A founder of one of the oldest and largest family wineries in Washington state was recently celebrated by his peers for his impact on winemaking. 

Rob Griffin of Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland received the Grand Vin Award at the recently held WineVit, an annual conference of the Washington Winegrowers Association, in Kennewick, according to Northwest Wine Report. The award is given to a winery employee or owner who has made a significant impact on the winery, wine, the brand or the process of making exceptional wine. 

Griffin co-founded the award-winning Richland winery with his wife Deborah Barnard in 1983, having moved to Washington state in the mid-1970s to begin working in the wine industry. He continues to serve as the winery’s head winemaker after more than 40 vintages. 

The winery, located at 878 Tulip Lane and with tasting rooms in Vancouver and Woodinville, produces wine sourced from vineyards across the Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Columbia Gorge, Wahluke Slope, White Bluffs and Red Mountain American Viticultural Areas.