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14 CapitalPress.com September 9, 2016 Pilot lands new career as Idaho winemaker HAT Ranch Location: Caldwell, Idaho Established: 2014 Owners: Tim and Helen Harless By HEATHER SMITH THOMAS For the Capital Press www.yvcc.edu/wine V16-4/#6 For Tim Harless, a veteran Air Force and commercial pi- lot, making premium wines is the result of a life-long love of exploration and experimenta- tion. In 2002 his interest in wine was sparked after vis- iting a wine bar near Dallas, Texas. After being exposed to several varietals and not- ing the distinctions between the wines he was tasting, he became intrigued. He studied the differences in the world’s wines and decided to become a winemaker. “Many people enter the wine world sideways from other paths. I took an adult certiicate program in wine- making, Viticulture and Enol- ogy at Grayson County Com- munity College in Texas,” he said. “These courses were designed for working profes- sionals, held all day Fridays and Saturdays.” He took a couple years to get through it, and went to California during vacation to work during a crush — when the grapes are harvested. Then in 2011 and 2012 he worked alongside the former owners at Vale Wine Co. For his own winery, he combined family heritage in the labeling of his product. The HAT Ranch label harks back to great-grandparents Jake and Margarette Frison, who homesteaded in Wy- oming in 1902 and started the HAT Ranch, eventually running 1,700 head of cattle. Their brand was the shape of a cowboy hat. Inspired by pioneering ancestors, Harless and his wife, Helen, followed suit by choosing Idaho, the new fron- tier of the wine industry, as their winemaking homestead. “We looked around Wash- ington, Oregon and Califor- Courtesy of Hat Ranch Winery Hat Ranch Winery owners Hel- en and Tim Harless are seen in the vineyard. nia. We made a trip to Idaho, tasted some of the wines and realized there was tremendous potential here; the climate is similar to Eastern Washington where there are so many vine- yards,” he said. “We produced our wine for the irst couple years at the Vale Wine Co. facility, then bought their production equipment and label. We con- tinue making their label, plus some of our own,” Harless said. Helen’s previous two-year experience managing the wine cellar and organizing tastings for Wine Spectator magazine exposed her to the world’s top wines. She became the “pal- ate” for their winery. Together they knew they had a shot at producing great wines. Their wine-production fa- cility is located at the Univer- sity of Idaho Business Incuba- tor, and the tasting room is on Plum Road on the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. “This has become a pop- ular area for wineries, since most of the grapes in Idaho are grown here,” Harless said. “Many things must come together to make wine, in- cluding a good location if you sell wine. You need to be on a road where people can ind you,” he said. The wine business was al- ready established in the area, with Ste. Chappelle, William- son, Fujishin, Huston, Bitner and Koenig. “We grow some of our own Muscat grapes, which we produce into a dry Moscato which last year won the Idaho Best Show award,” he said. “We’ll also have Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc this year.” HAT Ranch is expanding varieties and quantity, and also buys from Skyline and Sawtooth Vineyards, one of the biggest in Idaho. Helen is a dentist, but in- volved with the winery doing marketing and social media. The team includes the tasting room staff and Cellarmaster Will Wetmore. HAT Ranch produces about 1,500 cases annual- ly, with plans to increase to 3,000. “We make classic vari- etals like Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah under the Vale la- bel and unoaked Chardonnay, dry Moscato, white blends and red blends under the HAT Ranch label.” Most of their wine is sold directly to consumers through their tasting room, and about 25 percent to restaurants, wine shops, the Boise Co-op and Whole Foods, but some people have also found them online.