Kiona Vineyards

John Williams and Jim Holmes met at General Electric in 1961. In 1965 they worked with WSU extension and Dr. Clore, and in 1972 they bought land on Red Mountain. Decanter describes the pair as material scientists by trade with previous experience farming alfalfa fields, and reports that they first built the infrastructure a vineyard needed, drilling for water and establishing electricity. In 1975 they planted the first grapes on Red Mountain: Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Chardonnay. Lemberger, Chenin Blanc, and Merlot followed in 1976, and by 1977 there were 15.6 Red Mountain acres under vine. In 1978 the first Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon fruit was sold to Preston, where the winemaker was Rob Griffin. The 1980 vintage was the first wine produced under the Kiona name, a Lemberger that both the winery and Decanter describe as the first commercial Lemberger in the US. The winery states that Kiona was one of the founding members of the Yakima Valley AVA in 1982, and in 1983 John and Ann Williams finished their house on Red Mountain and opened a tasting room in the basement.

• 1961: John Williams and Jim Holmes meet at General Electric
• 1972: land bought on Red Mountain
• 1975: first grapes planted on Red Mountain (Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay)
• 1980: first vintage produced under the Kiona name

In 1994 the Williams family purchased the Holmes family's share of Kiona Vineyards Winery and divested its interest in Ciel du Cheval; the winery states that the families split the partnership amicably. Decanter reports that the Williams family has owned Kiona outright since that buyout, and the winery describes itself as having no investors and no banks. Scott and Vicky Williams purchased the land for Ranch at the End of the Road in 1984. Decanter credits Scott Williams with a 40-year tenure as owner-winemaker and reports that he decided to cap volume to focus on quality. His son JJ Williams was hired as sales manager in 2009 and is now general manager. His son Tyler Williams took over winemaking duties in 2019, after a biology degree from Gonzaga University in 2013, winemaking stints in Bordeaux, Sicily, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, and Australia, and a Masters in Wine Science from Washington State University. As of September 2026, the winery's family and staff page lists founders John and Ann Williams, Scott Williams as vineyard manager, Tyler Williams as winemaker, JJ Williams as GM, and cellarmaster Junior Flores, who has been with Kiona since 1994 and was promoted to cellar master in 2007.

• 1994: the Williams family buys the Holmes family's share and divests its interest in Ciel du Cheval
• Owned outright by the Williams family since 1994, with no investors and no banks
• Tyler Williams, winemaker since 2019; JJ Williams, general manager
• Third generation: brothers JJ and Tyler Williams

Kiona Vineyards is formed by five estate Red Mountain sites. Kiona Estate, planted in 1975 by John Williams and Jim Holmes, is predominately planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the winery calls it home to the most esteemed Lemberger planting in the western hemisphere. Heart of the Hill, situated in the very middle of the AVA, had its first 20 acres planted in 2006; Decanter reports it at 60ha, the largest of Kiona's five vineyards. Cabernet leads there, with smaller plantings of Carmenère, Mourvèdre, Malbec, and Petite Sirah. Ranch at the End of the Road, at the end of Sunset Road, is the primary site for the estate's Syrah, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Artz Vineyard, Fred Artz's eponymous vineyard planted in the mid 1990s directly north of Klipsun on the western border of the AVA, was purchased by Scott and Vicky Williams in 2019 and is planted primarily to Bordeaux varieties. Sunset Bench, just west of Ranch at the End of the Road, is the primary site for Red Mountain Malbec, with small plantings of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate reported 272.4 Red Mountain acres under vine in 2020, and Decanter reports that all five estate vineyards have been certified under Sustainable WA starting with the 2022 vintage.

• Kiona Estate: planted 1975; predominately Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, plus the estate's Lemberger planting
• Heart of the Hill: first 20 acres planted 2006; 60ha per Decanter; Cabernet-led
• Ranch at the End of the Road: primary estate Syrah site; land purchased in 1984
• Artz Vineyard (purchased 2019) and Sunset Bench (primary Red Mountain Malbec site)

Kiona's wine page groups its bottlings as Wines of Red Mountain, Wines of the Columbia Valley, and Winery Direct Exclusives. The estate-bottled Red Mountain range includes Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, Lemberger, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé of Sangiovese, and Chenin Blanc Ice Wine, made from grapes picked after they freeze on the vine. The Columbia Valley range includes Estates Cuvée, Old Vine Chenin Blanc from plantings dating back to 1976, Old Vine Chardonnay from estate-grown Red Mountain fruit from a block planted in 1975, Riesling, and Late Harvest Riesling. The Winery Direct Exclusives include Heart of the Hill, which the winery calls its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon; Big Kiona, a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Petit Verdot; a Mourvèdre; and a Pinot Noir + Lemberger from Willamette Valley and Red Mountain. On house style, Tyler Williams told Decanter ‘I’m a more oxidative winemaker during fermentation,’ and Decanter reports that he likes to give the Cabernet Sauvignon three years in oak barrels to create what he calls the ‘Goldilocks’ of texture.

• Estate-bottled Red Mountain range led by Reserve and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a Lemberger the winery calls a cult classic over the last 40+ vintages
• Columbia Valley range: Estates Cuvée, Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Old Vine Chardonnay, Riesling, Late Harvest Riesling
• Winery Direct Exclusives: Heart of the Hill, Big Kiona, Mourvèdre, Pinot Noir + Lemberger
• Tyler Williams gives the Cabernet Sauvignon three years in oak barrels, per Decanter

Kiona distinguishes itself from Kiona Cellars and Kiona Selections: it is Kiona Vineyards, growing grapes for its own winery and for more than 60 others. Its fruit-sales page lists cultivars from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenère through Lemberger, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Semillon, Viognier, and Zinfandel, and cites an on-going research relationship with Washington State University. The Red Mountain AVA, located within Benton County entirely within the Yakima Valley viticultural area, was established by T.D. ATF-448 in April 2001. According to JJ and Tyler Williams in Decanter, the big turning point for the AVA came in the 2010s, after the state government paid for an irrigation system. Kiona's own site describes Red Mountain as averaging approximately 6 inches of rain a year, with often a 40-50 degree swing between peak temperatures, over sandy loess soils. The tasting room is open daily 12 to 5 at 44612 N Sunset Rd in Benton City; the winery has hosted guests since 1983, and its new Red Mountain tasting room opened to the public in 2007.

• Grows grapes for more than 60 other wineries
• Red Mountain AVA established April 2001 (T.D. ATF-448), in Benton County within the Yakima Valley viticultural area
• Founding member of the Yakima Valley AVA in 1982, per the winery
• Tasting room opened in the basement in 1983; new Red Mountain tasting room opened in 2007

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://kionawine.com/, https://kionawine.com/about, https://kionawine.com/the-story-and-people, https://kionawine.com/vineyards, https://kionawine.com/red-mountain, https://kionawine.com/wine, https://kionawine.com/tasting-room, https://kionawine.com/buy-our-fruit. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/washington/kiona-vineyards-foundation-and-future-on-washingtons-red-mountain-499978/, https://www.ecfr.gov/api/renderer/v1/content/enhanced/current/title-27?part=9&section=9.167. Last verified 2026-09-23. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.