WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Within her first week of moving to the Walla Walla Valley in 1999, Ashley Trout got herself a job. She traded the Washington of politicos for the Washington of westward-wandering pioneers to attend Whitman College. She double majored in Anthropology and Rhetoric. Upon arrival, wine seemed like as good an idea as any. “When in Rome,” she says … [Read more...] about The Wines that Made us: Ashley Trout and ‘99 Reininger Cabernet Franc
The Wines that Made Us: Charlie Hoppes, Wine Boss and a 1980s Kiona Cab
RICHLAND, Wash. — The Charlie Hoppes we all know now, the one who soared through the ranks at Château Ste. Michelle, who started Fidélitas, the Wine Boss … was nearly Boeing-engineer Charlie Hoppes. A Plane Boss, at best. He majored in economics, with a minor in accounting at Eastern Washington University, determined to become a Charlie Hoppes you’d trust with your money, … [Read more...] about The Wines that Made Us: Charlie Hoppes, Wine Boss and a 1980s Kiona Cab
The Wines that Made us: Seth Kitzke and Château de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
RICHLAND, Wash. — Seth Kitzke spent the summers of his youth pruning vines at his family’s vineyard on Washington state’s Candy Mountain. While managing orchards north of the Sagemoor vineyards — Bacchus and Dionysus — Seth’s father, Paul, was inspired by the daily drives through the vines to plant some grapes of his own on their property. “It’s all caliche and … [Read more...] about The Wines that Made us: Seth Kitzke and Château de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
The wines that made us: Shae Frichette and Pinot Grigio
BENTON CITY, Wash. — Fate has a funny way of changing the game, especially when you put your trust in it and intend to follow it — wherever it may lead you. Shae Frichette studied theater, leaving her native South Carolina for Hollywood and a chance at life in the spotlight. “I did it for three years, and I wasn’t making much…” she laments. “I took a year off to … [Read more...] about The wines that made us: Shae Frichette and Pinot Grigio
The Wines that Made Us: Rob Griffin and Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent
For a teen in the late 1960s, in Martinez, Calif., there was much to do, much to see. A war was happening, college campuses were on fire … hippies abounded. But for one young man, only fermentations were on his mind. “One of my very early forays into winemaking as a high-school student was making wine out of tomatoes,” says Rob Griffin, Washington’s longest-tenured winemaker … [Read more...] about The Wines that Made Us: Rob Griffin and Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent