A Family Craft

Family always comes first, and for the Rushtons, endeavors together inevitably turn into lifelong journeys. Building on a hobby started through the Boeing Employees Wine Club, Casey, Leslie, Cameron, and Christine corked the first bottle of Ragaire Cellars (then Raptor) merlot in 2003. Casey sourced grapes from vineyards in Red Mountain each fall, and the family hand bottled and labeled the wine each spring. As a high schooler, Cameron learned how to monitor temperatures and “punch the cap” each fermentation cycle. Casey pressed and monitored during aging. Leslie and Christine kept production lines running during bottling.  

In 2006, Cameron entered Washington State University’s winemaking program and graduated in the program’s second class of students with a Bachelor’s of Science in Viticulture & Enology. He then studied with winemakers and distributors at DiStefano Winery and Esquin Wine Merchants in Seattle, earned an additional degree through Walla Walla Community College’s Enology & Viticulture program and accepted a position as Assistant Wine Maker with his mentors Matt and Dave Huse at Five Star Cellars in Walla Walla.

Cameron now leads the wine production of Ragaire Cellars and Casey helps manage the business and lends a hand during harvest and bottling. Leslie manages the finances and Christine handles marketing the label through graphic and web design. As of 2018, the Rushton family added a few more hands in Cameron’s wife Catelyn and Christine’s husband Tristan.

In 2021, the family changed the name to Ragaire Cellars to meet the demands of the growing business and carve out a unique space for the wines in the greater Pacific Northwest region.

Ragaire is an Irish Gaelic noun to describe someone who enjoys ragaireacht, wandering and sitting up talking long into the night. As an Irish family, their history runs deep in the cultural tradition. The Ragaire wines also create special moments where family, friends, and new acquaintances can enjoy food and the good company of others, long into the night.

Wander with us.

— The Rushton family