Hedges Family Estate was founded in 1987 when Tom and Ann-Marie Hedges, a couple with ties to France --Marie is from the Champagne -- produced their first commercial Columbia Valley Cabernet/Merlot blend. The pair had spent a decade working for large agricultural concerns, but they wanted to be wine producers. Their original idea was to set up a wine producer/brokerage business on the model of the French negoiciants. But in 1989 they purchased 50 acres in the Red Mountain district of Washington’s Yakima Valley and began growing their own grapes. In 1995 the couple built a chateau in Red Mountain. Today the estate is still owned and operated by the Hedges family, which now includes adult children. Hedges is known for its red blends and its Merlot, but it also produces Chardonnay and Syrah. The estate has won numerous awards for its wines.