Marissa Dineen and David Rodriguez of Dineen Vineyards
A 1950 black Chevy truck graces the labels of Dineen Vineyards’ award winning wines. It symbolizes family heritage, particularly Pat Dineen’s Wisconsin farming roots and the Dineen family’s love of the land. After a 30-plus year career in banking, Pat and Lanie purchased their first vineyard land in the Zillah area 21 years ago. They had always loved wine, food, and travel, as their honeymoon excursion to Robert Mondavi suggests. Today Dineen Vineyards is owned by daughter Marissa, and there are 90-plus acres planted to Bordeaux and Rhone grape varieties. When speculating on which Pacific Northwest vineyards would be considered top ones, or Grand Cru, if we had such a classification, Sip Magazine identified 3 in Washington, and Dineen was one of them. The elevation, slope aspect, and soils are all ideal for growing grapes, as Marissa makes clear in this interview.
Dineen Vineyards is one of the few wine businesses in Washington that is certified sustainable and fully estate. All Dineen wines are made by David Rodriguez with grapes grown in the family vineyard. The vineyard is certified sustainable by both Lodi Rules in CA and the newly created Sustainable WA program. A long tenured vineyard crew engages mostly in hand labor, but Dineen also uses some cutting edge technology such as drones for water and pest management. The meticulous attention to vines is evident in the wines. They are outstanding, with the Cabernet Franc one of the very best in Washington state. The vineyard site is not only ideal for grapes, but also for humans, providing a stunning view of the Yakima Valley and distant mountains. There are many events at Dineen that take visitors glass in hand out into the vines to learn more about viticulture, sustainability, and the joys of the farming life.
Listen to the Interview: