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Home / Winemakers / Watermill Winery

Our Story

The earth beneath our feet is often overlooked, but not at Watermill Winery. Basalt cobblestones deposited by the Walla Walla River form what we know today as the Rocks District AVA, and our winemaker knows as his backyard. Grapevines flourish in this unforgiving landscape. Their roots wind their way through the rocks, and down into the cracked basalt flows, in search of the ancient spring water deep below the surface, while their clusters of fruit absorb the warmth of the surface cobbles to hoard against the winter frosts.

At Watermill, these vines work together with people as tough and determined as they. The pioneering spirit of the people who came before us lives on in our community and the family that founded Watermill Winery. The Brown family traces its beginning in these basalt cobblestones from a 1950 marriage between a newly graduated entomologist and a family with local roots since Oregon entered the Union. Earl and Lorraine worked to help local farmers with pollination and pest issues while slowly building the Brown family farm. Fifty years later, those beginnings evolved into Watermill Winery, which brought in its first harvest in 2005.

Watermill Winery has always been made of more. We are a family and community of people brought together around common principles: that exceptional terroir leads to exceptional grapes, that winemaking techniques both cutting edge and ancient should serve the specifics of the vineyard, and that the extraordinary community of wine drinkers who love the essence of place in a wine makes our work worthwhile. The Rocks District is our guide as we search for other unique terroirs to add to our diverse tapestry of vineyards. The Watermill story is a forward movement with a deep love and devotion for what has grounded us from the beginning.

Winery Image or Video

Carving our own path

Watermill winemaking starts with being inspired by land. The hardscrabble basalt cobble of the Rocks District is the most unique and premium region of the Walla Walla Valley. The grapes we grow here set the standard for quality and character. You can trace each wine’s story from the cobblestones and dirt the vines grow out of, all the way through the hands who nourished it and crafted it, to the final pop of the cork and first sip.

Sustainable Black Dot Family-owned Black Dot Oregon

Our Story

The earth beneath our feet is often overlooked, but not at Watermill Winery. Basalt cobblestones deposited by the Walla Walla River form what we know today as the Rocks District AVA, and our winemaker knows as his backyard. Grapevines flourish in this unforgiving landscape. Their roots wind their way through the rocks, and down into the cracked basalt flows, in search of the ancient spring water deep below the surface, while their clusters of fruit absorb the warmth of the surface cobbles to hoard against the winter frosts.

At Watermill, these vines work together with people as tough and determined as they. The pioneering spirit of the people who came before us lives on in our community and the family that founded Watermill Winery. The Brown family traces its beginning in these basalt cobblestones from a 1950 marriage between a newly graduated entomologist and a family with local roots since Oregon entered the Union. Earl and Lorraine worked to help local farmers with pollination and pest issues while slowly building the Brown family farm. Fifty years later, those beginnings evolved into Watermill Winery, which brought in its first harvest in 2005.

Watermill Winery has always been made of more. We are a family and community of people brought together around common principles: that exceptional terroir leads to exceptional grapes, that winemaking techniques both cutting edge and ancient should serve the specifics of the vineyard, and that the extraordinary community of wine drinkers who love the essence of place in a wine makes our work worthwhile. The Rocks District is our guide as we search for other unique terroirs to add to our diverse tapestry of vineyards. The Watermill story is a forward movement with a deep love and devotion for what has grounded us from the beginning.

From the Winery

Watermill Winery winemaker, Andrew Brown, in the barrel room with a bottle of estate red wine next to him

The Brown family has been farming the Walla Walla Valley for over a century and today is lead by the winemaking talents of Andrew Brown.

Wine rows with sign of Watermill Estate Winery

Watermill is dedicated to growing the highest grapes using safe and sustainable farming methods, and the 140-acre vineyard produces a wide range of varietals.

Shop Watermill Winery

Limited Availability

Bottle of Watermill Winery 2018 Estate Merlot wine from southern Walla Walla Valley in Oregon
 
Watermill Winery

2018 Estate Merlot

$35.00
Red Blend Black Dot Oregon Black Dot Walla Walla Valley Black Dot
Bottle of Watermill Winery 2019 Hallowed Stones Cabernet Franc wine from southern Walla Walla Valley in Oregon
 
Watermill Winery

2019 Hallowed Stones Cabernet Franc

$40.00
Cabernet Franc Black Dot Oregon Black Dot The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater Black Dot

Anna Marie Estate Vineyard

Anna Marie Vineyard is our premier Bordeaux-producing estate vineyard, and its superior terroir produces exceptional red grapes.

AVA

Walla Walla Valley

Blue Mountains foothills

Soil

Sandy loam

Elevation

823 ft

Watermill Estate Vineyard

Located within the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, this region is regarded as the best in the Walla Walla Valley. The land was once viewed as unworkable due to the presence of large cobblestones covering the ground that are remnants of the former riverbed that once covered the southern portion of the valley floor. Now, it's "Perhaps America's most distinctive example of terroir." — Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator

AVA

The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater

Southern Walla Walla Valley, Oregon

Soil

Alluvial soil & basalt cobblestones

Elevation

959 to 969 ft

McClellan Vineyard

This traditional site yields grapes that produce unmatched wines. Situated on a terrace with shallow silt loam soils that provides good air drainage, the vines produce fruit-forward, complex Bordeaux varietals.

AVA

Walla Walla Valley

Southeastern Walla Walla Valley, Oregon

Soil

Silt loam

Elevation

888 ft

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