The family that owns the Canucks hockey franchise is preparing to build a 170,000 square-foot wine production facility and tasting room in the Red Mountain AVA near Benton City, Wash. The complex will also include a home for the owners.
Aquilini Red Mountain Vineyards, a holding of Aquilini Investment Group, will grade 17 acres and take four vineyard acres out of production to accommodate the facility.
It has planted 647 acres on Red Mountain with a mix of cabernet sauvignon grapes and Bordeaux varieties such as Malbec and merlot, said Andy Perdue, editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine.
It has produced two red wines and a syrah rose — the former with grapes from Red Mountain grapes and the latter with grapes from the Horse Heaven Hills.
The vintages are being released into the Seattle market under the Aquilini name.
The company’s varied interests include sports and entertainment, real estate, hospitality and agriculture. Francesco Aquilini is a major supporter of plans to bring a NHL expansion team to Seattle, saying it would be good for Vancouver.