James and Poppie Mantone of Syncline Winery
In 1997, James and Poppie Mantone met in the Willamette Valley while exploring careers in the wine industry. They fell in love with each other and with winegrowing, married, and kept an eye out for just the right vineyard land on which to settle. They chose a site on the WA side of the Columbia Gorge right next to the spectacular Coyote Wall Syncline from which the winery takes its name. It was ideal for the type of intimate vineyard sites they wanted to develop, as well as the diversity of soils, climate and topography. Today, they farm biodynamically 17 acres on several different sites, all within a mile of the winery. They grow familiar grape varieties such as Syrah, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Grenache, but also some less familiar ones, including Grüner Veltliner, Furmint and Mondeuse. In fact, they are the only ones in the US growing Furmint and Mondeuse.
Initially, Syncline Winery focused on Rhone style wines, even though most people in Washington at the time couldn’t even pronounce Viognier or Mourvèdre. More recently, they have drawn more on estate grapes and tried to highlight grape varieties that thrive in the Columbia Gorge AVA. Although they still make some of the finest Rhone style wines in WA, they also make sparkling wines, a memorable Gamay Noir, Grϋner Veltliner, and more. The tasting room at Syncline is an enchanting garden that offers an intimate and personal space for each group of tasters. James and Poppie designed the space according to their study of what plants grow best on the site and the principles of xeriscaping, or minimal water use. This is a not-to-miss site for sipping world-class wines while picnicking. You also don’t want to miss the unique, surreal blue door that beckons from the garden’s west boundary.
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