The names given to Spring Valley Vineyard wines are a tribute to the family members who have succeeded in farming the same land where the vineyard and winery now flourish. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend is named for Frederick Corkrum, son to Uriah and father to Shari, who grew up in Spring Valley. Following the tradition of Uriah, Katherine, Frederick, and Nina Lee Corkrum, Shari Corkrum Derby and her husband Dean Derby continue to operate the wheat fields, vineyard, and winery. The hard work, traditional values, and deep family ties that have kept the ranch going for over 100 years are mirrored in Spring Valley Vineyard’s signature offerings.

Spring Valley Vineyard lies 12 miles northeast of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington and the Blue Mountains in the distance. The initial block of Merlot was planted in 1993 on a southern hillside facing southwest. The vines follow the north-south slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that when combined with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of the surrounding wheat fields. Great care is taken when caring for the vineyard. Every grape is tended by hand, including crop thinning, leaf pulling, and harvesting, as well as hand-burying individual canes to protect them during the winter in southeastern Washington.

The 2016 vintage experienced the best of both worlds with a hot spring and early summer. A cooler-than-normal end of the ripening season allowed the wines to have ripeness, yet maintain freshness and elegance. The early dry and warm spring, combined with cooler temperatures in August and September, slowed down ripening and resulted in the longest harvest on record in Washington State (August 15-November 15). Overall, 2016 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing wines with nicely resolved tannins and maturity.

Spring Valley Vineyard fruit is hand-picked, hand-sorted, and gently de-stemmed by gravity. During the 10-20 day fermentation, each tank is tasted daily until Spring Valley Vineyard Winemaker Serge Laville decides it is time to press using stainless steel cage basket presses. In keeping with Spring Valley tradition, originally instituted by founding winemaker Devin Corkrum Derby, hand punch-downs occur twice a day until the end of alcoholic fermentation. The wine is transferred by pump into barrels for secondary fermentation and gets racked several times for clarity. Finally, the different lots are blended to create our six distinctive labels. “The 2016 Frederick is a very complex wine with rich texture. This blend is layered with fruit, spice, and lingering tannins” says winemaker Serge Laville.