Sleeping Dog Wines was founded by Larry "Alpha winemaker" Oates along with his wife and partner, Joyce "I'd rather be fishing" Oates in 2002.  Their home and small winery overlooks the Yakima River, where they reside under the watchful care of Aurora, the Sleeping Dog, Bella, the plump guardian cat, and Syrah, the self-appointed winery cat. 

Larry's first encounters with wine were typical of the '60's--a swig of fortified wine, a jug of Chablis, a squeeze of "What is that?" from a Boda-bag.  During the '70's, to finance his extended career as an undergraduate, he accepted gainful employment--at a wine shop.  The owner liked Larry's style and encouraged his young protégé to experience some of the classic French vintages offered at the shop, to better advise customers and sell more wine.  This serendipitous experience began Larry's exodus into the divine realm of fine wines. 

The 1980's were eventful for the finally graduated Larry:  he moved to the West Coast, began graduate studies at law school in Oregon, discovered the burgeoning Northwest wine industry, and met an intriguing young woman named Joyce.  In 1987, Larry and Joyce celebrated their engagement by sharing his last bottle of 1970 Chateau Pomerol.  They soon married and relocated to Northern Virginia for a few years, but the Northwest kept calling to them. By the early '90's they had established their home in the Yakima Valley, heart of Washington State wine country. 

Ever the opportunist, Larry began to practice the vintner's art in earnest.  The fall of 1992, armed with bartered, borrowed, and cobbled together equipment, found Larry and brother Kevin with a procured half-ton of neighbor farmer Bob Buoy's select Merlot grapes. A handful of friends were called to join the fledgling vintners, and, reveling in their winemaking fantasies, they produced the first vintage of what would evolve into Sleeping Dog Wines.

Larry continued to hone his skills over the next decade. His 1999 Merlot/Malbec, a powerful, perfectly balanced blend, won several awards at the Benton County Fair and was properly declared "Best of Show."  This absolute endorsement of Larry's talent joined succinctly with his distinctive vision and thus Sleeping Dog Wines was launched.