, (1980) 8k cases [sic], (1976) 1k-2k cases
Vineyards: no

History:
Hinzerling Vineyards (pronounced hyn zur ling) planted 23 acres of vinifera in an old asparagus field in 1971. The grapes' first winter was a nasty one, and all but 6 acres were killed by the cold. Mike Wallace, a graduate in Biology from Western WA Univ., got the wine bug while on military assignment near Napa Valley, then he did some graduate work at U.C. Davis in enology, and worked for a time at Simi in Healdsburg. The first commercial crush was in 1976 with a homemade basket press (made by the work crew) and bulk milk coolers for storage. In 1986, they had 30 acres of vineyards.

In 1988 the winery was sold to Californian, Don Allen, whose brother-in-law Bill Broich (formerly of Idaho's St. Chapelle winery), took over as winemaker. Apparently, after a few years and some legal troubles, the winery was returned to Mike upon Allen's failure to pay the bills, though not the vineyard. Fortunately, Mike has managed to restore the winery's quality, and has regained it's former stature.

20 years later, Hinzerling winery is still known for it's dedicated followers; each year Wallace's customers drive out to the winery for work parties to pick, crush, and bottle many of the wines. It is truly the "family and friends" operation Mike had intended it to be (Harvest Party 1997).

In 2001, they've moved a vintage 1920's home that was scheduled for demolition in Prosser to the property adjacent the winery. This is now the Vintner's Inn Bed & Breakfast. They also serve excellent wine country dinners.

Dee Wallace, founding member of the winery and WA wine industry pioneer has died at age 83 (2002).
Sources: [WTl-Stockley] [TW-Purser] [WWAN-Meredith] [AWN-Clark]

Winemakers:
Mike Wallace1976-1988, 1990(?)-present
Bill Broich1988-1990(?)

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