"Nothing has been invented that cannot be improved," Royal Riblet wrote.
The 20th century inventor, tinkerer and salesman was probably referring to tractors, trams and bicycles. But nothing proves his words true like Riblet's own estate.
One hundred years ago this year, Riblet bought a 75-acre property perched atop basalt cliffs hundreds of feet above the Spokane River. He called it Eagle's Nest. In addition to a swimming pool, a croquet court and a life-size checkerboard, Riblet built a Florentine mansion teetering on the edge of the volcanic rock. It would be a home to him, his fifth, sixth, and seventh wives, as well as extravagant parties he couldn't afford and patents he couldn't sell.
The property fell to ruin in the years after Riblet's death. But in the early 1980s, Arbor Crest Wine Cellars bought the historic Cliff House estate, as it's now called. In the three decades to follow, the winery restored the grounds, buildings and crowds of visitors.
Under the current guidance of owners and winemakers Kristina and Jim van Löben Sels, local guests tour the grounds every day, while visitors from all over the world come to Arbor Crest for art shows, merlots, music and mezze plates.
The winery was just awarded second place in USA Today's Readers Choice Awards for Best Winery Restaurant. Their tasting room features a Mediterranean menu created by chef Caleb Smith that has obviously turned heads.
What's more, the award-winning team is planning a glitzy, glammy Gatsby-themed birthday party this Friday to celebrate the estate turning a century old.
"Celebrating something that has been here 100 years is exciting to me — that we're still able to preserve it and keep it going," Kristina van Löben Sels says.
Flapper dresses and bowler hats are welcome, she adds, but not required.
To get to the Cliff House, you first walk under the Gatehouse, an ivy-covered stone building with a great arch in the middle and turrets on either side. Riblet built it for a groundskeeper but then never filled it — either because he couldn't afford a groundskeeper or, for privacy's sake, suddenly decided he didn't want one.
It was Riblet's brother, Byron, who was more responsible with follow-through. Byron Riblet was the engineer and successful businessman behind the Riblet Tramway Co., which he built into the world's premiere aerial tramway and ski lift manufacturer.
Though Royal had no formal engineering degree, he considered himself an inventor and entrepreneur. He built his office into a long stone wall on his new estate, topping it with a square clock (that no longer works).
Royal's most famous invention was a "square wheel" tractor. The wheels weren't actually square, but they were wrapped with a 16-segment track that allowed the heavy machine to move over rough terrain with less soil erosion. But Royal narrowly missed a contract with the military and was never able to sell his patent after that.
Despite the disappointment, Royal kept trying new ideas. He designed a square sprinkler system, a mechanical parking garage, a souped-up car and a personal aerial tram to carry people up to his house. He operated the tram sparingly, though, when visitors started worrying it was too dangerous.
In the early years of the Riblet estate, Royal hosted nearly 7,000 guests at the whimsical getaway. But as he got older, Royal became less inviting and more possessive of his inventions. The tramway was dismantled for good in the late 1950s.
Royal lived out his last 30-plus years with his seventh wife, Mildred Geiler, who was 32 years younger than him. When she died in 1978, the estate sat empty for years.
Arbor Crest's founders Harold and Marcia Mielke — Kristina van Löben Sels' parents — first started their winery in California in 1982. But they dreamed of moving back home to Washington to get an early start in a young wine industry.
"My dad's family were farmers all over this area," van Löben Sels says. "They really had that vision of bringing wine to this area"
Harold and his father had made cherry pie filling for the Hostess Bakery just 5 miles southwest of the Riblet estate. They were very familiar with the Cliff House.
"People always wanted to know what was there," van Löben Sels says. "I hear stories that they would sneak in, coming up the rocks. But it was a private residence, so you couldn't come and check it out."
When the estate went up for sale in 1984, the fledgling winery "snapped it right up" and decided it would be Arbor Crest's forever home.
Kristina van Löben Sels earned her degree in fermentation science at University of California Davis and then joined Arbor Crest in 1999. Now its head winemaker, she focuses on producing minimally manipulated wines that showcase Washington fruit.
"Quality comes from the vineyard," she says. "You want to show the terroir, the flavors that are coming from that vineyard."
In addition to working with grape growers across the state, Arbor Crest has 3 acres on its cliffside estate dedicated to growing chardonnay, pinot meunier, pinot noir and pinot gris grapes. A view from their event tent looks across the vineyards down into the valley below.
While Arbor Crest hosts weddings, fundraisers and private events, the winery is open to the public year-round. Every afternoon, anyone can drive up to the estate to sample wines or see the square wheel tractor for themselves. From the rose gardens to the tram house, the Riblet playground hasn't lost its wonder.
"When you come up here, you can be anywhere. You're not just in Spokane," van Löben Sels says. "It transports you. I love that."
Today, the fanciful Gatehouse that Royal abandoned has not one but two purposes: providing offices for Arbor Crest staff, and being the namesake for a popular Arbor Crest red blend. Oh, and it's the perfect photo opp for visitors.
For the estate's upcoming birthday gala, a local big band will tour the decades through jazz, while guests immerse themselves in an experience strikingly similar to a true Gatsby soiree — glamour, drinks and their very own neighbors.
"It's been an interesting evolution being here for 25 years and seeing what has happened to the property," van Löben Sels says. "The property is definitely a community property. We love inviting everyone up to be a part of it and see what we're doing." ♦
Great Gatsby Gala • Fri, Aug. 9 from 5-8 pm • $65 • 21+ • Arbor Crest Wine Cellars • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • arborcrest.com • 509-927-9463
