Bonair Winery

Bonair Winery
500 South Bonair Road
Zillah, Washington
USA 98953
Phone: 509.829.6027
http://www.bonairwine.com/

Contact: Shirley Puryear
Email: [email protected]

Bonair Winery is situated in the Rattlesnake Hills of the Yakima Valley, Washington State's foremost wine growing region region. No, we don't have rattlesnakes in our vineyards. Every March 17, St. Patrick's Day, we drive the snakes out of the vineyards. This is Washington States most scenic wine country. In the Rattlesnake hills you drive through orchards and vineyards, just like wine country is supposed to be. Like Bonair, our neighbors are Estate Wineries, also. We have a close connection to the soil.

In the desert, there is a great differential between daytime and nighttime temperatures, sometimes over 40o. These cool evenings preserve the natural acid in the grapes while daytime temperatures develop sugars. This results in a perfect sugar/acid balance.

Without untimely and damaging natural rainfall in the Yakima Valley, we can precisely regulate the amount of water the plants receive to ripen grapes to perfection with the use of drip irrigation. Drip irrigation preserves water, a precious commodity in the desert West.

Does it bother you that your wine had a better vacation than you? Did you get to Summer in Australia? Live in a bodega in Chile? or spend time in Bordeaux? We support the locavore movement. Your food shouldn't travel any more than you. Travel globally, but eat locally. Did you know that only one bottle in six consumed in Washington was produced here. Save the planet. Drink Washington wine.


The Morrison Vineyard was planted by Joe and Sid Morrison in 1968. It is the oldest vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills. We purchased the vineyard in 2001.

Originally, it was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. Future plans call for planting all five Bordeaux varieties.

Located at 1200 feet elevation, above the level of the Missoula Floods, it is on the Harwood, Burke, Wiehl silty loams. The Ellensburg formation, a remnant of the ancient Yakima River, forms the cobbly base for this soil. Naturally low in nutrient, these vineyard struggle to produce three tons to the acre.

Winemaker: Gail Puryear

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