Women in Wine: Interview with Holly Turner

For more than a decade, Holly Turner, winemaker for Three Rivers winery has forged relationships with growers throughout Eastern Washington State to find the best sites and fruit in the state.

Under her direction the winery has earned high accolades for their wine from top publications. I caught up with her to see what she was up to…besides touring Walla Walla in their ’61 pink Cadillac!

Did the first bottle of wine you made match your expectations?

Really, it would be the first vintage; there were lots of tannins that year, I may have overshot the extraction but the wine has aged nicely.

What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered during your winemaking venture?

  • Equipment failure. I’ve had to cold stabilize wines outside in the winter, thankfully it gets cold here in Walla Walla. This has happened more than once. It feels like your going old school, really using whatever clever tools you can to make it work.
  • Mother Nature. Never predictable.

What makes Walla Walla terroir so special for growing Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Walla Walla AVA’s  varied soil, comprised of flood sediments, loess and ash contribute to its unique terroir.   Long hot summer days and short cool nights around latitude 46 degrees produces a perfect balance of sugars and acidity in the grapes.  In Walla Walla we get around 12 inches of rain a year, this allows us to really control the growth of the vines. In the fall the weather cools down dramatically so the fruit can hang to achieve optimal ripeness.

You source grapes from a number of different vineyards.  What does each vineyard bring to your blending regimen?

When we’re blending we really want some stylistic consistency. By sourcing from different vineyards we’re able to negate a bit of the vintage variability. The goal for any blend is balance; it’s easier to get the balance if you have some options in the cellar.

Holly Turner with her ’61 pink CadillacHolly Turner with her ’61 pink Cadillac

Is there a vineyard you favor over another?

I value the relationship I have with each grower we source fruit from; it’s really an understanding of the quality I’m looking for and their management and direction that gets the job done.  I particularly like working with Paul Champoux, he’s able to produce consistent high quality Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot year after year, not to mention he’s been a great mentor and friend to me throughout my career.

What’s your favorite grape to work with?

Cabernet Sauvignon.

What’s the oldest bottle in your cellar?

I’m a winemaker not a billionaire. Wines are made for drinking..nothing past 12 years old my cellar.

If you had an opportunity to work in another wine region which one would it be?

France!