Ridge of Wonders Wine Cellars is a family-run winery located in Husum, Washington, a small community straddling the beautiful White Salmon River, just a few short miles from its confluence with the Columbia River. The winery, formerly known as Pahto Wine Cellars, was established in 2016 by winemaker Lisa Wiseman, who envisioned small-batch wines made exclusively from grapes grown in the higher-elevation vineyards of the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area (or AVA).
The Columbia Gorge AVA is one of the few appellations in Washington state where more white grapes are grown than red. It’s a diverse landscape; an amalgamation of steep-sided slopes carved out by ancient floods and the present-day Columbia River, snowy-peaked stratovolcanoes, fertile valleys and thick forest. To the west of the Columbia Gorge AVA, you will find a cool maritime climate, Douglas-fir forests and rainfall that averages 40-50 inches per year. To the east is an arid steppe landscape, with dry, hot conditions in the summer and an average rainfall of less than 10 inches per year. Picturesque Mount Adams and Mount Hood stand watch over the northern and southern ends of the region and greatly influence the area’s soils, weather and water.
Ridge of Wonders Wine Cellars is named after a prominent rocky ridge located on the eastern flank of Mount Adams, a fitting homage to the towering volcano and the outsized influence it has on Lisa’s wines. The natural beauty of the Mount Adams country inspires Lisa and her wines.
Lisa is known for producing wines that are bright and fruity with a feminine touch – subtle and delicate. She is a perfectionist and all of her wines are created deliberately and with much attention. Lisa has a background in chemistry and started her career in the wine industry in 2007, working as an enologist (wine chemist) for Erath Wines in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. In 2008, she moved to Syncline Wine Cellars in Lyle, Washington, where she worked as assistant winemaker to James Mantone. For the last four years (prior to COVID-19), she worked as an enologist and assistant winemaker at AniChe Cellars in Underwood, Washington, partnering with Rachel Horn and family.
Since 2020, Lisa has shifted focus to her family and her own label. Lisa comes from humble roots and a long line of farmers, so hard work and an understanding of the land is in her blood. It’s what she is made of and the reason her wines are so special. When talking to Lisa about her wines, she is quick to point out the importance of the grape growers and vineyard workers, “without whom we wouldn’t be able to make the wines.” She celebrates the growers and will often be seen working the land alongside them. This is where her passion lies.
When asked, Lisa is most excited about the evolving farming practices in the Columbia Gorge AVA and the reduction in pesticide and fungicide use in the vineyards, which she calls “critical” to the development of the industry. Lisa favors organic vineyards, such as Oak Ridge Vineyard in Husum, WA, a certified Washington state organic vineyard that is owned by Thomas and Marlene Woodward who have meticulously cared for their vines since the 1980s. The result is better health for the land and people, better tasting fruit, and fabulous wine…a win-win.
Ridge of Wonders wines can be purchased online here, at Feast Market & Delicatessen in White Salmon, WA, or in notable wine stores such as DeLaurenti and Pike & Western Wine Shop in the Seattle area. In addition, Lisa will be hosting an intimate wine-tasting event open to the public on May 1st and 2nd, 2021. This will include a 90-minute sit-down tasting of five different Ridge of Wonders wines: the 2018 Pyroclastic Blanc de blancs, the 2020 (organic) Pyroclastic Sparkling Gewürztraminer, the 2020 g&g Piquette-Inspired Sparkling Wine, the 2019 Grüner Vetliner and the 2019 Rosé of Pinot Noir. All wines will be served with small bites of delicious Olympia Provisions meats and Evergreen Creamery (Trout Lake) cheeses. This is not to be missed! You can make reservations by emailing Lisa at lisa@ridgeofwonderswine.com. If you cannot make it out to the tasting event, private tastings are also available. It’s time that you try the unique terroir of the Columbia River Gorge and celebrate its people and its energy. Cheers.
