Pondera Winery shines with creative talent reflected in solidly-crafted wines and a collection of fine art on display
Written and photographed by John Vitale
WINE tasting flights at Pondera Winery come with a joyful immersion into the world of fine art. Seated with a glass of wine, it’s impossible for one’s eyes not to be drawn to the masterful paintings and sculptures on display all around. Warm ambiance emanates from the spacious, cozy, multi-room winery along every step through the moody-lit, gallery-like setting.
The winery has been an established fixture in Woodinville’s Warehouse Winery District since moving operations there in 2010 from Totem Lake (where they had originally launched). Since their first commercial release in 2008, they’ve become an A-list winery known for crafting bold-yet-finessed red blends using mostly Bordeaux variety grapes.
Success Formula
Five family members own equal shares of Pondera, four of which keep the weekly operations running smoothly. All are passionate about producing high quality wine, and each brings a unique skillset to the ownership team. Overall, a high level of creativity flows between them.
Dan Howard manages the tasting room while his wife, Patrice (Pat), oversees the back of house. Pat’s brother, Mel Mandville, is responsible for the branding aspects; his skillful artistry is evident in the labels and collateral. Shane, the Howards’ son, is in charge of all winemaking.
“We’re just a creative bunch of people who can’t help ourselves,” Pat says, pointing out the team is always coming up with novel ideas, whether for a wine club event or promotion. For instance, at their annual Hallo-Wine event in 2020 they poured a red wine with a playful “Mighty Jackalope” label and tasting guests arrived wearing western-themed outfits. The tasting room team served wine in costumes of bunny ears and antlers, a nod to the western legend of a mythical jackrabbit creature mounted with antelope horns.
When the team learned about the 50th anniversary of the “Summer of Love” a few years back, they brainstormed a 1967-era bash that would have made Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In TV show producers proud. “We had a disc jockey that played music of the sixties, we created a free hugs booth, a photo booth, we just went all out,” Dan recalls. “People came dressed to the nines as hippies, with beads and tie-dyes.” They produced 25 cases of a red Bordeaux blend labeled Peace, Love, Wine. The label artwork featured a corkscrew as part of a peace symbol and the commemorative wine sold out in two weeks.
Balancing Act
Shane Howard says he has always shared his family’s zeal for good food and wine, and thus became inspired to try his hand at making wine at age 32. It was during the fall of 2003 and Woodinville was still an up-and-coming wine scene. Armed with a few how-to books he had picked up at Barnes & Noble barely a month earlier, Shane dove in and purchased a half-ton of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from the renowned Seven Hills Vineyard. Using an oak barrel he purchased from Lou Facelli (one of Woodinville’s early pioneer vintners), Shane says the wine turned out well—encouraging him and his family to go on and make even more the following year.
“At that point I knew Bordeaux blends were what I wanted to focus on,” he says. By 2005 the winery became licensed and bonded, and released their first reds in 2008.
Shane chose the name, Pondera, which means balance in Latin. “I wanted a name that translated into wine. But it’s also my philosophy in life—to try and find balance in everything,” Shane remarks. “What I love about blending is you can make a balanced wine every year.”
Shane is meticulous in his winemaking acumen and techniques for blending; resulting in suave and stylish wines that show both symmetry and excitement.
“It’s what I would call a cohesive palate,” he explains. “Where the flavor builds a little bit into the mid-palate, and you kind of have this crescendo of acid and tannin, and then it goes into that nice long finish.” Their early production fell under the umbrella of red Bordeaux, but now they make Rhône style reds, including Syrah, Mourvèdre and GSM, plus two whites, Chardonnay and Viognier. Like many top vintners, Shane is picky when it comes to fruit quality and sources from a number of leading sites. “I’m drawn to the places I think are distinctive. Where you can taste the character behind the varietals but where they also have a common theme going through them. Not every vineyard has that sense of place,” he says.
Self-taught, Shane continues to raise the bar on quality. To keep the science balanced, he outsources some of his lab work, as well as performing some of it himself. With proven consistency vintage after vintage, the winery’s annual production currently sits around the 3,000 case mark.
Howard/Mandville Gallery
Dan and Pat Howard are high school sweethearts who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2021. Native Montanans with a pioneer spirit, they moved to the Seattle area in 1972 and ran a small retail frame shop. “We were drinking wine early on in our career,” tells Dan. “When we first started selling some art out of our little frame shop, a rep would come in and we’d serve some Franzia,” he chuckles.
As the Howards slowly expanded their business with an art gallery, the wine got better. “We started taking artists out for lunch or dinner after a reception, ordering Grgich Hills Chardonnay and wines like that. Our taste for wine grew along with our taste for art,” Dan says.
It wasn’t long before the Howards—often accompanied by Shane and Mel—were frequent wine tasters among the scattering of Woodinville wineries in the early 2000s.
Dan and Pat’s art gallery, Howard/Mandville Gallery in Kirkland, became a nationally recognized name, gaining extensive media coverage by hosting major art events like the Oil Painters of America shows that attracted famous artists and collectors from around the world.
Pondera’s very first release actually happened at Howard/Mandville Gallery in 2008. Within two vintages, they found they needed more space and moved production from Totem Lake to Woodinville in order to be closer to the budding wine community. From the get-go, wine has always been the main focal point at Pondera, yet the Howard’s connection as art dealers is a visual bonus for visitors to the tasting room.
“The tasting room has always been a satellite for the art gallery,” Pat explains. “It was so convenient for us to have great art to hang on the walls. People visit the winery and are wowed by the quality of the art they see here.”
After 28 years, the Howards decided to close the Kirkland location and expand Pondera’s tasting room into a much larger space, which accommodates more art as well as wine tasters. The exhibits are by leading Northwest or nationally known artists and available for purchase.
Join The Club
Like many wineries, Pondera is self-distributed and their wine club is an integral component. “We really consider our members part of a family. It’s just an extension because we have met so many cool people that have become great friends,” shares Pat. “We love what we do—we love the art, we love the wine, we love the people.”
Pondera offers two club levels. One is called Entourage and the other is LTD Livin’ the Dream. In addition to discounts and waived tasting fees, club members get access to member-only releases and are invited to exclusive events at the winery.
Whether you come for a tasting or return as a member, Pondera is irresistible for its balanced and superbly crafted wines, many of which are aged longer in barrel and bottle so they are optimum upon release.
“Shane always says great wine starts in the vineyard with great fruit. Then it’s up to him to put his spin on it with his blending. His artistry is in the blending,” notes Dan, gazing upwards at a wall of contemporary artwork and concluding, “Of course, then you’re sitting here next to all these talented artists and you know you have the perfect pairing—fine wine and fine art!”
Editor’s Top Picks
Wine reviews by editor John Vitale
Pondera 2016 Discovery Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 95 pts.
An elegant example of Horse Heaven Hills fruit, this red wine demonstrates impeccably chiseled structure harmoniously balanced with graceful power. Compact flavors of ripe blackberry, cassis and cherry are bolstered by sweet oak, sage, graphite and mocha. Ends with vibrant acidity and dense tannins that impart focus on the extroverted finish. $55
Pondera 2016 LTD Livin’ the Dream, 93 pts.
Well sculpted and sophisticated, with waves of concentrated black currant, red plum and raspberry preserves that meld gorgeously with crushed rock and minerality. Cocoa powder and light cedary hints are met with firm, polished tannins that carry long on the satisfying aftertaste. $42
Pondera 2016 Prima Donna, 93 pts.
Warm and plush in feel, offering a saline element draped around woodsy notes of graphite, leather, caraway and rolled tobacco that flow through dark fruit flavors of plum sauce, blackberry and licorice. Open textured, the expressive earth and spice characters finish with expansive depth. $42
Pondera 2015 SVS Number Two, 93 pts.
This opulent Bordeaux varietal blend is Cabernet dominant, marked with a deep concentration of cassis, rich blackberry and red currant. The flavors are intricately layered over a beguiling texture, with details of dried Mission fig, graham, violet and espresso. A dense carpet of tannins lend support to the exquisite structure. Finishes long, with notes of loam and earth. $45
Pondera 2017 Malbec, 92 pts.
There’s notable volume and depth to the luscious flavors of blackberry, red plum and blueberry matched with savory elements of cigar leaf and white pepper. Secondary notes of nougat and fruit leather are joined with tertiary streaks of raspberry ganache that cover the broadly-knit structure in this deceptively powerful red wine. $34
Pondera 2017 GSM, 92 pts.
Amply loaded with garrigue, white pepper and lively minerality, this version pulsates with energetic flavors of steeped red and black currants, fresh raspberry and blueberry. Flashy acidity and grippy fine tannins are inlaid with savory dried herbs that propel the finish. $46
Tour & Taste at Pondera Winery
Check website for current hours at
www.ponderawinery.com
Phone: (425) 486-8500
19501 144th Ave NE, Suite B400, Woodinville, WA