Seven Hills Winery

Casey McClellan was born to a farming family in Eastern Washington and is a fourth-generation farmer there. He was born in Oregon City, Oregon, raised in Walla Walla, and started working wheat and pea harvests at 15. In the early 1980s, Casey and his family planted the founding blocks of their future winery, 21 acres of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1985, after earning a pharmacy degree from the University of Washington, he enrolled at the University of California, Davis, where he completed a Master of Science in Enology. He then worked in Porto for a year before returning to the Walla Walla Valley with his wife, Vicky, to found the winery. Seven Hills Winery was established in 1988, when it was one of only five wineries in the region.

• Founders: Casey and Vicky McClellan
• Casey McClellan: fourth-generation farmer; Master of Science in Enology, UC Davis
• Founding blocks planted in the early 1980s: 21 acres of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
• Established 1988, one of only five wineries in the region at the time

The 21-acre SHW Founding Vineyard sits on the southern edge of what would later be defined as the Walla Walla Valley appellation, on deep silt loam soils over flood sediments at an elevation of 1,000 feet. It was one of the first plantings of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Walla Walla Valley, and its original vines have produced over 30 vintages. It supplies the winery's marquee single vineyard wines and holds LIVE and Salmon Safe certifications. As of December 31, 2025, Seven Hills Winery held 74 plantable acres owned, 42 of them planted, including plantings in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Defiant I and Defiant III come from the estate vineyard in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater.

• SHW Founding Vineyard: 21 acres, deep silt loam over flood sediments, 1,000 feet elevation
• Original vines have produced over 30 vintages
• LIVE and Salmon Safe certified
• Estate acreage also includes plantings in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater

Seven Hills Winery was one of the first properties in the appellation to produce vineyard-designate wines. Beyond estate fruit, it sources from vineyards it has worked with for many years, including McClellan Estate Vineyard and Summit View Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley and Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun Vineyard in the Red Mountain appellation. The winery describes its approach as traditional fermentation techniques and barrel selections that highlight varietal grape flavors, aiming for wines that pair well with food. The red lineup includes Pentad, SHW Founding Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard red wine and Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain, Summit View Cabernet Sauvignon, McClellan Estate Vineyard Malbec and Petit Verdot, a Rocks District Syrah, and the Defiant wines, which release in chapters rather than vintages. Whites and a dry rosé are sourced from the cool regions of the Columbia Valley, alongside a Reserve Sauvignon Blanc from White Bluffs. The winery calls Pentad its most sought-after wine and describes itself as the only Walla Walla winery to grow and craft all six traditional Bordeaux varietals.

• One of the first properties in the appellation to produce vineyard-designate wines
• Sourced vineyards include McClellan Estate, Summit View, Ciel du Cheval, and Klipsun
• Flagship Pentad; Defiant wines released in chapters rather than vintages
• Whites and rosé from the Columbia Valley

Crimson Wine Group, headquartered in Napa, California, acquired Seven Hills Winery in January 2016. Bobby Richards joined as a harvest intern in 2013 and today serves as winemaker (as of September 2026). Raised in Albany, Oregon, he came to winemaking through the fermentation science club at Oregon State University, worked a harvest at Benton-Lane in the Willamette Valley after graduating in 2009, and was harvest intern at Tranche Cellars. He completed the online degree from UC Davis in Enology and Viticulture. Casey McClellan is the winery's founder. The winery and tasting room occupy the Whitehouse-Crawford building in downtown Walla Walla, built as a wood mill in 1904, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and restored in 2000 to house the winery. The winery describes it as downtown Walla Walla's only historic working winemaking facility. Wine Spectator has called Seven Hills a Washington state pioneer, and The Drinks Business noted its reputation for Merlot and Bordeaux-style red blends.

• Owner: Crimson Wine Group, since January 2016
• Winemaker: Bobby Richards (harvest intern from 2013; winemaker as of September 2026)
• Winery and tasting room: 212 North 3rd Avenue, Walla Walla
• Building listed on the National Register of Historic Places; restored in 2000

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-story/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-wines/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/visit/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-story/winemaking/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-story/walla-walla-valley/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-story/estate-vineyard/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-story/our-team/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-wines/our-reds/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/our-wines/whites-and-rose/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/wines/pentad/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/wines/shv-founding-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon/, https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/wines/defiant-chapter-01/. Secondary sources: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1562151/000162828026018796/cwgl-20251231.htm, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/washington-s-seven-hills-winery-sold-for-575-million-52673, https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/01/crimson-wine-group-acquires-seven-hills-winery/. Last verified 2026-10-12.