Weinbau Vineyard

Weinbau is one of six vineyards managed by Sagemoor Vineyards. Located in the Wahluke Slope AVA, it is 12 miles east of Mattawa, WA with 460 acres of wine grapes. Weinbau has a view of the Rattlesnake Mountains to the south and the Saddle Mountains to the north. The land slopes gently south with elevation ranging from 710 to 950 feet. 

In 1981, Weinbau was planted to Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. Through experimentation and feedback from our winery partners, we altered Weinbau’s focus. In addition to the original Chardonnay vines, we have planted Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvedre, and Syrah. Incidentally, Weinbau has one of the largest Cabernet Franc plantings in the state.  

In 2009, Weinbau expanded by 100 acres. The expansion’s plantings use innovative row orientation and block layout to minimize direct afternoon sunlight, decrease sunburn potential, and coax more even ripening. 

Weinbau receives water from the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. Drip irrigation enables us to use Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI). With RDI and soil moisture monitoring, we are able to constantly fine tune and improve quality. 

Many individuals have been responsible for the success of Weinbau, but none as much as Vineyard Manager Miguel Rodriguez. Miguel started at Sagemoor as a teenager in 1979, and a few years later at the young age of 23 he began taking care of Weinbau. He raised his family on this land and has seen its acreage grow from 260 to the 460. Miguel’s love and understanding of the vineyard’s needs are evident by the fact that Weinbau’s original client list has grown to over 50 happy winemakers under his care.