Portteus Winery

An early Yakima Valley winery

Portteus may not be on everyone's lips, but it's a mistake to overlook this winery. Not only for the great wine they produce, but also for the part they've played in the history of the Yakima Valley and the wine industry.

Paul Portteus grew up on Mercer Island. His involvement in wine and beer started early: a post card from his parents while they were in Napa tasting wine while he was at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island in 1961. His dad fell in love with wine while in the war in Belgium, and his uncle Howard made beer and wine, which he let Paul sip. While living on a house boat before he was of drinking age, Paul started home brewing. It worked well until a batch blew up and the kitchen had to be torn out. In 1970, he traveled to Europe, bought a Norton Commando motorcycle and rode to the wine regions, buying bottles at road side stands for 13¢. He was 22 when he returned home. He and his wife Marilyn (photo) met in grade school, married in 1973, and traveled to Napa and Sonoma.

In 1971, he started Penny Lane Records, eventually owning five locations: West Seattle, Pier 70, Old City Hall in Tacoma, Lakewood, and Bremerton. "I loved music, but it went from peace and love to drugs and sex. We were starting our family and it didn't fit anymore. By 1976-77, I was selling the stores. I turned to my second love, winemaking," recalls Paul.

Paul and Marilyn went to California to research how they might get into the industry. Returning in November 1979, they saw an article in The Seattle Times about pioneer grape growers in the Yakima Valley. "We decided we needed to do this in our own state," Paul says. They met Mike Wallace of Hinzerling in 1980 and tried his Cabernet as well as Kiona's, and began to get educated by locals about good vineyard sites. "People told us not to grow on the valley floor; we needed to be up on Roza. We wanted to be closer to Seattle, so didn't want to go to Prosser. It was a good decision to be at this end of the valley."

Curt and Lana Vangstad bought 27 acres with them in June of 1981. They planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and one row of Merlot in February/March 1982. "I wanted to make what people were drinking. The rest of the grapes I wanted to sell. We thought we'd make a few hundred cases a year; we were happy with that. There was nothing up here at the time. Now Chateau Ste. Michelle has 300 acres here." Curt eventually became the Cellar Master at Quail Run. The Portteus's bought out Curt and Lana when Paul's parents joined the venture in 1985. "He still lives right down the road," says Paul.

"We built our house in 1983-84 and made our first wines in 1984. We took our first and second harvests to Blackwood Canyon in 1984 and 1985 so they could be produced "In Bond" and then bottled and sold later when we built our winery on the vineyard. During the 1985 harvest, just after we crushed our Cabernet at Blackwood, the winery burned down and all was lost. Mike had a rafter apartment at Blackwood and fell asleep while cooking and the wall caught on fire. We started over in 1986, and took our wines to market in late 1988/early 1989."

Son Dave stirring the tank

Their vineyard grew with 20 acres below theirs, and a lease on another 20 acres of a 500 acre block from the Department of Natural Resources. "With a growing demand for grapes, we were able to incubate a lot of Washington wineries. Our 1986 Cab received the only gold medal at the Washington State Fair. That was huge. The phone started ringing; winemakers wanted the fruit. We became an important vineyard for many years."

They're always planting something new. "I was always interested in Zinfandel and people thought it couldn't be grown in Washington. We got cuttings in 1984 and planted several acres. Walter Clore would come check on it every couple of years. Red Willow vineyard had the only Syrah in Washington, then we planted 9 rows of old Syrah in 1991. Va Piano contracted for those grapes and ended up getting 94 points for it. We planted Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Petit Verdot in 2000, and Pinot Noir a few years ago in a cool spot." Paul feels strongly about growing his own grapes. "I think you're not the winemaker if you don't grow your own grapes. By the time the grapes come to the crush pad, 80-90% of the quality is there. Winemakers can do great things, but the quality has to be in the grapes."

Above: son Seth steaming barrels

Portteus doesn't enter their wines in many competitions. "It's costly and what we've found is that people buy what they like in the tasting room, not what wins awards. We aren't into fads, we're under the radar, and have created brand loyalty with our customers over 33 years."

With his history, Paul can speak to surprises and changes along the way. "As simple as winemaking is, selling and marketing is complex. You have to be years ahead in knowing what the public will want. We do it by having a variety of wines; sales drift from one area to another. I'm always surprised at what people will pay for wine. There is a lot of drinkable wine at $10. Why pay $50 or $100?" (Portteus wines generally run $15-$40.) "I don't seek out publicity. It surprises me when people know about me or consider me a pioneer. All I ever wanted to do was make the best wine in the world and give it all I've got. There's a learning curve that never ends."

Above: son Brian in the tasting room

With his interest in retirement increasing, his three sons have been in and out of the business. Seth is now the winemaker and also a chef, Brian handles the business side and the tasting room, and is also a musician. David "can fix anything" and is currently working part-time at the winery. They're planning to add a café where Seth can cook and do events. If you aren't already familiar with Portteus, it's time.

Portteus Winery
5201 Highland Drive
Zillah, WA 98953
509-829-6970
www.portteus.com

Connie Adams/October 2014