WeatherEye Vineyards

WeatherEye Vineyards sits high on the ridgelines of Red Mountain, within Washington State's Columbia Valley AVA. Cameron Myhrvold, its owner and founder, acquired the property in 2004, when much of the land was considered beyond the limits of viable viticulture. For ten years nothing was planted. In 2014 Myhrvold brought in viticulturist Ryan Johnson to assess the land, and Johnson's answer was that a small fraction was plantable, but only with extraordinary care. Planting started in 2016. From an initial parcel the estate has grown into more than 400 contiguous acres, of which only a small portion has been planted. The name is drawn from a maritime expression, to "keep a weather eye," used by sailors who read the sea, sky and wind.

• 2004: Cameron Myhrvold acquires the property atop Red Mountain
• 2014: viticulturist Ryan Johnson is brought in to assess the land
• 2016: planting starts
• Today: more than 400 contiguous acres, only a small portion planted

As of October 2026, the estate's team page names five people. Cameron Myhrvold is Owner and Founder; he is a long-time board member of the Auction of Washington Wines, a collector of Washington vintages, and the founder of several technology ventures, including the venture capital firm Ignition Partners. Ryan Johnson is Vineyard Manager and has worked on the extreme-viticulture side of Red Mountain for more than 20 years as a vineyard manager and consultant; he was formally trained as an artist and a scientist. Louis Skinner is Winemaker; before joining WeatherEye and Force Majeure he spent nearly a decade at Betz Family Winery, where he rose to the role of Winemaker, after earlier experience at DeLille Cellars. Matt Moye is Assistant Winemaker for Force Majeure and WeatherEye; he joined Force Majeure Vineyards in 2019 and worked first as Cellar Master. Sam Lloyd is Sales and Marketing Director; she previously led direct-to-consumer operations at Inglenook in Napa Valley and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2020.

• Cameron Myhrvold: Owner and Founder
• Ryan Johnson: Vineyard Manager
• Louis Skinner: Winemaker, formerly Winemaker at Betz Family Winery
• Matt Moye: Assistant Winemaker (Force Majeure and WeatherEye)
• Sam Lloyd: Sales and Marketing Director

Much of Red Mountain is built on sediment left by ancient floods, but WeatherEye's upper ridges sit beyond the reach of those waters. The ground there is fractured basalt and wind-blown sand, with steep slopes, thin soils and constant exposure. The soils, a mosaic of fractured basalt and sandy loess, vary sharply over short distances, and the vineyard is divided into dozens of micro-blocks, each matched to its geology. The slopes open to the southwest, persistent winds cross the ridgeline, cool nights are shaped by elevation and the nearby Yakima River, and rainfall is scarce. Elevation rises from roughly 950 to over 1,400 feet. Of the 16-hectare vineyard, a little less than three hectares are planted with Syrah. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the north side of Red Mountain, the 2023 Grenache from three north-facing blocks and the 2023 Mourvèdre from northern blocks. Block names on the estate's wine notes include Mesita (Grenache), Ship (Mourvèdre), Meter by Meter (Syrah) and B2 (Cabernet Sauvignon).

• Upper ridges above the reach of Red Mountain's ancient floodwaters
• Fractured basalt, wind-blown sand and sandy loess
• Roughly 950 to over 1,400 feet; southwest-facing slopes plus north-facing blocks
• Dozens of micro-blocks, including Mesita, Ship, Meter by Meter and B2

Vine density varies dramatically across the property, from widely spaced plantings to tightly packed rows. Many vines are head-trained using traditional Rhône methods, and in some areas native vegetation is preserved among the vines to encourage biodiversity. Ryan Johnson trains Syrah on the échalas system, with each vine on its own tall stake, which makes him one of the few Washington growers to use it. Because Red Mountain is hot, windy and dry, he increased vine density to create more natural shade for the fruit.

• Vine density from widely spaced to tightly packed rows
• Many vines head-trained in the Rhône manner
• Syrah on échalas, each vine on its own stake
• Native vegetation kept among the vines in some areas

The estate's wines page lists eight reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, The Raven's Share Estate Red Wine, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, High Tide and Hillfighter) and five whites (Marsanne, Clairette Blanche, Roussanne, L'Atomique and Hillfighter White). The earliest vintages listed are the 2018 Grenache and 2018 Syrah. The wines are small-lot and estate-grown and are released in limited allocations throughout the year. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon blends 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, fermented in stainless steel and concrete and raised in 70% new French oak; 255 cases were made. The Raven's Share is a Right Bank-inspired blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, raised in 60% new French oak in 2022. The 2023 Tempranillo is 78% Tempranillo with 11% Grenache from the Mesita block and 11% Mourvèdre from the Ship block, aged 22 months in 70% new French oak. High Tide made its debut in 2023, a co-fermented blend of 39% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, 22% Tempranillo and 8% Graciano. Hillfighter is the estate's second label; the 2023 red blends 35% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Among the whites, the 2023 L'Atomique blends 36% Viognier, 32% Roussanne, 22% Grenache Blanc, 7% Clairette and 3% Marsanne, fermented on its skins for two weeks, and the 2023 Clairette Blanche is whole-cluster pressed, fermented in neutral oak and aged on its lees for 20 months. The 2018 Syrah carries the Red Mountain AVA, while the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2023 Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre carry the Columbia Valley AVA.

• Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, The Raven's Share, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, High Tide, Hillfighter
• Whites: Marsanne, Clairette Blanche, Roussanne, L'Atomique, Hillfighter White
• Earliest listed vintages: 2018 Grenache and Syrah
• Hillfighter is the second label; High Tide debuted with the 2023 vintage

Beyond its own label, WeatherEye provides fruit to wineries such as Liminal and MTN/ART. Liminal makes wine from one vineyard, WeatherEye. Its winemaker, Chris Peterson, who also makes the wines of Avennia, told Decanter: "At this vineyard, they have taken Grenache to another level in Washington state." Liminal bottles Grenache from the High Canyon block at the top of the vineyard on its own. MTN/ART Wines is a small project that Ryan Johnson and his wife Rebecca started, based exclusively on WeatherEye fruit.

• Liminal: makes wine from WeatherEye only
• MTN/ART Wines: Ryan and Rebecca Johnson's project, WeatherEye fruit only

In the estate's own words, each bottling "reflects a distinct place within the vineyard," and the wines "carry both intensity and restraint," with "richness lifted by natural acidity." Ryan Johnson calls the vineyard "a case study in terroir."

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://weathereyevineyards.com/discover/, https://weathereyevineyards.com/the-vineyard/, https://weathereyevineyards.com/team/, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wines/, https://weathereyevineyards.com/allocation/, and the estate's technical sheets (PDF): https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2018_WE_SYRAH.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2022_WE_CABERNETSAUVIGNON.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_GRENACHE.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_SYRAH.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_MOURVEDRE.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_TEMPRANILLO.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_HIGH_TIDE.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_HILLFIGHTERRED.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2023_WE_CLAIRETTEBLANCHE.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2022_WE_THERAVENSSHARE.pdf, https://weathereyevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2020_WE_HILLFIGHTERWHITE.pdf. Secondary sources: Decanter (Clive Pursehouse, published 15 September 2023), https://www.decanter.com/wine/grape-varieties/grenache-garnacha/us-grenache-for-international-grenache-day-511250/; Decanter (Ani Duzdabanyan, published 27 July 2026), https://www.decanter.com/wine/washington/this-is-syrah-will-become-washingtons-defining-red-wine/; and JancisRobinson.com (Elaine Chukan Brown, 7 December 2022), https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/how-weathereye-vineyard-redefining-washington-wine. Last verified 2026-10-18. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.