Winery on track to open in Col. Falls next year

While their vineyard planted last year on Elk Park Road matures toward its first harvest season expected in a couple of years, Dan Murphy and his wife Rebecca hope to open their new winery in Columbia Falls by February 2019.

Named the White Raven, the winery will combine both out-of-state and local Montana grapes using techniques learned over seven years of working with professional wine makers in Southern California.

Murphy and his wife were high school sweethearts, graduating from Columbia Falls High School in 1988 before Murphy joined the U.S. Marine Corps and landed in California.

Upon leaving military service, Murphy found himself in the heart of wine country, surrounded by around 150 wineries.

He and his wife launched a mobile wine-bottling company, traveling between 90 different wineries each year, filling bottles and learning from their clients.

California was still a far cry from Columbia Falls, however, and Murphy said after 30 years of searching for a chance to move back home, he saw his opportunity upon discovering cold hardy varietal grapes.

Capable of withstanding temperatures of minus 30 degrees, the grape varieties are well-suited to Montana’s harsh winters, and with more research, Murphy said he found others in the Flathead Valley maintaining successful vineyards that produce good wine.

Rakes hit the ground on Murphy’s newly purchased plot in Columbia Falls two years ago, and planting began last year.

Until his own grapes are ready, Murphy said he plans to continue purchasing grapes from other Montana vineyards as well as Washington and California.

The winery itself has a ways to go before it can open for business in Columbia Falls; renovations expected to continue through the winter.

Once finished, Murphy said he hopes his wine will appeal to the valley as a product made for locals by locals.

“I hope to introduce the valley to high-quality wines that are just easy and fun,” he said. “Not the highfalutin, pinky-in-the-air kind of thing. Just good wine to drink from local Montana grapes.”

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.