Pepper Bridge Winery

Norm McKibben, a trained engineer who worked for several decades in the construction industry, moved to Walla Walla to become an apple farmer. In 1989 he planted his first vineyard with help from his wife, Virginia, and their eldest son, Shane; two years later he added Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on land adjoining the family's apple plantings, the start of Pepper Bridge Vineyard. He served as a partner and director at Canoe Ridge Vineyards and Hogue Cellars, and by 1996, in partnership with Gary Figgins of Leonetti Cellar and Marty Clubb of L'Ecole No. 41, had increased his vineyard holdings to 200 acres. Pepper Bridge Winery followed in 1998. Wine Spectator reported in 1999 that the success Leonetti, L'Ecole No. 41 and Andrew Will had with Pepper Bridge vineyard lots prompted McKibben to start his own winery. Consultant Tom Eddy oversaw production of the 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon. Ray Goff and his family held partnerships in Pepper Bridge Winery and Amavi Cellars for more than 20 years. Dennis Murphy, owner and winemaker at Caprio Cellars, acquired the Goff family's ownership interest in a deal that closed on December 31, 2020 and was made public on January 4, 2021, joining partners Norm McKibben, Eric McKibben, and Jean-François Pellet.

• 1989: Norm McKibben plants his first vineyard; two years later, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot begin Pepper Bridge Vineyard
• 1998: Pepper Bridge Winery founded; a Cabernet Sauvignon has been made every year since
• 1999: Jean-François Pellet recruited by Norm McKibben
• December 31, 2020: Dennis Murphy's purchase of the Goff family's ownership interest closes

Jean-François Pellet is a third-generation winemaker from Switzerland whose career spans Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and the United States, including a tenure at Heitz Cellars in Napa Valley. Norm McKibben recruited him in 1999 for a role he initially saw as temporary before becoming an owning partner. Pellet also leads winemaking at Amavi Cellars, as he has since that winery's founding in 2001, and is a partner in Octave Vineyard, Artifex Wine Co. (a custom-crush facility), and a mobile bottling line. The team comprises founder Norm McKibben, Pellet as Director of Winemaking and partner, partners Eric McKibben and Dennis Murphy, and production winemaker Horacio Enriquez. Eric McKibben returned to Walla Walla in 2003 and became general manager at Amavi Cellars in 2004. Enriquez has been part of the Pepper Bridge Winery and Amavi Cellars team since 2001 and became production winemaker in July 2021.

• Jean-François Pellet: Director of Winemaking and partner; also leads Amavi Cellars' winemaking
• Eric McKibben and Dennis Murphy: partners
• Horacio Enriquez: production winemaker since July 2021, on the team since 2001
• Pellet is a partner in Octave Vineyard, Artifex Wine Co., and a mobile bottling line

The three primary estate vineyards are Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, and Octave. Pepper Bridge Vineyard's original 10 acres were planted in 1991, and it has since been expanded to almost 200 acres. Its soils are Walla Walla Silt Loam, wind-blown glacial loess containing one-third sand, at an elevation of 900 feet, planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, and Syrah. Tom Waliser managed the vineyard from its inception until retiring in 2023; Jared Brown now manages it. Seven Hills Vineyard lies ten miles south of the winery on the edge of the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Its original plantings date back to 1981, Norm McKibben purchased it in 1994, and it now covers more than 235 acres on predominantly Ellisforde Silt Loam at 1100 feet, managed by Sadie Drury. In 1999 Wine Spectator described Seven Hills as a 210-acre operation owned by McKibben, Gary Figgins of Leonetti and Marty Clubb of L'Ecole. The same report said Hogue, Glen Fiona and Woodward Canyon relied on Pepper Bridge fruit, and in 2009 Wine Spectator described Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills as vineyards that supply Leonetti and Woodward Canyon, among others. Vineyard practices are regenerative: compost added to the soil, drip irrigation with buried soil-moisture monitors, and organic products in place of harsh chemicals to control powdery mildew. In Pellet's words: "The ultimate goal is to make quality wine and leave the soil healthier for future generations."

• Pepper Bridge Vineyard: 10 acres planted 1991, now almost 200 acres; Walla Walla Silt Loam; 900 feet
• Seven Hills Vineyard: plantings from 1981, purchased by Norm McKibben in 1994, now more than 235 acres; Ellisforde Silt Loam; 1100 feet
• Vineyard managers: Jared Brown at Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Sadie Drury at Seven Hills Vineyard
• Octave is the third of the winery's three primary estate vineyards

The winery makes Bordeaux-style wines from 100% estate-grown grapes. The Cabernet Sauvignon, made every year since the winery's 1998 inception, is a flagship wine and blends Bordeaux varieties styled around the area's Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. The estate Merlot, first produced in 1999, is the variety that made Pellet want to stay in the Walla Walla Valley. Trine, meaning a close group of three, pays homage to the McKibbens, the Murphys, and the Pellets; each vintage contains a unique combination of Bordeaux's five traditional red grapes, and the reference library holds vintages back to 2008. After producing only red Bordeaux varieties for over 15 years, the winery introduced a Sauvignon Blanc in 2013, fermented in oak and concrete egg. Two wine club blends, Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard, change every year but are always 100% fruit from the named vineyard. The three-level winery is built into a hill against the backdrop of Pepper Bridge Vineyard. The winery describes it as the first state-of-the-art, gravity-flow facility in Washington state, complete with subterranean caves. Pellet was the consulting developer of a new optical sorter. A system of 378 solar panels produces 70% of the winery's energy needs. Tasting rooms operate at the winery on J B George Road in Walla Walla and in Woodinville and Vancouver, Washington.

• Cabernet Sauvignon: made every year since 1998; Merlot: first produced in 1999
• Trine: a Bordeaux-variety blend honoring the McKibben, Murphy, and Pellet families; vintages from 2008
• Sauvignon Blanc: introduced in 2013; fermented in oak and concrete egg
• Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard blends: wine club exclusives, always 100% single-vineyard fruit

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://pepperbridge.com/, https://pepperbridge.com/about, https://pepperbridge.com/about/the-vineyards, https://pepperbridge.com/about/the-winery-family, https://pepperbridge.com/wines, https://pepperbridge.com/visit, https://pepperbridge.com/visit/walla-walla, https://pepperbridge.com/about/the-vineyards/pepper-bridge-vineyard, https://pepperbridge.com/about/the-vineyards/seven-hills-vineyard, https://www.pepperbridge.com/transition-of-ownership, https://pepperbridge.com/staff/norm-mckibben, https://pepperbridge.com/staff/jean-francois-pellet, https://pepperbridge.com/staff/eric-mckibben, https://pepperbridge.com/staff/horacio-enriquez. Secondary sources: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/washington-vineyard-starts-own-winery-in-walla-walla-20368, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/a-walla-walla-retrospective-16082. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.