Cougar Crest Estate Winery was established at the Walla Walla airport in 2001 by Deborah and David Hansen. Natives of the Northwest, Deborah from Spokane and David from Bremerton, they met in Pullman. After graduating from Washington State University in the 1970’s, Deborah in Pharmacy and David in Veterinary Medicine, their careers led them to the San Francisco area for 18 years. It was there, among the California wineries, that the appreciation of the art of winemaking was born. While pursuing their careers and being wine tourists in California, the Hansens purchased land and developed 125 acres of apple orchards in the Walla Walla Valley. In 1995 the farms became self sufficient and they moved their family to the Valley in 1996.