Cadaretta
A brief history
Cadaretta was started by the Middleton family. The family has been committed to Washington since 1898, when they started the Anderson & Middleton forestry products company in Hoquiam, Washington. They diversified into grapes in California 20 years ago, and now they’re bringing their grape and wine experience back to Washington, and to their family roots. The Cadaretta property in Walla Walla is named after one of the family’s early lumber schooners, used to ship timber from Washington to California in the 1920s and 1930s.
When our family decided to establish a new winery in the Walla Walla Valley, we knew we wanted the best facility possible. But since we didn't yet have a complete picture of the range and quantity of wines we'd make, building the perfect winery required some creative thinking.
Ultimately, we partnered with our friends, Norm McKibben and Jean-Francois Pellet, to build an attractive, pra
ctical, and well-equipped winery. We named our winery "Artifex" -- from a Latin term meaning "made skillfully."
Artifex is the Cadaretta winery, and, with its capacity and capabilities, it is a custom-crush winery supporting new wine ventures in the Walla Walla Valley.
For Cadaretta, Artifex is a perfect winemaking solution. It's a great place for Cadaretta winemaker Kendall Mix to make great wine. And, because he's not the only one making wine at Artifex, we have a unique, sharing connection with the broader community of Walla Walla winemaking.
Artifex is distinctive in another way: It's location. The winery is one tenant in the large red brick and beam building originally contructed in 1941 for the Continental Can Company. Later, the property became home to Crown Cork & Seal. When that business closed, the Port of Walla Walla acquired this spot on the intersection of Dell Avenue and N. 13th Avenue, to redevelop into small production spaces. The old brick walls, exposed beams, and high glass windows seem to suit the shiny stainless steel tanks, state-of-the art winemaking equipment, and wine-stained oak barrels that fill this active winery space.
When our family decided to establish a new winery in the Walla Walla Valley, we knew we wanted the best facility possible. But since we didn't yet have a complete picture of the range and quantity of wines we'd make, building the perfect winery required some creative thinking.
Ultimately, we partnered with our friends, Norm McKibben and Jean-Francois Pellet, to build an attractive, pra
ctical, and well-equipped winery. We named our winery "Artifex" -- from a Latin term meaning "made skillfully."
Artifex is the Cadaretta winery, and, with its capacity and capabilities, it is a custom-crush winery supporting new wine ventures in the Walla Walla Valley.
For Cadaretta, Artifex is a perfect winemaking solution. It's a great place for Cadaretta winemaker Kendall Mix to make great wine. And, because he's not the only one making wine at Artifex, we have a unique, sharing connection with the broader community of Walla Walla winemaking.
Artifex is distinctive in another way: It's location. The winery is one tenant in the large red brick and beam building originally contructed in 1941 for the Continental Can Company. Later, the property became home to Crown Cork & Seal. When that business closed, the Port of Walla Walla acquired this spot on the intersection of Dell Avenue and N. 13th Avenue, to redevelop into small production spaces. The old brick walls, exposed beams, and high glass windows seem to suit the shiny stainless steel tanks, state-of-the art winemaking equipment, and wine-stained oak barrels that fill this active winery space.
