Roughly a month ago, a good friend to Stonehedge Inn, Augusto Gabriel, introduced me to a wonderful wine personality.
Hope Moore is the owner and Director of Winemaking at Heaven’s Cave, a wonderful producer of artisanal Washington State wines that are reminiscent of the high quality wines you would find in France.
The truly wonderful thing about Hope is that she is passionate about her wines; however you get a sense that she is equally as passionate about her philanthropic work with Make the Dash Count.
The true character of both Hope and her wines is best said through her own words:
The wine industry is all about relationships. It begins with our relationship to the land, which nourishes and sustains the vines that produce our grapes. As caretakers, we tend these vines, working in tandem with Mother Nature to produce the best possible fruit.
The relationship continues when the grapes are gently harvested and the winemaker coaxes forth the flavors and aromas that give each wine its unique and memorable characteristics. From there, the wine works its magic, bringing family and friends together to eat, drink and create lifelong memories.
In the end though the most important relationship is the one we have with you, our customers
And now for more about Hope Moore of Heaven’s Cave.
What is your job?
Sole Owner, Director of Winemaking and basically everything else that goes along with owning a small business.
Where is your winery?
Our tasting room is located at 2880 Lee Road, Suite A in Prosser, WA.
Our Destiny Ridge Estate Vineyard is located in Paterson, about 30 minutes away in the heart of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA (I am one of the owners of the vineyard).
Why did you choose that location?
Prosser is located in the birthplace of Washington State’s wine region and is centrally located on the WA Wine Highway (from Woodinville to Walla Walla). The vineyard where we source our grapes is in the highly acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills appellation and is adjacent to some of the state’s premier vineyards. Horse Heaven Hills AVA has now become one of the most desirable AVA locations in all of Washington State, thanks to acclaim coming from Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. We did not receive our appellation designation until 2005 but I new when I started the winery that Horse Heaven was where I wanted to be.
We like to focus on giving our guests the complete wine experience so being located in the heart of WA wine country and having access to the vineyard is key. Our wine club member (if they chose to) can be a part of all facets of winemaking from harvest, crush, bottling and blending parties. It all begins in the vineyard.
How many employees do you have?
One full time tasting room manager, 4 part time tasting room staff. At the vineyard where our production facility is located I have the assistance of a consulting winemaker and cellar master although they are not employees of Heaven’s Cave.
Why did you choose wine?
It’s in my genes. My grandfather was a winemaker back in the days of prohibition. He was a restaurateur in Greenwich Village, NY and made wine in his basement. My mother owned a small wine shop in Greenwich, CT and I worked there during breaks from college. That is where I developed my passion.
Early in 1980, I was a part owner of a vineyard in Sunnyside WA, which I later sold. I moved to WA in 1997 and knew I wanted to have my own winery and use the profits to support my work with at-risk youth. I was fortunate to have the help and support of a lot of friends in the WA Wine Industry.
Describe your wine in one word?
Balanced
What is your favorite varietal?
It depends on the setting and what I’m doing. If it’s a beautiful summer day and I’m out on the deck I’ll reach for a glass of our Late-Harvest Riesling.
If I’m working late in the evening and just want a glass to sip on then I’m probably going to reach for the Barbera or Malbec.
The wine I’m most proud of is the Angel’s Blend (Bordeaux Blend), because I helped Mother Nature create this wine by being the decision maker on the blend.
If you asked which varietal I think best represents the uniqueness of our vineyard I would have to say Syrah.
What was your favorite wine that you produced and what set it apart from your other wines?
Icicles my Riesling Ice Wine. It was such a leap of faith, leaving the fruit hanging on the vine, hoping it would freeze below the 18 degree mark before Dec 31st. I had to hope for the severe shrivel and the concentrated flavors and have faith that you didn’t just drop the fruit because it didn’t freeze. Everyone thought I was crazy, “why take the chance, you’re such a little winery.”
What sets Icicles apart is that making Ice Wine is “risky business” and sometimes you have to take big risks to get the prize. Also the price point is affordable for everyone even though it has won competitions where the runner up is priced 5 times higher. I’m not a sweet wine person, per say, but I’d like everyone to have the opportunity to taste my Ice Wine.
What was your greatest ever wine experience?
As you may know, Heaven’s Cave is what I like to call a “for-benefit winery”. We choose to donate 100% of our profits after expenses and taxes to the Make The Dash Count Foundation whose mission is to promote youth philanthropy and serve programs benefiting at-risk youth. Before I released any of my wines under the Heaven’s Cave label, I wanted to put my philanthropy in action and I started the Dash Wine Project and with the help of some of my dear friends in the wine industry we collaborated to make wines under the “Make The Dash Count” label to start making money while I was waiting for the HCC wines to be bottled.
My first ever wine was a 2002 Merlot crafted by Chuck Reininger from Reininger Winery in Walla Walla. Chuck called me one day to tell me he had made a special Merlot for me to “get the Dash project started” and could I come for bottling. I was very touched by his support, friendship and passion for what I was trying to do. So my greatest ever experience was standing on that bottling line putting every single bottle of the 163 cases into their boxes. There were definitely tears in every box and I have a bottle that was signed by everyone that was there that day, including people from the community that just came out to help. It was a day I will never forget.
What is your favorite meal to pair with one of your wines?
I love spicy Thai food paired with my Nobility Late-Harvest Riesling, Phad Thai or Panang Curry in particular.
What does “terroir” mean to you?
No real literal translation from what it means in French but for me it means: soil, site, weather translated into a “sense of place.” I think of terroir as “what Mother Nature gives us that adds to the uniqueness of the wine” or “where the wine comes from, the starting point in winemaking.”
Besides your own wines, who would you say is your favorite wine producer?
Judging by what’s in my own cellar I would have to say DeLille Cellars, they make beautiful wines that are consistent year after year.
What do you hope for the future of your winery?
We have been blessed to receive a number of awards for our wines and we were just honored with the 2010 Washington Wine Community Service Award for our impact in the community. Like most other wineries we all hope that the success of our winery will continue, the quality of our wines will be consistent and more consumers will become familiar with our brand. In my case I equate brand recognition with spreading the Make The Dash Count message and making people aware that they can make a difference in someone’s life. The wine stage is a perfect platform to spread this message and our ability to impact the community will grow along side our success.
The DASH refers to the dash on our gravestone, the one between the date we were born and the date we pass away. The DASH represents everything in between and how we chose to live it.
What is your favorite thing to do outside of wine?
Spend time on the beach with family and friends. In particular I look forward every year to the “family clam bake” on Cape Cod in July and Spring Break with my son and his college buddies in Naples, FL in March.
Tied for second, going to a baseball game.
What is your favorite sports team OR favorite movie?
Definitely “The Natural”!
If you were not into wine, what would you do?
I would probably get into wine! This is a hard question to ask since wine has been in my family for three generations. If I played the piano better I would have loved to become a concert pianist but I know that’s not going to happen so I’ll stick to wine and my work with Make the Dash Count.
