It was the first winery to commercially grow and produce wine from Spain's Noble Tempranillo grape in America's Pacific Northwest.

This suggested that climate, not soils, was critically important for growing Tempranillo grapes from which high-quality varietal wine could be produced.

[5] Today, Abacela's Fault Line Vineyards (31 hectares ~76 acres) produces Tempranillo and an array of other site-climate matched grape varieties such as Albariño, Grenache, Malbec, Syrah, Tinta Amarela, and Tannat.

[6] Earl and his son Gregory Jones, Abacela's chief executive officer appointed in July 2021,[7] have played an important role in research on the effect of climate on wine grape production.

In 2009 Wine Business Magazine ranked Abacela as a Top Ten Hot Small Brand in America.