Roots of Hedges

Hedges is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year!

Tom and Anne-Marie started their journey in wine back in 1987, now overseeing the business while their children Sarah and Christophe handle current operations from international sales to winemaking. As they welcome new members of the Hedges staff, including our vineyard manager who lives on the estate with his family, the ecosystem of Hedges evolves.

Scroll down memory lane to see how it all started, the path to where we are now, and our mission for the land.

It was Tom Hedges’ contact in the produce export market that “planted the seeds” for Hedges Cellars. Tom was asked to produce a Washington State table wine for sale in Sweden.

The year was 1989. Tom begins a conversation with his class of ‘69 buddy Fred Artz at their Richland high school reunion. Something in common: Wine! Fred was developing vineyards on a place called Red Mountain: a small, obscure hillside in Benton City, Washington. Many beers later, it was decided to meet the next morning on that dusty hillside, where locals had planted a few vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Fred pointed to a 50-acre lot for sale and said, “I think you ought to buy this one; great soils and slope, a site which should be perfect for red grapes. And I’ll plant it and farm it for you”.

With a leap of faith, and excitement about the possibilities other respected winemakers had mentioned, the deal was done, the future began for Tom and Anne-Marie’s newest wine adventure.

Anne-Marie, being from France, had always believed that terroir, the land, came first. Winemaking space could be contracted, and was for those first few years. But the industry was on a tear, and sales were incredible. It was time to build the dream winery! Mostly drawn on the proverbial cocktail napkin over many glasses of wine, (sans architects!), earthmovers hit the ground early in 1995, the tilt-up concrete walls were poured, and voila, the European concept of vineyard, winery, and even home above the winery, was reality. A slice of French Grand Cru on the wild western slopes of Benton City, Washington. But of course!