The search for the best site on which to start a cabernet sauvignon vineyard lead me to Red Mountain in the spring of 1984. Initial planting began in the spring of 1985 and has continued with the addition of more cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and malbec as well as the Rhone varietals of syrah, grenache and mourvedre. In 2001, Red Mountain was approved as an American Viticultural Area (AVA). An American Viticultural Area is a grape-growing region distinguishable by geographic features. Such features include soil, climate, elevation and topography. The AVA encompasses approximately 4,040 acres of which approximately 2,700 acres could potentially support vineyard development.