Mike Andrews and Justin Michaud of Coyote Canyon Vineyard & Winery
November 2021
Mike Andrews and his family farm land in the Horse Heaven Hills that was used by the government as a firing range during World War II. His grandparents purchased land there in 1941 that they dry farmed with wheat, until they dug the first well in the 1950s. Irrigated pasture land followed to create a thriving cattle business, alongside the wheat and other irrigated crops. Mike intended to spend his life as a cattleman, but took a chance on planting his first wine grapes in 1994, just as the demand for grapes was really growing in WA. He started with 21 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, and soon got a contract from Chateau Ste Michelle for 700 acres of wine grapes. Today, his Coyote Canyon Vineyard includes 1300 acres planted to 16 different grape varieties, including Albarino and Graciano that he was the first in the state to plant.
Justin Michaud joined Coyote Canyon Winery as winemaker in 2014, bringing a wealth of viticulture and winemaking experience from jobs in California, Washington and New Zealand. He really likes working with new grape varieties, and thus Coyote Canyon was a perfect fit. In addition to making Bordeaux and Rhone style wines typically found in Washington, Justin also gets to make Spanish and Italian style wines with grape varieties that are less common, such as Albarino, Graciano, Primitivo, and Barbera. The goal is always to highlight the vineyard, but also to show people how different styles of winemaking can create different wines using the same grape from the same vineyard. For example, Coyote Canyon Winery produces three different Albarino wines, all from the estate vineyard, but using very different fermentation and other winemaking techniques. Learn about this fascinating Albarino project and much more from this interview with Mike and Justin.
Listen to the Interview: