Terry and Vivian

Terry Flanagan, owner of Ryan Patrick Vineyards, grew up working on his father's farm located near the small rural community of Quincy, Washington. The appeal of growing wine grapes and returning to his father’s farm became irresistible after his corporate career ended and he neared retirement. Perhaps the old saying, "you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy," is true after all.

Flanagan returned to Eastern Washington full-time, upon retirement, in 1996. He implemented the first phase of the winery by selecting the ideal location for his family's vineyard. "We wanted the best location we could find to assure the successful growth of top quality grapes. We also needed to minimize the risk of freeze damage while maintaining the capability to ripen extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot", explained Flanagan. "From the beginning, our goal has been to produce limited quantities of reserve quality wines at affordable prices. Quality, not quantity, is our main priority."

Ryan Patrick Vineyards is the embodiment of a dream woven into years of dedication and hard work. Terry Flanagan initiated this "path" but is directly influenced by the support of his family. Vivian, his wife of over thirty years, helps coordinate administrative aspects of the business while Flanagan's two sons, Ryan and Patrick, served as the inspiration for the company's name.

Patrick

Patrick Flanagan was not only our son, our brother, an uncle, our comrade, one heck of a race car driver and an avid wine lover, he is also the heart and soul of Ryan Patrick Vineyards. At the youthful age of 21, just old enough to drink (legally), Patrick took on the role of Cellar Master at Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, Washington, preparing to one day take the reign’s as head winemaker for his namesake, Ryan Patrick Vineyards. He gained experience from Charlie Hoppes (Fidelitas) and Holly Turner (Three Rivers Winery), and then moved on to Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla. Patrick learned an extraordinary amount in a short period of time, without any technical schooling, and eventually made the move back home to Wenatchee, Washington. He worked as Apprentice Winemaker under our previous winemaker and also, for a short time, with our current winemaker, Craig Mitrakul. Patrick put his heart and soul into the wines he made; staying at the winery from dawn to dusk, showing us all he knew how to get the job done and just how much he cared. He learned from some of the best and left us with his best. Patrick passed away on August 17, 2004 in a car accident. He will eternally be 24 years old and has left us all with an undying love for him and for life. We are very proud that the wines Patrick worked on from start to finish received our highest scores yet in the June 2006 issue of the highly renowned Wine Spectator. Patrick is our inspiration behind the grapes in our vineyards and the bottles of wine we produce. Some of you may have had the pleasure of knowing Patrick, for those of you who did not, we promise he would have touched your soul like he touched so many others.

Patrick Terence Flanagan ~ April 11, 1980 - August 17, 2004.

Ryan & Wendy

Vivian and Terry’s eldest son and namesake to the winery, Ryan Flanagan, has contributed to the success of vineyard operations for Ryan Patrick Vineyards since conception in 1996. Ryan has extensive experience within the Washington Wine Industry, working for the State’s leading wine producer, Ste. Michelle Estates, for seven years and currently working as manager of Indian Wells Vineyard, one of the State’s most highly acclaimed vineyards in Mattawa, Washington. Ryan oversees all vineyard practices for Ryan Patrick Vineyards and also sources some of the finest fruit available for the winery. Ryan has worked amongst the best winemakers and growers in the State and is a sitting board member for the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. Ryan's wife, Wendy, stays at home with their two children and contributes to marketing efforts for the winery in her spare time. Ryan’s family resides in East Wenatchee.