Agritourism Lifestyle
Red Mountain Trails and Winery
Written by Alicia Walters
Photographs by Lisa Monteagudo
The holidays invite us to connect to generations past as we enjoy timeless traditions such as a horse drawn wagon ride through the crisp winter air. The clip clop of the horses and the sound of leather reins moving with them invite our imaginations back to a simpler time where horses were the primary mode of travel and where people were committed to the land they worked and turned it into something special to call their own.
What began as a family-owned peach orchard in the 70s has blossomed into an agritourism operation that offers groups, including families an opportunity to get up close with the horses and enjoy panoramic views in southeast Washington together. This wholesome recreation in Washington’s wine country rejuvenates visitors and leaves them excitedly anticipating their next visit.
Teresa has fond memories growing up on her family peach orchard. From humble beginnings when her father dug his own well and the family used an outhouse, soon after she was given her own horse to ride. It was like a dream come true for a little girl who loves horses! Teresa learned the skills in her early years to tend to and appreciate the therapeutic benefits of horses and sometimes she would ride out into the sagebrush and not return home until midnight.
Later Teresa married Jeff Owen and together in 2011, they purchased Teresa’s family home and returned. It was Jeff’s earnest convincing that Red Mountain was uniquely positioned to enjoy more fully on horseback and that they needed to offer trail rides that helped Teresa take the leap. During the winter, Jeff works Ski Patrol at White Pass and in the summer he is doing all the hard labor required to keep the views at Red Mountain such to make their trail rides memorable.
Red Mountain Trails is located in Benton City, Washington along Red Mountain. Owners Teresa and Jeff are warm and welcoming. They have created a down-to-earth agritourism and wine tasting experience for making memories. They offer horse-drawn wagon rides, Christmas trees and wreaths, fire pits and their own Red Mountain wine that they started in 2019. Rather than a remote tasting room apart from the outdoors, Red Mountain Trails and Winery brings visitors directly to the vineyard to see where the wine is produced.
Reservations for wagon rides are $10 per person and are made online with fire pits and wine as optional add-ons. On Saturdays and Sundays, family friendly rides are offered and with a fire pit add-on, families can roast hot dogs or s’mores together! They also offer gift certificates for those wishing to gift family and friends a special experience.
Finally, visitors to Red Mountain can explore gifts at Uncorked Cowgirl, which is the retail shop where they sell their wine, goat milk soaps and products and other merchandise. Red Mountain Winery produces Bordeaux varietals that grow exceptionally well in this AVA such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Their tasting room is an outdoor pavilion on their ranch. Customers experience wine tasting outdoors next to the campfire surrounded by sweeping desert views earning them a win of the 2021 Travelers’ Choice Award from Trip Advisor.
In addition to Agritourism Life, Red Mountain Trails has also been featured in Washington Tasting Magazine, Touring and Tasting and Martha Stewart Living. You can follow RedMountainTrails on Facebook, redmountaintrails on Instagram and redmtntrails on Twitter. For information and to book a trail ride, wagon ride or bicycle wine tours, visit redmountaintrails.com/reservations. Gift vouchers are also available. For additional questions, send an Email to info@redmountaintrails.com.