The Lawrence Family: A Royal Slope Story of Land, Legacy, and Washington Wine
The Lawrence family’s story begins with a bold decision in 1964 — one that went against every piece of conventional wisdom at the time. When Sandy Lawrence and his father, Hervey, were scouting land across the Columbia Basin, the safe choice was obvious: Ephrata. The ground was flat, the irrigation straightforward, and the path to success well‑worn.
But Sandy saw something different on the Royal Slope. The land was rougher, the irrigation difficult, and the failures of earlier farmers still visible. Yet the Slope held possibility — a place where young farmers could build something from nothing, side by side. That sense of opportunity and community outweighed the risk, and Sandy chose the Royal Slope. It was the first decision that shaped the Lawrence legacy.
By the late 1960s, Sandy’s younger brother John, had joined him full‑time, and the two spent long days farming wheat, beans, and forages in the heat, wind, and dust of the desert. The work was hard, the margins thin, and the future uncertain, but the foundation was being laid — one season at a time.
The 1970s brought a wave of prosperity as wheat prices soared and many farmers stayed the course. But the Lawrences made another unconventional choice: apples. Orchards were rare in the Basin, and experts insisted good fruit couldn’t be grown there. For two stubborn Norwegian brothers, that was motivation enough. In 1980, they planted their first acre of apples — a decision that would change everything.
That same spring, Mt. St. Helens erupted. John’s young family — his wife, Laura, and their sons, five‑year‑old Josh and baby Matthew (now Gård’s Director of Hospitality) — stepped out of church into a sky turned dark with ash. The eruption destroyed engines, ruined crops, and pushed the already‑struggling farm to the brink. Interest rates were soaring, the economy was slipping, and the newly planted orchard seemed like one more risk in a season full of them.
But those apples — the Red and Golden Delicious planted in 1980 and again in 1984 — became the crop that kept the farm alive. When so many others were forced to walk away, the orchard carried the Lawrences through.
It was the moment they realized that permanent crops, and eventually vineyards, could shape their future.
From Orchards to Estate Vineyards
As the farm grew and stabilized, the Lawrences continued expanding their permanent crops — first apples, then cherries — building on the success that had helped carry the family through the challenges of the early 1980s. Those orchards deepened their understanding of the Royal Slope’s soils, slopes, and microclimates, and opened the door to what would come next.
By the early 2000s, a new generation was ready to shape the future. Josh had become increasingly interested in wine grapes and saw the potential for the Royal Slope to grow world‑class fruit. With the support of his dad and uncle, he began exploring what vineyards could mean for the family farm. When Josh and Lisa moved back in 2002, they brought fresh ideas, renewed energy, and a shared vision for expanding into winegrowing.
The Lawrences planted their first wine grapes in 2003, a small but intentional foray that marked the beginning of a new chapter. What started with those early plantings has grown into one of Washington’s most respected estate vineyard programs. Today, the family farms 30 wine grape varietals across more than a dozen estate vineyard sites on the Royal Slope, in the Columbia Valley, and in The Rocks District — each chosen for its unique expression of Washington terroir.
These vineyards are farmed with the same values that guided Sandy and John from the beginning: stewardship, precision, and respect for the land. As a 100% estate winery, the family oversees every step from vine to glass, ensuring the wines reflect not just the place, but the people who farm it.
Heritage That Runs Deep
Josh, Matthew, and their younger brother Peter grew up in the dust and rhythm of the farm, learning the land long before Josh ever imagined planting vines. Their Scandinavian roots — the Hegg, Nupen, Nordgard, and Borgen families of Norway — shaped their values: hard work, humility, and a deep respect for land and legacy. The name Gård, meaning “farm,” honors that heritage and the centuries‑old family farms still operating in Norway today.
When Josh and his wife, Lisa — also of Scandinavian descent — stepped into leadership, they carried forward both sides of their family history. Together, they expanded the farm into vineyards, hospitality, and winemaking, guided by the same principles that brought Sandy to the Royal Slope in the first place: take the risk, trust the land, and build something worth passing on.
A Legacy Rooted in Land
Today, the Lawrence family farms across the Royal Slope, Columbia Valley, and The Rocks District, growing grapes, apples, cherries, wheat, and forages — a diversified operation rooted in more than half a century of grit, curiosity, and generational stewardship. Their estate vineyards are the heart of Gård Estate Wines, producing fruit that consistently earns acclaim for its purity, structure, and sense of place.
What began with one bold decision in 1964 has grown into a family legacy that continues to evolve, shaped by the hands and hearts of Sandy, John, Josh and Lisa.
And through it all, the land remains the constant — the place where the Lawrence story began, and where it continues to unfold.
