AITIA, is a project solely dedicated to the terroir of Underwood Mountain, seated upon the Washington side of Columbia River, in the Columbia River Gorge AVA. Underwood is the Northwestern tip of the appellation, with winds that can reach 60 miles per hour, deep draining soils primarily composed of basalt pebbles (colloquially known as buckshot loam), all atop an ancient volcano, exploded upon by younger neighboring volcanoes (primarily Mount Hood and Mount Adams). The growing season is short, with bud break sometimes coming as late as may, and harvest generally happening between late September through October. AITIA estate vineyards sit right around 1700 feet, and are some of the highest on the mountain.

Our estate vineyards, as well as the small amount of fruit we source all come from dry farmed, own-rooted, organic, no-till vineyards. On our estate we practice farming that allows nature to do its work, while we only support with a gentle hand. We have moved away from any sort of killing or trapping in the vineyard, have stopped tying our vines, do not seed cover crop, and depending on the year, will only mow once to mulch in cuttings from pruning, or collect and burn, to redistribute the carbon at a faster pace.

Upon moving with her family to Washington, she reached out to Mimi Casteel, an Oregon winegrower considered by many to be the guru of regenerative agriculture for vineyards. “…I have learned so much from Mimi it makes me tear up to think about it. She has become an unflappable friend, and I will forever look up to her… as she ascends into the stratosphere, and pushes all of us to be better people.”

The 2022 vintage on Underwood was iconic – cool wet Spring, long hot Summer, into a bluntly crisp Fall. The wines have an exemplary balance of serene minerality and a bold acidity, indicative of their soil and climate, like nowhere else on earth.

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