Pepper Bridge Winery

Pepper Bridge Winery's story begins with Norm McKibben, a retired civil engineer who moved to Walla Walla in 1985 and became one of the region's foundational figures in vineyard development. In 1991, McKibben, his wife Virginia, and their son Shane planted the first 10 acres of what would become Pepper Bridge Vineyard, splitting the planting evenly between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The winery itself was launched in 1998, when McKibben partnered with Ray Goff, a 30-year Anheuser-Busch veteran who had served as vice president of corporate purchasing and president of the company's agriculture subsidiary. In 1999, McKibben recruited Jean-François Pellet, a third-generation Swiss winemaker who had been making wine in Spain and at Heitz Cellars in Napa Valley; Pellet initially viewed the role as temporary but ultimately became an owning partner and the long-term winemaking and viticultural anchor of the operation. On December 31, 2020, Dennis Murphy, owner and winemaker of Caprio Cellars in Walla Walla and CEO of Hayden Homes, purchased the Goff family's shares, replacing the Goff partnership with the Murphy partnership. The three owning families today are the McKibbens, Murphys, and Pellets, and the flagship Trine bottling explicitly honors this trio (the word 'trine' meaning a close group of three).

• Norm McKibben planted Pepper Bridge Vineyard in 1991 with wife Virginia and son Shane; first 10 acres split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
• Winery launched 1998 by McKibben in partnership with Ray Goff (Anheuser-Busch agriculture executive)
• Jean-François Pellet joined 1999 from Heitz Cellars (Napa) and earlier work in Spain; became an owning partner and remains Director of Winemaking
• Dennis Murphy (Caprio Cellars) bought the Goff family's shares on December 31, 2020; current three owning families are McKibbens, Murphys, and Pellets, honored in the Trine bottling

Two estate vineyards anchor the program. Pepper Bridge Vineyard sits on the loess-over-basalt highland soils east of Walla Walla; it takes its name from a crossing over the Walla Walla River once owned by the Pepper family, with Peppers Bridge Road still running through the area. From the initial 1991 planting of 5 acres Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 acres Merlot, the vineyard expanded to roughly 200 acres of primarily Bordeaux varieties. Early buyers of Pepper Bridge Vineyard fruit included Gary Figgins of Leonetti Cellar, Rick Small of Woodward Canyon, Andrew Will, and Marty Clubb of L'Ecole No. 41. Seven Hills Vineyard, with original plantings dating to 1981 on the Oregon side of Walla Walla Valley, was acquired by McKibben with partners in 1994 and expanded to more than 170 acres. Seven Hills is one of Washington's most-cited collaborative vineyards: its partnership today includes Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge, Marty Clubb of L'Ecole No. 41, Bob Rupar, and Dennis Murphy of Caprio Cellars, who acquired the Figgins family's interest in October 2023, and the fruit supplies the partner producers plus outside clients. Both vineyards farm sustainably and supply virtually all of Pepper Bridge's fruit.

• Pepper Bridge Vineyard: highland loess-over-basalt soils east of Walla Walla; named for the Pepper family bridge over the Walla Walla River; ~200 acres of primarily Bordeaux varieties
• Early Pepper Bridge Vineyard fruit buyers: Gary Figgins (Leonetti), Rick Small (Woodward Canyon), Andrew Will, and Marty Clubb (L'Ecole No. 41)
• Seven Hills Vineyard (original plantings 1981) bought by McKibben with partners in 1994; expanded to more than 170 acres on the Oregon side of WW Valley
• Seven Hills partnership today: McKibben (Pepper Bridge), Clubb (L'Ecole No. 41), Bob Rupar, and Murphy (Caprio Cellars, who acquired the Figgins interest in October 2023); fruit supplies the partners plus outside clients

The Pepper Bridge lineup centers on Bordeaux variety reds from the two estate vineyards. The Cabernet Sauvignon, made every vintage since the 1998 founding, is the flagship varietal bottling and draws from Pepper Bridge Vineyard. The Merlot has been produced since 1999 and is considered a signature wine for the estate, sourced primarily from the same highland sites. Trine, the flagship blend, was created to give Pellet more compositional freedom than varietal-based wines allow; it honors the three owning families and changes its variety percentages each vintage depending on what the cellar shows (the 2020 was Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, with small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot). Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard each have a dedicated single-vineyard blend that showcases the character of one site. After more than 15 years of producing only red Bordeaux varieties, the estate added a Sauvignon Blanc, fermented in a combination of oak and concrete egg, broadening the lineup into white wine. The style across the range emphasizes structured tannins, fresh acidity, and Walla Walla highland definition rather than ripeness or heavy oak.

• Cabernet Sauvignon (flagship varietal, every vintage since 1998) and Merlot (since 1999) anchor the varietal program
• Trine flagship blend: honors the three owning families (McKibbens, Murphys, Pellets); composition shifts vintage to vintage with Pellet's compositional freedom
• Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard single-vineyard blends: separate site expressions from the two estate vineyards
• Sauvignon Blanc added after 15+ years of red-only production; fermented in oak and concrete egg

Amavi Cellars was founded in 2001 as the sister winery to Pepper Bridge and shares the same winemaker (Jean-François Pellet), the same estate vineyards, and the same broader ownership group. Where Pepper Bridge stays disciplined around Bordeaux varieties and premium price points, Amavi gives Pellet creative latitude across Syrah (including Rocks District of Milton-Freewater bottlings), rosé, and accessible-tier reds. The Amavi Syrah program is one of the most visible parts of the broader operation; Walla Walla Valley Syrah and Rocks District Syrah connect the two-brand operation to the Rocks AVA story south of the Oregon line. The two brands share a tasting room presence in Walla Walla and a second tasting room in Woodinville, Washington's broader Seattle-area wine destination. The Amavi reds typically retail at lower price points than the Pepper Bridge reds, providing accessible introductions to the same estate-fruit and the same winemaking voice. The combined two-brand operation has become one of the more recognized premium estate operations in the Walla Walla Valley.

• Amavi Cellars founded 2001 as sister winery; same winemaker (Jean-François Pellet), same estate vineyards, same owning group
• Amavi focuses on Syrah (including Rocks District of Milton-Freewater), rosé, and value-tier Bordeaux variety reds
• Shared tasting rooms in Walla Walla and Woodinville (Seattle area)
• Two-brand operation provides accessible introduction (Amavi) and premium estate program (Pepper Bridge) under one winemaking voice

Pellet's training in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and Napa shaped a winemaking style that is best described as terroir-driven and disciplined rather than ripeness-forward. The two estate vineyards both sit on highland loess soils with cool nights and warm days, conditions that produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with structural tannin, fresh acidity, and 12 to 20 year ageing potential. Across the range, alcohols typically land in the 13.5 to 14.5 percent range, oak handling is restrained, and the estate emphasizes site over technique. Pellet has been the consulting developer of a new optical sorter for the cellar, and he is a partner in several Walla Walla industry ventures including Octave Vineyard, Artifex Wine Co. (a custom-crush facility), and a mobile bottling line, all of which extend his impact beyond the Pepper Bridge and Amavi labels. Sustainability is a central part of the program: both Pepper Bridge Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard farm sustainably, and the broader operation is part of Walla Walla's leadership cohort in vineyard stewardship. The Pepper Bridge estate also retains the broader Walla Walla benchmark role that the original 1991 vineyard planting established, supplying neighboring premium producers and helping define the highland Walla Walla red style.

• Pellet trained in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and Napa (Heitz Cellars); style is structured, fresh, and site-driven rather than ripeness-forward
• Highland loess soils produce Bordeaux variety reds with structural tannin, fresh acidity, 12-20 year ageing trajectory; alcohols typically 13.5-14.5%
• Pellet is partner in Octave Vineyard, Artifex Wine Co. (custom-crush facility), and a mobile bottling line, extending his impact across Walla Walla
• Sustainability across both estate vineyards; Pepper Bridge Vineyard supplies neighboring premium producers and helped define the highland Walla Walla red style