Kent Waliser & Lacey Lybeck

Director of Vineyard Operations  |  Viticulturist & Vineyard Manager

Sagemoor Vineyeards has been growing wine grapes for 40 years and governs five iconic vineyards; Bacchus, Dionysus, Sagemoor, Gamache and Weinbau. They’ve been providing fruit to some of the most respected super-star wineries in Washington, including Abeja, Avennia, Barnard Griffin, Delille Cellars, Dusted Valley, Efeste, Fidelitas, Forgeron, Gramercy, L’Ecole No. 41, Matthews, Saviah, Sparkman, Walla Walla Vintners, and Woodward Canon, to name just a few.

Go with us on a journey to the heart of Washington’s vine country to one of the most revered and iconic vineyards in our region. We interview Kent Waliser, Director of Vineyard Operations and Lacey Lybeck, Viticulturist and Vineyard Manager of Sagemoor Vineyards about the history, challenges, and future of their operation including a bold, long-awaited venture: Sagemoor Wines. Listen in on an epic vineyard tailgate wine tasting at Bacchus, in the Columbia Valley.

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Selections by Sagemoor

“Selections by Sagemoor is our way of sharing this land’s rich history and bounty with you. Each offering tells a story, each wine a stellar example of the best our vineyards produce. The story of wine is so much more than what you see, smell, and taste in the bottle.”

Start shopping at Selections by Sagemoor

The BIG 13—AVA’s of Washington State

Knowing your AVA’s is more than just a geography lesson, if you discover a wine that you love and you learn which AVA the grapes were grown in, you can seek out other wines from that region that may appeal to you as well. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon from a cooler AVA or from a slope where it does not get as much sun might result in fruit that has a lower sugar content, and thus lower in alcohol, whereas a Cab grown in a hot climate may produce huge, bold flavors with higher alcohol.

Many of Washington State’s more notable vineyards reside in the eastern part of the state, where warm days and cool nights help retain the balance of acid and sugar levels in the grape which gives Washington wines their characteristic balance in flavors, so looking at Columbia Valley again, the northern latitude of the valley receives two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California.

Washington’s “Big thirteen”, currently recognized AVAs are:  Ancient Lakes, Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Lake Chelan, Naches Heights, Puget Sound, Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, Snipes Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Walla Walla, Yakima Valley.

But, there are more on the way …

Kent Waliser, Director of Vineyard Operations inspecting the fruit. ©Richard Duval Images

Lacey Lybeck, Sagemoor’s Vineyard Manager. ©Richard Duval Images

Breathtaking vineyard view. Sagemoor Vineyards, Columbia Valley Washington ©Richard Duval Images

Harvest time at Sagemoor Vineyards. ©Richard Duval Images

Kent Waliser holds the inaugural 2014 Stars in a Row Cabernet Sauvignon Sagemoor wine created by John Abbott.

Bacchus Vineyard earliest planting was in 1972.

Sagemoor 2016 Carving Blocks Dry Riesling by winemaker Ali Mayfield of The Walls. Highly Recommend!

The beautiful Sagemoor 2016 Without Rehearsal Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion blend.

Drink, Share, Save. Selections by Sagemoor box set.

The iconic Bacchus Vineyard at Sagemoor in the Columbia Valley.

Sagemoor Vineyards in the Columbia Valley with the Columbia River in the background.

Epic tailgate wine tasting in the inaugural Sagemoor wines while overlooking the vineyards and the Columbia River.

“Stars in a Row.” Indeed. The inaugural Sagemoor wines lineup.