Mark and Debbie Roy of Equus Vineyards
Drawn by the promise of deep soil, abundant sunshine, and newly developed irrigation, French Canadian Joseph Roy settled in the Yakima Valley area in 1908 to pursue the agricultural life. Over a century later, his descendants are leading producers of hops and tree fruit in Washington state. Joseph’s great grandson Mark and his wife Debbie hiked up Elephant Mountain the morning of their wedding day, never dreaming that they would one day have a vineyard on the next ridge north of the mountain. But when a horse farm on the Yakima Ridge came up for sale in 2017, they thought this just might be the perfect place for grapevines. After consulting with many experienced viticulturalists who gave a thumbs up to the property, they purchased the 55 acre farm and named it Equus Vineyards to pay tribute to the horses that had lived there for 35 years.
Equus Vineyards is located in Moxee, WA in the Columbia Valley AVA just a tad north of the Rattlesnake Hills and Yakima Valley AVAs. It sits at 1330 to 1410 ft elevation, so above the Missoula Flood line. The soils are mostly silty loam and ancient river rock from the Columbia River that ran through the area before the Yakima Fold Belt thrust up so many ridges that the river moved east where it runs today. In 2018 and 19, the Roys planted 27 acres to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Grenache, and Sauvignon Blanc. They paid careful attention to clones, selecting ones best suited for their cool site. Sustainability has long been important to the Roys, and you can see that commitment in their LIVE and Salmon Safe Certifications, as well as in their goal to have the vineyard certified organic. In addition to young vines, the vineyard contains a unique chapel that was once a grain silo. Instead of grain, it now contains a cross made with 20-year old vines, and a door full of symbolic metal sculptures by artist Primo Villalobos. Equus Vineyards is a place where science, arts, passion, and hard work come together to create the best fruit possible, as you’ll see in this interview.
Listen to the Interview: