Quilceda Creek acquires full ownership of historic Champoux Vineyard

(August 4, 2026; SNOHOMISH, WA)—Quilceda Creek Winery, one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Washington State, has acquired the remaining ownership interest in the legendary Champoux Vineyard, securing full ownership of one of the state’s most iconic and historically significant sites. Located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Champoux Vineyard is recognized globally for its distinctive terroir and for producing some of the world’s most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignons—powerful wines known for their gorgeous fruit, balanced acidity and elegant tannins. Originally planted in the early 1970s and 1980s, Quilceda Creek has sourced fruit from Champoux since 1986 and has gradually increased its ownership over the last 30 years, previously acquiring a 79% stake in August 2021. The property is comprised of 170 acres, with 153 acres planted to vine. Since the 2001 vintage, Champoux has been the source of the winery’s flagship Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Champoux has noble tannin that creates a suave texture so unique to the site that it cannot be replicated. We are honored and humbled to take care of this special piece of land,” says President and Director of Winemaking Paul Golitzin.

The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is one of the warmer appellations in the Columbia Valley, yet Champoux Vineyard benefits from a uniquely balanced microclimate. Situated on south-facing slopes at elevations of 600-800 feet, the vineyard is cooled each evening by air flowing down from the surrounding higher elevations. These significant diurnal temperature shifts temper the warmth of the site, allowing the fruit to ripen fully while preserving vibrant natural acidity and yielding balanced, age-worthy wines with exceptional depth and elegance.

The soils at Champoux are classified in the Sagehill series: fine, sandy loam, well-drained soils that promote deep root development and, because of their uniformity, even vigor across the vineyard. Vine density varies due to the different age of the vineyard blocks, but newer plantings are high density, averaging 2,074 vines per acre. Because of competition below the surface, the root zones of the vines are smaller. This, coupled with the limited irrigation regime, allows the team to precisely control cluster size, weight and the number of clusters per vine, resulting in optimum concentration and flavor.

“Champoux is a vineyard that will go down in winegrowing history,” says Vineyard Manager Dan Nickolaus. “It’s an extraordinary site for red wine grapes, consistently producing fruit of the highest quality year after year. It’s an honor to steward this vineyard, along with Quilceda Creek’s Mach One, Galitzine and Ad Astra vineyards.”

Champoux Vineyard was recognized by the editors of Wine Spectator in the magazine's October 15, 2024, cover story, "The World's Greatest Vineyards."

Quilceda Creek is one of Washington’s benchmark producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2002 and 2003 vintages received the first 100-point scores from The Wine Advocate, and the winery was also the first American wine from outside California to achieve this prestigious rating. Since then, the winery has garnered 46 perfect 100-point scores from additional wine publications.

This is the Golitzin family’s second major vineyard purchase in the last 12 months. In September 2025, they acquired a pristine 16.8-acre vineyard on Red Mountain, planted to Bordeaux varietals at 1,100 feet in elevation and originally established under the guidance of renowned vineyard manager Dick Boushey. The vineyard is now known as Ad Astra.

About Quilceda Creek Winery

Quilceda Creek was established in 1978 by Alex and Jeannette Golitzin. The winery's first vintage was in 1979, making Quilceda Creek the 12th oldest winery in Washington after Prohibition. Alex Golitzin’s inspiration to start the winery was nurtured through many visits to the Napa Valley in his youth, where he spent time with his maternal uncle, André Tchelistcheff, the legendary Napa Valley winemaker known as the "Dean of American Winemaking." Paul Golitzin joined his father as winemaker in 1992 and, as president of the company today, directs all aspects of vineyard management and winemaking. With a gifted palate and a no-compromise commitment to quality, Paul focused the winery's attention on its greatest assets: the vineyards of the Columbia Valley. Quilceda Creek wines are an expression of four vineyards: Champoux, Galitzine, Mach One and Ad Astra. In early 2022, Quilceda Creek welcomed Mark Kaigas as winemaker.

For more information about Quilceda Creek, please visit quilcedacreek.com.