Kenny Hill Estate Vineyard
Our Estate
Family owned and operated for over 30 years, Dunham Cellars has become one of Walla Walla’s most trusted and celebrated wineries. Our two estate vineyards, Kenny Hill and Lewis, provide the foundation for our acclaimed wines. Our complete control of the winemaking process, from the clonal selection, planting and farming of our vines, to the advanced technology and techniques in the cellar, reflects our steadfast commitment to detail and quality. Through these decades of experience growing and making wine in this Valley, we ensure that every bottle best expresses its varietal character and terroir.
Sustainable Wine Growing
We implement sustainable vineyard growing practices in all our vineyards. Healthy soil is a key component of sustainability. Our goal is to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations.
Kenny Hill Estate Vineyard
Walla Walla Valley
This sloped, south-facing 70-acre estate vineyard was purchased in the Summer of 2008 as a joint venture between Dunham Cellars and long-time viticulturalists and good friends, Bill and Andy Den Hoed. It is located 5 miles east of Dunham Cellars up the Mill Creek drainage in the Blue Mountain foothills at an elevation of 1450 feet. The precipitation, elevation, slope and naturally occurring breezes at this site provide a rare low incidence of frost and opportunity to grow non-irrigated grapes.
Prior to the purchase of this property, our sister company Appellation Management Group planted Yellow Bird Vineyard, a dryland vineyard on the east side of Kenny Hill. With full control of farming practices from the soil preparation to the varieties and clones selected for planting, we watched for successes and shortfalls at Yellow Bird. After two years of careful observation, the success of Yellow Bird prompted us to purchase the adjacent property now known as Kenny Hill. We continued our dedication to restoring soil life and nutrition, using sustainable practices to ensure a healthy vineyard for generations to come.
Previously farmed with wheat and legumes, we improved the depleted microbiology of the land by incorporating a complex mix of organic compost and nutrients to enhance the soil’s water-retention capability. After careful clone selection, we planted the first half of the vineyard in the Spring of 2010, and as of 2023, the estate is fully planted with 60 acres of the following varieties:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Syrah
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
Grenache
Petit Verdot
Chardonnay
Lewis Estate Vineyard
Columbia Valley
Nestled at the foothills of Rattlesnake Ridge in the Columbia Valley Appellation, Lewis Vineyard (elev. 1200 feet) is a small family-owned vineyard managed by Betty Lewis and son, Ken Jr., in close coordination with our Vineyard Manager, Ken Hart. First planted in 1996 with a few acres of Syrah, Lewis Vineyard now comprises 80 acres of vitis vinifera varietals, including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling and Chardonnay. These varietals thrive in the vineyard’s sandy loam. Drip irrigation is used to manage water applications, applying moisture when needed and stressing the vines into producing only the best fruit for our winery.
The fruit that produced our inaugural 1999 Syrah was the first crop from Lewis, with an incredibly low yield, coming into the winery at around 0.1 ton per acre. The wine it produced was so remarkable it was worthy of our first vineyard-designated wine. We continue to bottle Lewis Vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot every vintage under our Artist Series labels.

