Block 05 Syrah
From Les Vignes Le Tendre to Knox Road Vineyard
The vineyard’s first block was planted in 2011 by Greg and Stacy LeTendre as “Les Vignes LeTendre Vineyard”, with a focus on Red Rhone varieties for the ultra-premium wine market. This site is well suited for these varieties, and they are an underrepresented market niche for small growers and winemakers. Rhone style red blended wines are some of the most interesting wines in the marketplace, representing subtlety of flavors and variety through a large range of outstanding blending options. Greg and Stacy, with the help of the amazing Rosa, Eduardo and family, have poured their hearts into developing this incredible vineyard, and we are honored to take it over and continue it’s growth.
WHY KNOX ROAD?
With new owners will came our new name, “Knox Road Vineyard”. Why the new name? Mostly because French is hard, but also because when we tell locals where we are, we say “up on Knox Road”, so it seems only natural that we stick with it. We will add a one acre block each year, with current grapes contracted to local boutique wineries. Our vines are old European varieties including: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsaut, Counoise and Viognier.
About Us
Walt and Katie Henry spent their first 25 years together raising their 4 children on Lake Tapps in Western Washington. Walt is a Fire Fighter with Puget Sound Fire Authority, and Katie was the Athletic Director at Auburn High School, but is now teaching Kinesiology at Hanford High School in Richland. For years they would escape to the Prosser/Benton City area to relax, enjoy some wine tasting, and reconnect. At the end of each of these retreats from reality, they would fantasize about of never leaving. As the kids became adults, and this gorgeous vineyard showed up for sale, the dream became a reality. Previous owners Greg and Stacy LeTendre have done everything right to develop this property into the perfect location to become the vision Walt and Katie have to create a retreat that others can now come and enjoy.
WHY TWO PALMS?
Back to that property on Lake Tapps. In 1995 when Walt and Katie bought their home on Tapps, a 1972 fixer upper that many thought they were crazy to take on, one of the first purchases they made was two small (we are talking 4 inch pots) palm trees. Through the years, those trees caught on fire, froze, had other trees fall on them, broke branches, and endured other elements that palm trees aren’t supposed to survive, and yet, they grew to become healthy 30 foot beautiful palms. I’m sure you can make the connection to the life/marriage/family analogy here. As the house sold and Walt and Katie went through the emotional process of packing away 25 years of memories, it was those darn palm trees, and everything they represented, that became the most difficult to walk away from. So it’s time to plant some more Palm Trees and watch them grow for the next 25, okay maybe 50 years.