Our Story

Located in the Walla Walla Valley, Cougar Crest Estate Winery and its two vineyards are owned and operated by David and Deborah Hansen. In 1999 Cougar Hills Vineyard was planted followed by Golden’s Legacy in 2000. Cougar Hills Vineyard is located in the southwest foothills of the Walla Walla Valley, Golden’s Legacy Vineyard can be found three miles east in a rich and rocky riverbed.

The original vineyard was established in the 1920’s by a physician, Dr. Golden. He made and sold wine for “medicinal purposes” during Prohibition. Since then the land had grown tomatoes, apples, and now has returned to growing wine grapes.

The move from growing grapes to making wine was a natural process for the Hansen’s, two people with a passion for wine and strong scientific backgrounds. In 2001 they established Cougar Crest Estate Winery at the Walla Walla airport. The first vintage consisted of 900 cases and earned countless awards.

The 2001 vintages of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon both won Gold Medal and Best of Class at the LA County Fair, the oldest and largest competition in the United States. The Cabernet Sauvignon earned ‘Best of Class’ and ‘Best of Show’ as the best Cabernet of the entire competition and went on to earn a “91” rating in Wine Spectator. The 2002 Syrah scored “94” in Wine Spectator and was in the Top 100 Wine in the World.

The Merlot, Cabernet, and Reserve wines have consistently earned “90” to “94” points in Wine Spectator, garnering new recognition with every vintage. Since 2001 Cougar Crest Estate Winery has produced award winning wines, continuing to please connoisseurs across the country.