Our terroir can be traced back to a catastrophic glacial flood that carved the landscape of eastern Washington and Oregon at the end of the last ice age. This glacial flood occurred when an ice dam holding back an inland ocean of water in present-day Montana burst. The resulting flow of water had more force than the entirety of all the modern-day rivers in the world combined. Waves reaching 1000 feet delivered massive water torrents and sediment to Monterrey, California.   

These Missoula Floods transferred sediment and rocks across most of the Northwest, reshaping the landscape forever.   The soils it redistributed were volcanic and thus younger than the soils underneath, creating the recipe for globally novel plant growing conditions.

A byproduct of the Missoula Floods created the Rocks District of Milton Freewater.   The boundary demarcations of the 3600 acres comprising the AVA were drawn around an ancient riverbed. The riverbed can is distinguished by its volcanic cobblestone surface.  Rather than simply a geographic boundary, the Rocks District is a geologic boundary, making it one of two in the world (and the only one in the US) comprising a single soil series. Basalt cobblestones hundreds of feet deep beneath layers of dusty loess comprise the “soil” within the AVA. Walking across the border of the AVA (within mere feet), you’ll find zero rocks visible.

This terroir exists nowhere else in the world. We recognized this tiny appellation’s unique opportunity to make world-class wines with unmistakable singularity.