Airfield Estates Winery

Marcus Miller

Beets, planes and over 900 acres of vineyards come together in the story of Airfield Estates Winery.  During World War II, part of the Sunnyside Miller family farm of beets, spinach, alfalfa, asparagus, cattle and hogs became an airfield used to train 1200 military pilots.  In the mid 1970s, many sugar factories closed in Washington, and so the Millers were looking for a new crop to replace beets, just as Chateau Ste. Michelle was looking for grapes.  Airfield Ranches eventually planted 900 acres of vineyards and has sold grapes to many wineries in the state.

In 2005 the family opened Airfield Estates Winery in Prosser to make estate wines from the 25 varietals grown on the family farm.  They produce all the main Bordeaux, Rhone and Italian varietals, and more.  Airfield produces outstanding single varietal wines as well as blends, including some non-traditional blends such as Flygirl White and Bombshell Red.  The wines are known for quality and affordability, with no wine over $30 and Lone Birch wines at $10 to $12 per bottle.  Today Airfield makes 40,000 cases under both the Airfield and Lone Birch labels.  

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Cultura Winery

Sarah and Tad Fewel

If you don’t have time or money to travel to Bordeaux, come to Zillah, WA instead, just 20 miles south of Yakima.  That’s where you’ll find Cultura Winery where Sarah and Tad Fewel produce some memorable Bordeaux style red wines, both left and right bank styles.  The Fewels have family farming roots in Zillah and planted their own small vineyard in 2007 from which they source cabernet franc and zinfandel.  They also source increasingly from Sun Ridge Vineyard about 6 miles from Cultura’s tasting room.

Given the recent hot temperatures here in eastern WA, you’ll be happy to know that Cultura now produces a rose that is cinsault based.  Nearly all Cultura wine is sold out of the tasting room so make a trip to Zillah soon.  You can stay at the nearby Cherry Wood Bed and Breakfast offering posh teepee lodging and horseback riding in the vines.  Learn about all this and much more, including how Greek mythology and wine are connected at Cultura.

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Winegirl Wines

Angela Jacobs

After a transformative sip of pinot noir, Angela Jacobs was hooked on wine and made her first bottle before she was 21.  She completed several undergraduate and graduate degrees and traveled the world working in wine regions before opening her Winegirl Wines tasting room in Manson in 2010.  It’s clear that she was attracted to Greece, as two of her labels--Fira and Kamari-- are Greek words.  A third label is My Derby Wife, which links to Angela’s roller derby days in Seattle with the Rat City Roller Girls. 

Although the labels are fun, the tasting rooms in both Manson and now Leavenworth offer “serious wines with friendly attitude.”  You will encounter a nice combination of single varietal wines and blends sourced from grapes around the lake and beyond.  Although the wines are serious, the Manson tasting room is the site of many fun events, including regular live music, costume parties, barrel burnings, bocce ball, and much more.  Looking ahead for Winegirl Wines, there may be an estate vineyard and some sparkling wine to taste – perhaps "Chelagne", as Angela suggested.  

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Cairdeas Winery

Charlie Lybecker

After spending a weekend in Lake Chelan, there was no doubt in Charlie and Lacey Lybecker’s minds that they had found a home for their new winery.  Cairdeas Winery opened doors in 2014 on the north shore of the lake not far from the charming town of Manson.  It was perplexities regarding New Zealand sauvignon blancs that got Charlie interested in wine in the first place.  But his passion is for Rhone style wines, and that’s what Cairdeas offers to eager tasters.  Be sure to put Cairdeas on your tasting itinerary next time you’re in Lake Chelan if you want a friendly, first-rate tasting experience.

It’s very common to encounter syrah wines that have been co-fermented with a small percentage of viognier to enhance color and aroma.  In this interview you’ll learn the benefits of co-fermenting Rhone red varietals with a little roussanne.  You’ll also hear about the benefits of whole grape cluster fermentation for red Rhone style wines.   Cairdeas offers memorable wines and a great family endeavor in which even 4-year old Eugene and 2-year old Francis help out with amazing art for the artist series wines.  

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Tertulia Cellars

Ryan Raber of Tertulia Cellars

Ryan Raber grew up around chefs and exudes a love of cooking and of pairing food and wine.   In his teens he helped his mother make wine with their home-grown American hybrid grapes.  So it’s no surprise that Tertulia Cellars hired him as winemaker in 2005 right after he graduated from Walla Walla Community College’s Viticulture and Enology Program.  His passion for making terroir driven wines is evident in the many Tertulia wines from three estate vineyards:  Whistling Hill, Riviere Galets and Elevation.  Elevation is the newest and most unique vineyard, with the first grapes harvested this year.  Lessons from Stag’s Leap helped Ryan and others to take the leap of investing in this most unique and challenging vineyard site, as you’ll see in this interview. 

I love it when history and wine come together, and they do quite naturally for Ryan.  Find out here how Ryan cleverly used the Papal Schism of the 14th century as a key in his GSM blend.  He also helped to revive a once popular Bordeaux varietal, Carmenere, to make it the leading seller in the Tertulia tasting room.  Family history is also evident in every bottle with the name "Tertulia" and the second label name" Redd Brand".  

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Kevin Pogue

Kevin Pogue of Whitman College and VinTerra Consulting

Terrorist acts turned geologist Kevin Pogue into a terroirist, and a new career was born.  Since 9/11, Kevin has been studying the geological influences on vineyard lands in WA, and he is now a leading expert on Washington terroir.  He defines terroir as the cultural, biological and physical aspects of an environment that influence the sensory characteristics of wine.  According to Pogue, the Cascade Mountain range, Yakima Fold Belt, and Missoula Floods are the key geological influences on Washington terroir. 

Have you ever wondered which grape varietals are most affected by terroir?  I’ve always heard it’s Pinot Noir and Riesling, but Kevin believes another varietal  is even more affected than these two.  He also explains why stressed grapes (vines) are the best grapes, and discusses some of the things we don’t yet know about terroir and wine.  Listen here for a fascinating interview that spans the time period from 15 million years ago to the present.  

Stemilt Creek Winery

Kyle Mathison of Stemilt Creek Winery

Today Stemilt Growers is one of the largest fruit grower-packer-shippers in the country.  The company’s history goes back to 1893 when the Mathison family first settled the Stemilt Hill area south of Wenatchee.  Beginning in the mid-1960s Tom Mathison packed and shipped fruit for many growers in the Wenatchee area and turned a struggling family fruit farm into a fruit empire.  His son Kyle planted 18 acres of vines on Stemilt Hill in 1999, and he and his wife Jan made their first Stemilt Creek wines in 2003.

With high elevation and cool temps characterizing their Stemilt vineyard, the Mathisons turned to Canadian viticulturalists and winemakers as mentors.  But they also turned to family members whose personality traits such as sweet, spicy, caring and bossy infuse each Stemilt wine.   Enjoy a Caring Passion Merlot or Boss Lady Syrah as you listen to the interview. 

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Cote Bonneville

Kerry Shiels of Cote Bonneville Winery and Dubrul Vineyard

18 November 2015

In the early 1990s, Hugh and Kathy Shiels ripped out the apple orchard on their newly purchased vineyard property in Sunnyside and proceeded to plant six different varietals.  Dubrul Vineyard was born, and in 2007 and 2009 it was celebrated as Washington’s Vineyard of the Year.  Today 75% of the Dubrul fruit is purchased by roughly a dozen wineries, and the rest is showcased by the Shielses'  highly acclaimed Cote Bonneville family winery.   

In 2009 Kerry Shiels became winemaker at Cote Bonneville after getting an undergraduate degree in engineering and a master’s in viticulture and enology from the University of California-Davis.  She is committed to making wines true to the Dubrul terroir, using traditional winemaking techniques along with up-to-date science.  Sophisticated science and meticulous care go into every Duburl vine and Cote Bonneville wine.  In talking with Kerry I found out why it’s good to grow grapes specially for rose, what wine to have at breakfast, how rootstock affects fruit quality, and much more.  

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Isenhower Cellars

Brett and Denise Isenhower

4 November 2015

It turns out that studying pharmacy is good preparation for wine making.  Brett and Denise Isenhower met in a hospital while study pharmacy, and it was organic chemistry in particular that prompted them to start making wine at home.  In the mid 90s a glass of riesling sent them on a quest to make wine more professionally, and they moved to Walla Walla in 1998 to do just that.  Isenhower Cellars was born in 2001.

At Isenhower Cellars, winemaking is a true family collaboration.  Brett and Denise collaborate on everything from harvesting decisions to blends, and their three daughters create wonderful art for the labels on the winery's top blends.  Isenhower's Paintbrush wines reflect a commitment to beautiful art, memorable wine, and nurturing the environment.  I couldn't agree more that art and wine compose one of the most inspiring and enjoyable blends there is.  Listen to our interview and learn more about old vines and clones working together, the value of early blending, and the many virtues of Marsanne.

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Walla Walla Vintners

Myles Anderson of Walla Walla Vintners

21 October 2015

It’s always fun to interview a legend, and Myles Anderson was inducted into the Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame in 2011.  He came to Walla Walla in 1977 when there was only one commercial winery in the area.  Thanks to a book by Alexis Lichine and a barn in the area, Myles started making wine in Walla Walla with some zinfandel grapes in 1982.  His real job was deaning, and as a former dean, I’m thrilled to know there is wine life after deaning.  And what a life Myles has had, founding with Gordy Venneri what is now the 6th oldest winery in Walla Walla.  Their first “good” wine was a Cab in 1994, but now there’s no such thing as a bad wine at Walla Walla Vintners. 

It’s amazing to me how some folks have been able to make good wine by reading books, watching others, and then plunging into the task.  But Myles, a Walla Walla Community College President, and winemakers in the area had different ideas about how winemakers should be educated.  A commitment to hands-on education for the wine industry and a pile of checks totaling $4 million led to one of the finest Enology and Viticulture Programs in the country.  Listen to the story here, and find out the key to the art of winemaking.

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Hard Row to Hoe

Judy and Don Phelps of Hard Row to Hoe

7 October 2015

In the marketing area, this is a story that moves from Balsamroot to a lovely lakeside brothel.  I’ll let you listen to the details, which reflect how strategic a local story can be when it comes to naming a winery.  But a good name is nothing without equally good wine, and Hard Row to Hoe has both. 

I’m beginning to think that Cabernet Franc is the stellar grape of the Lake Chelan area, and the local Braeburn apples make wonderful ice cider, as you'll see when you visit Hard Row to Hoe and taste their Burning Desire Cabernet Franc and Ice Breaker Ice Cider.  Suggestive label names such as Shameless Hussy, Nauti Buoy and Good in Bed make wine drinking fun, but there is a serious side as well to wine making at Hard Row to Hoe.  Judy and Don are committed to expressing the Lake Chelan terroir with their wines, both the north and south shore areas.  Thus they source many of their grapes from their own estate vineyards.  Find out what is unique about the Lake Chelan AVA, the virtues of ice cider as opposed to ice wine, the connection between copper mining and wine, and much more by listening to Judy and Don.

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Dusted Valley Vintners

Corey Braunel of Dusted Valley Vintners

23 September 2015

Photos Courtesy of Richard Duvall

Corey Braunel and brother-in-law Chad Johnson, and their wives Cindy and Janet, are all farm kids from Wisconsin.  They initially ran from farming to the corporate world, eventually in medical sales.  After plenty of client entertaining with nice wines, they decided to return to their farming roots in order to make great wine.  They had no idea where Walla Walla was on a map, but the wines they tasted from there inspired them more than any others.  Thus there was no question they would head to Walla Walla in 2003 to pursue their dream of growing grapes and making wine.  Seven years later in 2010 Dusted Valley Vintners was named Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest.

Corey and Chad are known for taking risks when they make wines, and one of the risks they took was to abandon corks.  All their wines no matter how expensive have screw tops for sealers.  They believe there's no better way to deliver their promise regarding what's in the bottle than to seal with screw caps.  Off the record, Corey told me that women tend to prefer screw caps, and I've found the same thing to be true.  I have to admit that I favor screw caps when I'm opening lots of bottles at an event, but the wines in my cellar tend to have corks. What do you think?  Listen to the Dusted Valley/Boomtown story below where you'll hear about screw caps, Roman goddesses, the virtues of northern Wisconsin oak for wine, differences between syrah and petite sirah, madam Squirrel Tooth Alice, why chardonnays are less buttery today than they once were, and much more.

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Forgeron Cellars

Marie-Eve Gilla of Forgeron Cellars

9 September 2015

Marie-Eve Gilla learned winemaking at the University of Dijon and in the Burgundy region of France.   She came to Walla Walla in 2001 and has found her training in Burgundy to be excellent preparation for making fine wines in Washington.  Although Chardonnay is her signature wine, she now works with a diverse array of varietals, including ones not often found in WA such as primitivo, which Marie-Eve refers to as "zinfandel on steroids."  

Linking primitivo to zinfandel is no accident, as they are genetically the same grape.   Primitivo tends to be the term used in Italy and zinfandel in California.  There can be differences in cluster sizes between the two, and different terroir and winemaking techniques have led over the years to different taste profiles, despite the genetic similarity in the grapes.  In the U.S. wine labels may not use the terms primitivo and zinfandel interchangeably.  Forgeron Cellars is the only winery I know of in Washington that produces both a primitivo and a zinfandel.

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Hedges Family Estate

Tom Hedges and Sarah Hedges Goedhart of Hedges Family Estate

26 August 2015

The Hedges family were pioneers on Red Mountain, bringing an old-world passion for terroir to their vineyards and excellent Washington wines.  They see themselves as "Guardians of Red Mountain," always improving the vineyard soils with sustainable and biodynamic farming practices. Their story begins in a 12th-century church in the Champagne region of France and continues in Eastern Washington with their outstanding wines.

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Sulei Cellars

Tanya Woodley and Elaine Jomwe of Sulei Cellars

12 August 2015

Sulei Cellars was declared "Washington Winery to Watch" by Wine Press Northwest in 2012.  Winemaker Tanya Woodley and Operations Manager Elaine Jomwe produce outstanding Washington wines under their Sulei and Roller Girl labels.  They left Portland in 2005 to come to Walla Walla to pursue their dream of making wine and have never looked back. 

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Long Shadows Vintners

ALLEN SHOUP AND LONG SHADOWS VINTNERS

29 July 2015

Few people have had a greater impact on the Washington wine industry than has Allen Shoup.  As CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle for 17 years and now as founder of Long Shadows Vintners, Allen Shoup has helped to put Washington on the world wine map.  Listen to this interview for thoughts on the roots of the Washington wine industry, what Washington as a wine region does best, the virtues of petit verdot, and much more.

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Malaga Springs Winery

Al Mathews of Malaga Springs Winery

Al Mathews is a very talented fellow. He’s a building contractor who has developed a small Southwestern-style stucco and straw-bale village at Malaga Springs Winery, which he owns with his wife Kathy.  He grows grapes, makes excellent Washington wines, runs a salmon fishing business in summer, and is a ceramic artist. 

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