ABOUT US

Gibbons Lane Winery Story

 In 1997, Carolyn Lakewold and her husband, Fred, planted a small experimental vineyard on a picturesque property adjacent to the Deschutes River on Gibbons Lane SE near Tenino, Washington. The following year construction on their small, well-appointed and charming winery began on the property next to their vineyard. The first crush for Donedei wines was in 1998 with the first commercial release being the Donedei 1999 Merlot – the next year a Cabernet Sauvignon was also produced. The grapes for both wines came predominantly from Red Mountain vineyard sources – these first releases were met with critical acclaim with the winery quickly garnering a cult following.

 

Today, the grapes from all of the Donedei wines come from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (Red Mountain Appellation) and Elephant Mountain Vineyard (Yakima Valley Appellation). All grapes are hand-picked, sorted and gently crushed – we are a 100% free run winery which means we do not press (very unusual) to enhance concentration and color intensity. Wines are fermented in small lots using proprietary yeasts. These practices yield wines that are concentrated, rich and assertive. In addition, our wines are un-filtered and un-fined so we recommend decanting a bottle before enjoying – by the way, you don’t need a “fancy” decanter. Our team takes great pride in what we do and we hope it shows in every glass.

 

Donedei takes its name from a farmhouse in southern France, near Cannes, that has been part of Carolyn and Fred’s life for over 15 years – Donedei, translated from its French origins, means “Gift of God”.

Carolyn Lakewold

A passion for great food and wine, as well as extensive vineyard and winery experiences in France, Italy and Washington State, were instrumental in propelling former college English professor and NCAA Champion fast-pitch coach, Carolyn Lakewold, into the world of winemaking. Leaving her academic and coaching positions behind her, beginning in 1996 Carolyn apprenticed with Doug McCrea of McCrea Cellars for two years before moving on to work with Bob Andrake of Andrake Cellars. Applying the knowledge and skills learned from those experiences as well as those in Europe, Carolyn began the crafting of her own wines under the new Donedei label.

Carolyn and Fred spend time away from the winery traveling around the world indulging their passion for fly fishing, searching for that perfect river, meal and glass of wine.

“My goal is to make the best wine in Washington. A lofty goal, yes, but we will continue to strive to do just that.”

VINEYARD SOURCES

In crafting Donedei wines, the single most important decision I make as a winemaker is the selection of the vineyard sites for our grapes. Quality fruit is the cornerstone of producing great wines and the vineyard physical characteristics (e.g. soil types, site topography and many other factors), site climate conditions (e.g. rainfall, day/night temperature variations during growing season, seasonal variations and numerous other factors) and viticulture practices and vineyard management (e.g. vineyard layout, rootstocks, canopy management and many other variables) are the primary factors I consider when selecting a vineyard site. With those factors in mind, Donedei utilizes the following vineyards for crafting our wines;    

Ciel du Cheval (French translation, “sky of the horse”) is the second oldest vineyard (est. 1975) planted on Washington’s Red Mountain and looks in the direction of the Horse Heaven Hills. When the great Spokane Flood formed the Red Mountain region, the Scooteney Channel backed up leaving deposits of gravel and huge stones. The Ciel du Cheval soil is composed of loam on gravel beds which extends down 12 feet or more. The high calcium carbonate content of the soil, according to vineyard owner Jim Holmes, is the key to the high quality of the fruit. This calcareous soil inhibits excessive vigor in the vines resulting in smaller berries and moderate canopies. This vineyard has a reputation for growing red wine grapes that have intense fruit characters and dense but supple tannins.

Elephant Mountain Vineyards (est. 1995) is 90 acres situated on a unique site located high (1,340-1,460 feet of elevation) on the southern slopes of the Rattlesnake Ridge at the base of Elephant Mountain near the center of the new Rattlesnake Hills Appellation in the greater Yakima Valley Appellation. Because of its high elevation, the vineyard averages 30 more frost-free days than most other Columbia Valley site, yet receives the same heat units as Red Mountain. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes from this site show intense fruit characters and great balanced acidities.