Julie Bosma of Bosma Estate Winery
Photos Courtesy of Bosma Estate Winery, except for #4 and #7 taken by Marji Morgan
The first member of Julie Bosma’s family to settle in the Yakima Valley came in 1913. The family has been farming tree fruit there and beyond, mainly apples, ever since. Today, family members farm all over central WA. Julie grows apples, cherries, pears, hazlenuts, and, most recently, wine grapes. She and her husband Steve enjoy drinking wine with dinner, and decided to purchase a vineyard in 2005. This is their Bosma Estate Vineyard, which had 10 acres of vines when they purchased it, including 7 acres of Syrah planted in 1994. Julie has expanded that vineyard to 13 acres planted to about a dozen different grape varieties. A decade later the couple purchased 50 acres 3 miles away that became their Diamond Ridge Vineyard. Both vineyards are located in the heart of the Rattlesnake Hills AVA contained within the Yakima Valley AVA.
It was a growers conference debate over Cabernet Sauvignon clones that prompted Julie and Steve to start making wine under the Bosma Estate Winery label. They work with winemakers they know well, who craft the wines from all estate grapes that Julie grows. Julie planted 6 different Cabernet clones in an effort to resolve the debate as to whether clones matter to the wine you taste in the glass. There is currently a Bosma Estate Cabernet wine with clone 4 and one with clone 7, as well as a wine that is a clonal blend. A visit to the tasting room will provide you with one of the most beautiful places to sip wine in the Yakima Valley. The view from the back deck is stunning. The tasting room also has many items for purchase by local artists, as supporting local artists is one of Julie’s and Steve’s missions. Hear the resolution of the clone debate and much more in this interview.
Listen to the Interview: