The Rocks District

“The most distinctive AVA in the United States….making some of the greatest wines in America.”

- Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator

“This incredible terroir produces an exotic, perfumed, and textured style of wine that’s one of the most unique - and identifiable – in the world”

- Jeb Dunnuck

The Rocks District of Milton Freewater, located in Umatilla County, Oregon and nestled within the Walla Walla Valley AVA, is one of the most distinctive grape growing regions in the world. Defined by the Freewater soil series, the earth is replete with basalt cobbles and alluvial sediments washed down from the Blue Mountains via the Walla Walla River over the millennia. These cobbles capture heat during the day, yielding a distinctive and unique wine profile, regardless of variety. This stony ground makes the vines struggle immensely, adding further concentration and depth to the wines. The rocks make for very challenging farming conditions, and the hardy farmers and vineyard workers of the region deserve special recognition for their fortitude.