Kinhaven Winery: Of Kismet & Kinships

From Kinhaven wines to Boyer House retreats, the Davenport family delivers first-rate hospitality that creates lasting memories in Walla Walla

WALLA WALLA WINE COUNTRY rivals some of the finest regions in the country, earning its reputation as Washington’s Napa Valley.

Situated at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Walla Walla benefits from a rain shadow effect, resulting in arid and rich soil that is particularly condusive to grape cultivation. For this reason, this lush valley boasts a unique terroir, home to over 120 wineries. At the top tier of these wineries, you will find an elevated experience known as Kinhaven.

An Afternoon In The Vines

The wind was warm the morning my partner and I drove out to meet Kasey and Cameron Davenport, managers and partners of Kinhaven Winery, with the promise of a hot day ahead.

Pulling into the drive, the wind slowed to a light breeze. All was quiet and still except for a white Havanese dog padding his way across the parking lanes, tail wagging ferociously. This is Monte (we later learn), the official greeter to Kinhaven. Offering our salutations with the currency of petting and praises, we followed Monte over to the sunken patio where Kasey and Cameron were waiting.

Sinking into their cozy outdoor space, which is intentionally built a foot lower than ground level, we immediately felt immersed in the eight acres of vines. It’s as if they were gently embracing us as an old friend might do after a long period apart.

We settled in and began to get to know each other, slowly developing a comfortable fondness, a contentment for being surrounded by the vines, the land, and most importantly the people sitting across from us. Making memorable moments is Kinhaven’s focus, after all, their raison d’être. They succeeded.

Over a chilled glass of Viognier, Kasey and Cameron shared the details of Kinhaven’s conception as we sipped on the sweet notes of ripe peach, poached pear and honeysuckle in this white wine born and bred only yards away from where we sat.

Wine and Hospitality

Kinhaven is family-run, beginning with Terry and Lisa Davenport, Kasey’s parents. Their draw to Walla Walla, from the west side of the mountains, began when their youngest daughter enrolled at Whitman College. Many trips back and forth found them exploring the area.

On one such trip, in the fall of 2013, Terry and Lisa stumbled upon a 1909 neoclassical home about a block from the Whitman campus. The home called out for repairs—which soon turned into a complete overhaul and restoration—but the Davenports found themselves smitten with this new prospect, which they named Boyer House. Shortly after completion in 2016, they opened its doors as a vacation rental home.

Five years after purchasing the Boyer House, the Davenports serendipitously discovered a ten-acre parcel that was the site of a former winery. It had sweeping views and a backdrop of the Blue Mountains. “With 20-year-old vines, a tasting room and production facility in place, the property literally invited itself into our lives,” remarks Cameron. All it needed was the Davenport’s special touch.

Combining the winery business with their newly restored rental seemed an ideal match. Guests staying at Boyer House could book wine tastings or hosted events out among the vines. Lisa Davenport remains the project manager, with Terry heading up the marketing side.

Kismet From The Start

Enter Kasey, the oldest of the Davenport girls. She and her husband Cameron both grew up in Northern Michigan where her family lived. They came from the same small town and even attended the same grade school together. As they grew into young adults, life took them in different directions only to meet again many years later in Miami Beach where they both had blossoming careers. It was kismet from the start.

Kasey worked as a wedding and event planner eventually creating her own brand, Kasey D. Weddings. Meanwhile, Cameron honed his passion for gourmet cooking and worked his way up aboard private yachts, learning everything from navigation to mechanics to eventually a captainship.

When Kasey traveled out to visit her sister in Walla Walla for a music festival, she again felt kismet. This time for the place, and everything Walla Walla had to offer from its vibrant, culturally diverse scene, alive with the arts, restaurants, and a wine industry to go with it.

Wanting to return to a small town as well as be close to family, Kasey and Cameron took a leap of faith and moved their lives to Walla Walla. “What we discovered is its burgeoning reputation as both a winegrowing region and a sought-after wedding destination,” Kasey says.

She brought her skills of wedding planning to Walla Walla, and Cameron spent time at both TMACS and Passatempo Taverna as executive chef, both of which further connected them to their community.

Kinhaven became an opportunity for Kasey and Cameron to work together unifying their individual skills into a winning combination. As co-owners, winemakers and chief hospitality ambassadors, it was an opportunity they embraced. Kasey defines it as “a little stamp on something of our own.”

Elevated Wines

Becoming a winemaker aligns well with Cameron’s exquisite palate and passion for creating fine food, and even finer meals. What goes with a spectacular meal but an equally spectacular wine? And that elevated taste is what Kinhaven strives for every vintage.

Their small-lot wine production consists of mostly single-varietal, single-vineyard reds, as well as a few white wines. The eight-acre estate vineyard grows Bordeaux varietals that include stunning old-vine Merlot, teasing with its sleek structure and complexity in the 2020 vintage.

“Along with our estate, we source primarily from Walla Walla vineyards. Our Chardonnay is from Celilo Vineyard off the Columbia Gorge, the oldest planted Chardonnay in the state,” Cameron says.  “We hand-select each vineyard where our fruit comes from with great care, as each grower and the specific terroir is a part of making each wine exceptional.”

Speaking as a winemaker and a chef, Cameron says that aromatics, complexity and balance are top of mind. “These are components we strive for in all the decisions we make, from sourcing our fruit to the work we do in the cellar. Like a delicious dish, it must be harmonious with all the components coming together perfectly—the fat, acid, temperature and texture need to be balanced as they are all of great importance.”

The wines convey a sense of identity, with a range of elegance and finesse that runs uniformly through the lineup. To assist the winemaking team, Kinhaven has recruited consultant Tim Donahue, a veteran who spent 11 years as director of winemaking at the Institute for Enology and Viticulture in Walla Walla.

“We’re currently producing around 1,500 cases and plan on remaining a small boutique, family-owned and operated winery for years to come,” adds Kasey.

Walla Walla Retreat

Why not continue making memories with a stay at the Boyer House? This remodeled 1909 neo-classical home sits in the heart of Walla Walla, steps from the Whitman College campus. It’s central location makes exploring the town or enjoying an evening of wine tasting, effortless.

Originally the home of Oliver T. Cornwell, a prominent Walla Walla banker, businessman, and state legislator, the community roots of this stately house run deep. “It’s part of the historical homes of Walla Walla and is on the walking tour from the Heritage Museum,” says Lisa Davenport. “The house was an early 1900’s era Sears and Roebuck kit, which was not uncommon back then. The Cornwell family added upgrades to the classic look with custom trim and moldings from a local mill, Whitehouse Crawford.”

This originality of a bygone era attracted Lisa and Terry Davenport to the home when they noticed it was for sale, but the house needed some care. Lisa and Terry felt moved to be the caretakers protecting the long history of this house while simultaneously updating it, bringing it back to its full glory. But on a hot July day in 2015, while beginning a complete overhaul stripping off years of outside paint, tragedy knocked on the door. A fire smoldered unnoticed along the roofline where the painters had been working. By the time alarms sounded the fire had already burned through the roof structure.

Rebirth of Boyer House

The blaze became contained, sparing most of the original structure yet leaving behind extensive smoke and water damage. However, after taking a breath, or two or three, the Davenport’s chose to move forward and view these circumstances as an opportunity to remodel.

“We believe in the history of Walla Walla and wanted to make Boyer House into what it deserves to be, a 1901 neoclassical home that is part of the story of this place,” Lisa says, concerned a developer would buy it and chop it into apartments. “We have always loved old homes, and that is one of the reasons we bought the house.”

Over the next year, they stripped and restained the original trim from Whitehorse Crawford, and redid plaster, plumbing, and the hardwood floors. Finally in 2016, the big, wooden doors of Boyer House opened to the public with one main goal—to share the historic home with the community. Keeping it a family affair, Kasey took on the scheduling of events keeping Boyer House’s calendar filled with wedding parties, family reunions, and graduation celebrations.

A Place to Gather

During our stay in Walla Walla, it did not take long to ease into the comfortable elegance that permeates Boyer House. The Davenport’s decorated and designed each room themselves with a juxtaposition of old and new, historical and modern. There is an elegant yet eclectic vibe to the home.

Walking into the chef’s kitchen first, we discovered a welcome card along with a bottle of Kinhaven Red Blend waiting for us. Heading up the grand staircase we stopped to look in each of the seven bedrooms before deciding on the master bedroom for our night’s slumber. With all these different rooms there is enough to accommodate the entire extended family or perhaps all the bridesmaids in a wedding party.

After unpacking, we strolled through the quaint neighborhood of older homes meandering our way through the college campus and park-like settings. After a quiet dinner out, we returned to Boyer House. In the backyard, we lounged away the long summer night with a glass of wine in hand. Later inside, we found ourselves snuggling under the cashmere throws while watching a movie in the fourth-floor theatre room. If so inclined, we could walk downstairs and play billiards in the basement game room or enjoy a game of chess in the front parlor.

The next eve we gathered in the cook’s kitchen to prepare a meal together. Every detail has been taken care of, ensuring that everything we need is at our fingertips. We open the doors to the built-in pantry and find a wide array of spices, flour, oil, and pots and pans. This kitchen is impressively stocked—naturally the Davenport’s make sure it meets the standards of any great chef.

Then, as dusk nears and the first star appears in the sky, we move outside to dine at the rustic, wooden outdoor table set up for this very occasion. We dine casually under the soft glow of string lights above our heads wanting to savor this moment, to freeze it in time like a photograph. This is a place for gathering, to share laughter and good food, and to know the joys of life.

This is Boyer House…and Kinhaven.

Stay, Tour & Taste at Kinhaven and Boyer House

Visit the winery in Walla Walla or book a stay at the Boyer House

Kinhaven Winery & Vineyard
1050 Merlot Drive, Walla Walla
PH: (509) 525-1226
Learn more about this winery at 
www.kinhavenwinery.com

Boyer House
571 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla
(509) 730-0418
Learn more about renting this historical rental home at 
www.boyerhouse.com

Written by MaryRose Denton
Photographs by Colby Kuschatka
Wine reviews by editor John Vitale