Barnard Griffin Winery in Touring and Tasting

The largest family-owned winery in Washington State, Barnard Griffin Winery resides in the Columbia Valley appellation of south-central Washington.

This region is now widely recognized as one of the finest grape-producing areas in the world. Thirty years ago, husband-and-wife team Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard saw the region’s potential and became instrumental in its rise to prominence.

“The Columbia Valley rests on the same northern latitude as France’s famous winegrowing regions,” observes Griffin. “I was convinced that great wines could be made here.” Against the advice of his professors at U.C. Davis, where he earned a degree in viticulture and enology, Griffin arrived in Washington in 1977 to become the first winemaker at Preston Winery. He quickly established himself as a talent to watch, winning Best of Show at the Northwest Wine Festival for his 1977 Chardonnay.

Rob and Deborah started the Barnard Griffin label in 1983, producing 400 cases of Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, and Riesling. While growing the business, Rob worked as winemaker for Hogue Cellars and consulted for other Washington producers. In 1996, Barnard Griffin Winery came into its own with completion of a winemaking facility and tasting room in Richland. A decade later, it was named Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest. The winery’s production today tops 70,000 cases annually, and Rob proudly holds the record as Washington’s longest running winemaker.

“With 500 wineries and over 30,000 acres of vineyards, the Washington wine industry has come far in the last 30 years,” Griffin says. “I feel honored to be part of the nation’s second-largest winegrowing state.”

The grapes for Barnard Griffin wines represent the cream of the crop from 14 growers throughout the Columbia Valley—most of them small, family-owned vineyards under long-term contracts to ensure continuity and quality. These grapes go into a wide range of wines, including Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and a variety of blends. The 2007 releases received over a dozen gold and silver medals from some of the country’s most prestigious wine competitions.

Barnard Griffin’s signature Tulip Label vintages receive distribution in stores and restaurants across the country, while Reserve Label wines are crafted in small quantities utilizing the best vineyard lots. Because the reserve wines have limited distribution outside the winery, the best place to sample them is the Richland tasting room, situated near the confluence of the Yakima, Columbia, and Snake rivers.

In addition to a fireplace where visitors linger over wine and conversation, the tasting room also features an assortment of imported and local cheeses, mustards, spreads, sauces, salamis, and crackers. For a visual feast, the adjoining art gallery highlights beautiful fused glass pieces by Deborah Barnard, as well as pottery and jewelry by other local artists.

Aficionados of Barnard Griffin wines who can’t often make it to the tasting room savor the best releases by joining the Wine Club. Club members receive two bottles of wine four times a year, including reserve, handcrafted, and new releases that showcase Rob Griffin’s winemaking artistry.