After twenty years at the helm of the Stimson Lane wine group (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest 

and other wineries), Allen Shoup retired to pursue a personal dream. For years he had envisioned a joint 

venture with highly acclaimed winemakers from different regions of the world. His goal was to bring 

their expertise to Washington to create some of the most luxurious wines ever crafted from the region’s 

fabled viniferous grapes. Wines that stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best. 

“Build it and they will come.” Actively encouraged by his associates, including long time friend and 

mentor, Robert G. Mondavi, Allen did just that. He invited several of the world’s most venturesome and 

exciting vintners to the sunny slopes where the Snake River and the Yakima River flow into the mighty 

Columbia. With their enthusiastic support and advice, Allen drew up plans to establish individual 

wineries that would reflect the status and acclaim of each vintner. He named the venture “Long Shadow 

Vintners,” in tribute to this select group of individuals, who shape the industry with their benchmark 

wines and wineries. 

His vision is now unfolding. Long Shadows winemaker-partners are designing world-class wines 

comparable in stature to those they crafted in their native wine regions. They are touring the land, 

running the soil through their fingers, surveying with practiced eye the leafy trellises that spill down the 

hillsides of the Columbia Valley appellation. Like artists selecting paints for their palette and tints for 

their canvas, they pick out the vineyards, and from those the clusters that will in time work magic under 

their hands. 

Some are working with the celebrated reds - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah; 

others with the treasured whites of the region - Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. 

They construct wines in their own style, and with their own complexity, while striving to improve upon 

their singular benchmarks. Beginning with the 2003 crush, they are crafting signature wines that carry 

great promise for years to come. 

A Coterie of Wineries 

Long Shadows Vintners encompasses a coterie of wineries located in the heart of the Columbia Valley 

appellation. The arrangement is unique in that each winery is individually owned and managed as a 

separate partnership. Long Shadows Vintners, LLC, forms the nucleus of the group. The synergy and 

knowledge flowing from this pool of combined talent is an organizational feature that benefits all vintner 

partners. 

A board of directors assumes responsibilities for strategic direction. Along with Allen as Chairman and 

CEO, board members include such corporate and professional luminaries as Don Petersen, Admiral 

Joseph Prueher, Anthony von Mandl, and Arnie Prentice. Everyday operations are managed by Allen in 

concert with CFO and General Manager Mike Williamson. 

Bonnie & Denise offer an exclusive tour and tasting on Wednesday, 7/15 @ 2:00, and again at 10 AM on Thursday 7/16. Select conference delegates will enjoy a tour of the winemaking facility and a tasting of current releases, which include their seven brands of Poet’s Leap (Riesling), Saggi (Super Tuscan Sangiovese/Cabernet), Chester Kidder (Cabernet/Syrah), Pedestal (Merlot), Pirouette (Bordeaux-type blend), Sequel (Syrah) and Feather (Cabernet). A most enjoyable afternoon, or morning, as a prelude to the 5th International Wine & Heart Health Summit.

Spring Valley Vineyard is situated 12 miles northeast of Walla Walla, spread amid the picturesque wheat fields of southeastern Washington with the Blue Mountains providing the backdrop. Theterroir demonstrates a mesoclimate that is ideally suited for growing wine grapes. The unique microclimate of Spring Valley also allows the grapes to develop their own distinct characteristics.

Today, Spring Valley Vineyard consists of 115 acres of grapevines including Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

 We would like to host a Friday, July 17^th, tour and tasting of Rulo wines at our winery.  We can accommodate roughly 50 people and will provide light appetizers and wine tasting.  We look forward to seeing you from 2p-4p. 

Dr. Kurt Schlicker, anesthesiologist and winemaker/owner, will happily chat about and answer any/all questions pertaining to both of his roles.   He will also be more than delighted to talk on any other subject matter as well!  I am a ‘retired’ registered nurse who spent 15 years in the operating room prior to my new full-time job in the winery industry.

VICKI SCHLICKER, RN

Woodward Canyon Winery, named for the canyon Rick’s family farmed and where the Estate Vineyard is now located, was established in 1981 by Rick Small and his wife, Darcey Fugman-Small. Woodward Canyon was the second winery in the Walla Walla Valley and the Smalls were instrumental in the process for obtaining federal approval of the Walla Walla Valley appellation. The winery has consistently produced premium, age-worthy, award-winning cabernet sauvignons and merlots as well as chardonnays. From the outset, Rick determined that quality would take precedence over quantity. Consequently, Woodward Canyon has remained small, increasing its production from 1,200 cases in 1981 to approximately 16,000 cases in 2008.

Rick planted the first of forty-one acres of the Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard in 1976 on his family’s dryland wheat ranch. The vineyard now includes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and barbera, as well as several experimental varieties. The Estate Vineyard is Certified Sustainable by LIVE and is designated Salmon Safe. The winery also purchases grapes from selected growers and is a partner is Champoux Vineyard above the Columbia River in the Horse Heaven Hills. We have a strong belief that the quality of the wines is established in large part in the vineyards, therefore Rick spends a great deal of time supervising the vineyards.

In 1998, Woodward Canyon also began producing wines under its second label, Nelms Road.  Nelms Road offers merlot and cabernet sauvignon from Walla Walla Valley and Washington State grapes.  It was developed to produce delicious and affordable red wine from young vineyards or declassified Woodward Canyon Winery production.  This declassification process assures that Woodward Canyon is always striving for higher quality.

Woodward Canyon is a founding member of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and of Walla Walla Valley Vinea, the Winegrower’s Sustainable Trust.

Join Rick for a personal tour of the Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard and private tasting in the new Reserve Building.