Craft Distilling at Wilridge

Wilridge Distillery produces fine brandy, grappa, marc, and other spirits from the bounty of the Wilridge Estate Vineyard and Orchard on Naches Heights near Yakima, Washington.

Grapes, apples, pears, plums, apricots and other fruits are grown Organically and Biodynamically. They are harvested at the peak of ripeness, naturally fermented with no additives, and distilled a single time through a Portuguese hand-hammered copper alembic pot still. The resulting brandy spirits are true eau de vie, “water of life”, that capture the essential aromas and flavors of the fruits from which they were grown and made. Our spirits may be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails.

Wilridge Distillery fulfills a lifelong dream of Wilridge Winemaker and Master Distiller Paul Beveridge to make some of the best brandy and grappa in the world. Washington state has long been known for the quality of its grapes, apples, pears and other fruit. However, no distillery has fulfilled the potential of Washington fruit in quality brandy.

Fruit Brandy

Our brandies are 100% fruit. They contain no other ingredients. It takes a box of fruit to make one bottle of Wilridge brandy. The fruit brandy is clear, fresh and pure. It’s bottled shortly after distillation and is meant to be consumed immediately upon release. The current offerings include: Gala Apple, Golden Delicious Apple, Granny Smith Apple, Honey Crisp Apple, Bartlett Pear (Poire William), Danjou Pear, Rival Apricot and Mirabelle Plum (Kirshwasser). The fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness, fermented naturally in small lots, and distilled in a single pass through the Wilridge hand-hammered copper alembic pot still. Try the brandy neat in a small glass, on the rocks, with soda water or in your favorite cocktails.

Aged brandy

A small portion of Wilridge brandy is aged in French Oak barrels in the cellar on Naches Heights. Because of the aging time required, Wilridge currently has only has two aged brandies for sale: an eight-year-old grape brandy and a five-year-old Gala apple brandy. Made in the style of the finest French Cognac, Wilridge Aged Grape Brandy has wonderful aromas of butterscotch and caramel, with a beautiful copper color. Wilridge Aged Gala Apple brandy is made in the style of the finest French Calvados and has a wonderful apple aroma. Both aged brandies may be served neat, on the rocks, or in any cocktail calling for brandy, Cognac or Calvados.

Grappa + Marc

Grappa and Marc are made from the pomace of Wilridge Estate Vineyard wine grapes. When the wines are pressed, the grape skins are saved and placed inside the Wilridge hand-hammered copper alembic pot still for distillation. The delicate aromas are gently extracted by a double boiler using a water jacket around the still to keep the grape skins from burning. The volatile “heads” are discarded, and only the finest spirit “hearts” of the distillation are retained for bottling. Wilridge Distillery produces fine Grappa from Italian Moscato (Muscat Blanc), Pinot Grigio, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese grapes grown Organically and Biodynamically at the Wilridge Estate Vineyard. Wilridge Distillery also produces Marc from the French grape Viognier, also grown at the Wilridge Estate Vineyard. When grown, fermented and distilled to perfection, Wilridge Grappa and Marc capture the fresh aromas of the harvest in every glass. Enjoy Wilridge Grappa and Marc neat in a small glass, over ice, in espresso (for a Caffè Corretto) or in cocktails. Try substituting Wilridge Grappa or Marc for any white spirit to make your favorite cocktails more interesting.

Wilridge Grappa and Marc also help Wilridge pursue its mission as the “Greenest Winery” in Washington State… Before Wilridge had a still, the grape skins and seeds left over from wine fermentation were returned to Wilridge Vineyard for composting. The delicious alcohol remaining in the grape skin pomace was wasted. Now the alcohol in the fermented grape skins is captured by distillation and bottled for you to enjoy.

Our Still

The Wilridge alembic pot still was hand hammered in northern Portugal from a single piece of copper — by one of only two artisan metal shops left in the world that keep this traditional still making method alive. The Wilridge pot still uses a six hundred-year-old technology to capture the delicate aromas of the fruit grown at Wilridge Vineyard and Orchard. The 60 gallon still is the perfect size to gently release the aromas, which travel through a copper “swan neck” before being captured in a coiled copper condenser. A double boiler system with a water bath around the still is employed to avoid scorching the fruit over the fire during distillation. Unlike the process for neutral spirits such as vodka (where flavor is removed by repeatedly distilling the product) fine brandy and grappa are made using only one single pass through the still. This process retains the incredible fruit aromas in the spirit.

No distillery has fulfilled the potential of Washington fruit in quality brandy like ours has.

JOIN US AT THE WINERY

WE GROW + CREATE UNIQUE WINES + SPIRITS

Wilridge Winery & Vineyard is one of the most popular off-the-beaten-path vineyard and wine bar destinations in Yakima’s Wine Country. We look forward to hosting you.