Tulio Wine Dinner: Goose Ridge Estate Winery

We celebrate Washington Wine Month with Head Winemaker, Andrew Wilson, discussing this fourth generation, family owned and operated winery. Sip , savor, and learn in our intmiate private dining room, Solaio.

• Welcome Cocktails: featuring Monson Ranch Distillers 6 yr Rye Whiskey

• Course One: Goose Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2019

• Course Two: Goose Ridge Estate Cabernet 2019

• Course Three: Goose Ridge Vireo Red Blend 2019

• Course Four: Revelation Rose Bubbles NV

For four generations, the Monson family has been innovating and building a diversified agriculture business in Eastern Washington. What started with raising cattle in the early 1900s has grown into a fully operational ranch featuring estate wine grapes, apple and cherry orchards, as well as winemaking and now craft spirits from our Monson Ranch Distillery.

In spring of 1998, third generation Bill Monson channeled the family’s fearless entrepreneurial spirit into another new venture on a special piece of land, we now know as Goose Gap. Together, Arvid, second generation, and Bill planted 2,000 acres of estate vineyards, starting what is well-known today as Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards & Winery.

Arvid Monson decided to plant grapes on the sun-drenched hill adjacent to Red Mountain, he did so under the guidance of Dr. Walter Clore, considered by many to be the “father” of the Washington wine industry. Dr. Clore was impressed by our site’s gentle, south-facing slope and the growing area’s warm temperatures. We’ve always known our property was special and in 2021 our suspicions were confirmed when the TTB recognized its geology, soils and slope direction as clearly unique to this area, naming Goose Gap Washington’s 19th American Viticultural Area (AVA).

Our Head Winemaker, Andrew Wilson, brings 12+ years of experience working with a wide range of vineyard sites, varietals and wine styles at both large and small winemaking facilities to Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards.

In Walla Walla, Andrew worked under veteran Washington winemakers Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars and Gilles Nicault at Long Shadows Vintners. Andrew then became General Manager of Artifex Wine Company, where he worked with many premium boutique Walla Walla wineries again working on a wide variety of different wines and styles.

Andrew crafts Goose Ridge wines steps away from where the grapes are grown in a state-of-the-art winery. Andrew’s proximity to the vines is every winemaker’s dream. During the growing season, he works in partnership with a vineyard team tending select blocks for low yields, vine balance and optimal canopy exposure, then tastes the fruit daily during harvest before making the call to pick.Harvest is something like a candy store for Andrew, who is free to zero in on the best fruit for the family wines – three rows here, four rows there.

“Our winery is right in the vineyard, so we can react very quickly to bring the fruit precisely when it is ready.”

Andrew specializes in Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a focus on an opulent, concentrated style.

Host or Publisher Tulio Ristorante