Dineen Vineyards is located in the Rattlesnake Hills sub-AVA of the Yakima Valley AVA just north of the town of Zillah, Washington. We are in a unique hill-top area that is especially well suited for growing premium wine grapes as well as offering far-reaching views of the valley, and Mount Adams and Mount Rainier in the distance. Dineen Vineyards began planting in the spring of 2001 and continues to upgrade and change according to the needs of winemakers and wine consumers. We currently have two vineyards with a total of 75 acres under vine of which 63 acres are at The Winery Block. Growing Philosophy and Vineyard Practices: Our mission is simple – growing exceptional wine grapes that meet and exceed the requirements for our Estate Vintage wines and of our fruit buyers. We work to accommodate the specific criteria of the unique fruit buyer within acceptable viticulture practices. The majority of the work at Dineen Vineyards, from planting to harvest, is done by hand and the grapes are treated gently on the way to the bottle. The handwork, such as shoot thinning and leaf removal, in the vineyard helps prevent disease and eases training of the plants by allowing close observation as they grow. It ensures that the growing berries receive enough sun to ripen fully. We compliment these practices with judicial use of mechanization to control cost while maintaining quality. Yields are kept low, at roughly 3-4 tons per acre by natural processes attributed to low vigor soils as well as careful canopy management including water control, aggressive pruning, and shoot thinning. We practice sustainable viticulture with minimal use of non-organic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic compost is applied every other year to replenish nutrients that the vines consume in producing fruit. As the fruit approaches maturity, we supply our vintners with berry analysis which includes Brix (sugar content), pH, and TA (titratable acidity). Harvest decisions are mostly dictated by the vintner in coordination with our vineyard manager. Most of our fruit is hand-harvested and field sorted which keeps the wine quality high by culling poor clusters and vine debris. Machine Harvesting is available when requested by the vintner. The own-rooted vines at Dineen Vineyards tend to produce rich and deeply colored wines with soft and elegant tannins. We encourage grape buyers to visit the vineyard and welcome their input during the growing season so that the fruit will meet their specific goals.