Jeff Andrews and Ray McKee of Trothe and Sagebreaker Wines
Jeff Andrews and Ray McKee both have deep family roots in the Washington wine industry. Jeff’s roots in the Horse Heaven Hills go back 4 generations to his great grandparents who were dryland wheat farmers. The discovery of water on the land in the 1950s enabled Jeff’s parents and grandparents to grow many different crops. In 1994, Jeff’s father planted the first Andrews Family Vineyard vines, and at its most extensive acreage the vineyard was 1300 acres with over two dozen different grape varieties. Ray’s parents, Joel and Rebecca Tefft, moved to Washington in the mid-1980s with the goal of planting a vineyard and starting a winery. Between 1987 and 1991, they transformed a Concord vineyard in the Yakima Valley into one with wine grapes, including such varieties as Chenin Blanc, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Syrah. In 1991, they made their first Tefft Cellars wines, and continued to grow production until they sold the winery and vineyard in 2009.
Jeff always felt the Horse Heaven Hills AVA was underappreciated by wine consumers as a place to grow world-class wine grapes. One of his main goals in starting Trothe was to elevate the reputation of the Horse Heaven Hills by making wine that belonged on the table with the finest wines of the world. He had no doubt that Ray McKee should be the winemaker and Cabernet Sauvignon should be the flagship Trothe wine. From the first wines created in 2018, there was to be no compromising on quality. In 2023, they started a second label, Sagebreaker, of easy drinking blends aimed at a younger demographic. As you will see from this interview, meticulousness, attention to detail, and intentionality are words that apply to everything done in the cellar and vineyard at Trothe and Sagebreaker. No corners are ever cut in the effort to make the finest wine possible from the Andrews’ spot of earth in the Horse Heaven Hills.
Listen to the Interview: