At the age of 16, Michael Haig became vineyard manager, cellar rat and general laborer at his parents' vineyard dotting the shores of Lake Roosevelt near the sleepy farm town of Wilbur.

Haig was not a farm boy raised in the wheat fields of the Palouse, but rather a graduate of Gonzaga Prep in Spokane and the son of a well-known certified public accountant. While looking for a piece of property for a retirement home, his parents, Walter and Judy Haig, serendipitously discovered Whitestone Rock, an area in the region now flooded by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam ? a land once lush with grapevines from nearly a century ago.

A decade and a half after it was founded in 1992, Whitestone Winery and its vineyards sit next to Lake Roosevelt on 500 acres that were not flooded in the 1941 creation of the dam. Haig, now 31, grew from a teenager struggling with whether to follow in his dad's footsteps into the winemaker of Whitestone Winery with a passion and zeal for growing grapes and producing estate wines.

"What started off as forced labor became a labor of love and my passion in life," says Haig, who learned his craft by initially selling estate grapes to other winemakers and learning their secrets. "I used to dread having to go to the vineyards. I was planning where we would plant the grapes, building deer fences, learning about grape clones and everything else, all while I was still in high school and college. I didn't think it was much fun."

In 2001, the family decided to evolve from a source of grapes for other wineries into a winemaker in its own right. "We could see that Michael had developed a deep connection with the vineyards and wine," says Judy Haig, who has supported the careers of her husband and son. "This was supposed to be a retirement project for Walter, but Michael developed such a natural touch, an instinct, that making our own wines seemed to be the next step."

Although people driving through Wilbur are delighted to discover a winery and tasting room in such a rural location, Whitestone Winery flew under the wine industry radar with its first few vintages. Michael said it provided him time to continue learning and experimenting without everyone watching.

Within one month of winning an "outstanding" rating from Washington CEO Magazine's wine competition, the 2002 Merlot was sold out and Haig was suddenly fielding phone calls from consumers who wanted to know more about his wines.

"When you have 500 wineries in the state, it is hard to get noticed, although people now remember that little winery in, of all places, Wilbur, Washington," says Haig.

With the 2005 vintage, Whitestone Winery will produce 100 percent of its wines from grapes grown on the estate. The vineyard produces Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

According to oenological studies from Washington State University and others, massive Lake Roosevelt provides for cooler nights during the summertime, which build up the acid and tannin structure of the grapes, while hot daytime temperatures help produce the sugars, similar to the Bordeaux region of France. In the fall, the lake remains warmer than the surrounding area, extending the growing season in the nearby vineyards. While many wineries harvest in late August, Whitestone can harvest as late as the end of October.

The winery plans to release its 2005 vintage in October. Some of the 2003 crop was blended into Pieces of Red, a nonvintage blend that serves as Whitestone's second label. The 2004, according to Haig, is still "cooking" in barrels.

In the early days when the winery was struggling to get on its feet, the Haigs were "squatters" at other wineries, since they didn't have their own equipment. Haig would drive around eastern Washington, looking for a winery that would allow them to crush grapes and truck the juice back to Wilbur. With last year's purchase of new equipment and a 10,000 square-foot warehouse at the vineyard, the Haig family can now produce their wines on the estate.

"Now, I can take my time, and taste the grapes throughout the process without having to go anywhere else," Haig says. "I am looking for that moment that makes my hair tingle. I am looking for the right smells, the right colors. It's all right here at our vineyards and it just takes time to learn it."

Recommendations

Pieces of Red (nonvintage): This has a lot of structure and grip for a nonvintage red wine, with tart berry and pomegranate flavors. A great burger and steak wine that works with or without food.

2002 Cabernet Franc: The aroma opens with cherry pie, raspberries, nutmeg and an earthiness, followed by flavors of licorice, cherries and plum. It has a nice finish of cherries and bittersweet chocolate. Given an "excellent" rating in Washington CEO Magazine's "Best of Washington Wines 2007" contest.

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon: A rich thread of tannins gives this wine structure, while still providing plenty of fruit-forward notes of black currant and black cherry, also with a sweet wood flavor and a slight hint of toastiness.

2002 Merlot: A floral nose, great body and tannins with a silky smooth finish, all with luscious cherry tones. Although this wine is now sold out, I recently tasted the 2005 vintage, to be released in October, and this Merlot is just as supple and lush, with pretty cherry flavors lingering on the tongue.