As family-owned wineries transition into the next phase of leadership, we hear from a second generation of daughters who are taking command in various roles, bringing fresh ideas and new directions
Interviews & special report by John Vitale
Reprinted from the Spring 2019 issue of Washington Tasting Room Magazine
A COMMON THREAD weaving through the wine industry involves stories about the camaraderie between parents and their offspring, especially among family-owned wineries. In this article, Washington Tasting Room Magazine introduces a small but vital niche — second-generation daughters who have taken an influential lead in the direction of their family’s business.
The first to become part of this elite group was Megan Clubb who, along with her husband Marty Clubb, took over the reins at her parents winery L’Ecole N° 41 in Walla Walla three decades ago. Natalie Barnes and her father Mike Conway, of Latah Creek Wine Cellars in Spokane, became the first father/daughter winemaking team in the state 15 years ago. And more recently, at Chandler Reach Vineyards based in the Yakima Valley, Meghan Potter officially joined her family’s business five years ago to open and run the tasting room in Woodinville.
In the mini-stories and interviews that follow, you will hear from these women and other dynamic “daughters” whose fresh outlook and new ideas are helping steer the future course of these family-owned wineries.
L’Ecole Nº 41
Megan Clubb
Co-owner, Secretary & Treasurer and member of the family’s Board of Directors
Baker and Jean Ferguson started this Walla Walla-based winery as a retirement project in 1983. When they ultimately did retire, their daughter Megan Clubb along with her husband, Marty Clubb, took L’Ecole from a mom-and-pop winery and elevated it to world-class. As managing winemaker, Marty is the face of the winery however Megan’s deep involvement with the winery’s direction has been ongoing with her husband since 1989.
Biggest impact? My contribution has been to act as a sounding board for the big decisions over the past 30-plus years. Every year, there are so many opportunities to take the winery in this or that direction, and L’Ecole is an everyday topic of discussion between us. I feel that, in some ways, my relative distance helps me to see things from a different, high-level aspect. Also, considering my background in banking and finance, we together ensure that L’Ecole is healthy and financially sustainable.
Your favorite wine? L’Ecole Nº 41 2017 Seven Hills Vineyard Luminesce
Megan: Luminesce is a very special wine. The grapes for this blend come from our excellent Estate Seven Hills Vineyard from two small parcels of white grapes, and is normally a blend of roughly 50/50 Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc. With so little white wine produced in the Walla Walla Valley—only around 5%—it is a pretty white with beautiful body, fruit and floral aromas…our own version of Bordeaux Graves Blanc.
Latah Creek Wine Cellars
Natalie Barnes
Co-winemaker
Mike and Ellena Conway founded the Spokane-based winery in 1982, as the 35th bonded winery in the state. Today Mike shares the official title of winemaker with his daughter, Natalie Barnes. They are the first father/daughter winemaking team in Washington and have been making wine together since Natalie’s first vintage in 2004.
Biggest impact? The biggest change I’ve encouraged here at Latah Creek is the placing of more emphasis on Reds and Reserve Reds. Our expanded red wine program was started because I wanted to gain experience in working with all that Washington State has to offer, over and above the white wines and the few reds for which Latah Creek had been known for over 25 years at that point. Since then I have been able to work with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Barbera, Malbec, Carmenere, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, and one of my favorites, Tempranillo. I don’t believe this would have happened without my insistence. The only negative about these wines is that they are produced in small 50-100 case lots usually, so they don’t stay around for very long.
Your favorite wine? Latah Creek Mike’s Reserve Red
Natalie: Mike’s Reserve Red is Latah Creek’s only red blend, and as such is a wine we actually get to create. With single variety wines there is much we can and need to do before the wine goes into the bottle, but with blends we get to make something that is unique—there will never be another wine made that is the same. Even though this wine carries my dad’s name, I was instrumental in its creation and I am proud of it.
Leonetti Cellar
Amy Figgins
Estate Manager/Partner
The first commercial winery in Walla Walla was founded by Gary and Nancy Figgins in 1977, whose contributions helped put the region on the map. Their daughter Amy came on board in 2007 and during her tenure has proven instrumental in the refinement of the brand’s messaging.
Biggest impact? My parents did a tremendous job operating the winery with a small staff and they ran very lean which is quite impressive. When I joined the family business, I brought corporate experience and a logistical mind. The winery really matured during my tenure and has become more sophisticated. I look at our brand holistically and ensure that everything from packaging to mailers to our online ordering process is perfect and what our customers would expect from a high-end winery. We do not sacrifice quality, ever. My greatest joy is having conversations with our customers and being able to make them happy, even solving their wine dilemmas. Honestly, peddling luxurious wine is downright fun.
Favorite wine? Leonetti Cellar 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
Amy: It has just the right amount of age to soften the tannins and the nose and fruit explode from the glass. I’m typically a Merlot drinker because I prefer soft and smooth but wow, this Cab is just singing at the moment.
Woodward Canyon Winery
Jordan Dunn-Small
Director of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sales
Operations/Co-owner
Jordan was born into the family’s Walla Walla winery founded in 1981 by her parents, Rick Small and Darcey Fugman-Small. After finishing college and a semester abroad in Alsace, France, she broadened her horizons by working at other wineries before returning full-time to the family business in 2014.
Biggest impact? I’ve only been in my current position for a year now, but in that year I’ve lead the expansion of our DTC sales program by hiring a new Wine Club Manager, launching our first ever wine club, selecting and switching our point-of-sale system, and upgrading our website. I’m very excited for the next steps in our family business as my brother and I continue to take on more responsibility and our parents begin to phase out. It’s definitely daunting, and we have big shoes to fill and lots of hard work ahead of us, but I’m looking forward to it. My parents have established and grown an iconic family winery, and I feel very fortunate to be able to carry on what they have started and keep the business in the family.
Favorite wine? Woodward Canyon 2014 Estate Reserve Red Wine
Jordan: I love the dark fruit, earthy notes, and structure of this Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot all sourced from our Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard.
Hedges Family Estate
Sarah Hedges Goedhart
Winemaker/General Manager
Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges founded the winery in 1987 based on a wholesale distribution sales model and later helped establish the Red Mountain AVA. In addition to being in charge of winemaking, their daughter Sarah has put a successful wine club in place to keep pace with changing times. She is heavily involved on the family farm, as their estate vineyards have transitioned to biodynamic.
Biggest impact? My greatest impact has been the move towards more native winemaking (my brother is the one who really pushed me in this direction). Sometimes the science can get so overwhelming you forget that this is a natural process. I have brought more of an open mind to trusting Old World philosophies about winemaking and have less focus on the newest research, newest additives, etc. I am excited about the direction we are going with biodynamic and organic farming. We started this conversion in 2009 and have had great success in both our Hedges Estate Vineyard and my brother’s vineyard, Domaine Magdalena. This year we also certified our Les Gosses Vineyard to biodynamic farming. This method of farming has created so much life and energy on the farm and that really shows in the fruit and resulting wines. We are stewards of the land and the Old World, something that is often looked over in our modern society.
Favorite wine? Hedges Family Estate 2014 Descendants Liegeois Dupont Red Mountain Syrah
Sarah: The 2014 wines were really my first wines, since I got to do the blending process on my own. It shines with classic Red Mountain Syrah aromatics of blueberries, dried herbs, cinnamon spice and a hint of meat and smoke. I think what I love most about it is that it really is a yin and yang. It has a nice richness on the palate but is also noticeably delicate and elegant.
Gamache Vintners
Jessica Gamache
General Manager
Brothers Roger and Bob Gamache started growing wine grapes in the Columbia Valley in 1982, which eventually led to the launch of Gamache Vintners in Prosser’s Vintner’s Village in 2002. Roger’s daughter, Jessica, is a valuable asset to the company, bringing a wealth of hands-on expertise ranging from management, sales and cellar work from her earlier years spent working at other wineries.
Biggest impact? Gamache Vintners had been operating for 12 years when I came on board to provide a fresh new outlook for the company in 2015. I have always loved strategic management and this was a perfect opportunity to hit the company refresh button. We have streamlined operations, logistics and core administrative functions resulting in higher efficiency within a small business model. I have also been working on fine-tuning our company branding and storytelling. We now have a company culture that speaks one voice, sharing our story that spans from growing grapes to the level of quality that goes into the finished product with our customers.
Favorite wine? Gamache Vintners Red Mountain 2014 188° SW
Jessica: The 188° SW was the first wine that my father [Roger Gamache] and I created together shortly after I came on board. In many ways, Red Mountain AVA has been weaving in and out of my adult career since 2006. Around this same time, my father purchased land there and took the time to research what would be best suited to plant. Four years ago he planted Cabernet Sauvignon and fruit from this vineyard will be incorporated into future vintages of 188° SW. In the meantime, we have included some phenomenal fruit produced by Jim Holmes, owner of acclaimed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. The wine name comes from the planting direction of my father’s vineyard called Dalee Vineyard; 188 degrees in a southwestern direction that gleans much of the warm sunshine and benefits from the ideal weather patterns known to Red Mountain.
Airfield Estates Winery
Lori Stevens
Marketing Director/Co-Owner
Michael L. Miller joined his family’s farm known as Airport Ranch in the early 1970s and got involved in planting vineyards. The grapes were sold exclusively to other wineries until Mike founded Airfield Estates in 2005. His legacy lives on as his daughter Lori Stevens and her brother Marcus Miller oversee the daily operations of the winery. Prior, Lori worked in retail distribution management before obtaining a Master’s in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia.
Biggest impact? I’m most proud of the long-lasting memories and experiences that we create in our tasting rooms for our guests. For example, every October we host a 5K Vineyard Run, Grape Stomp, and Winemaker’s Dinner at our Prosser location. This will be the 13th consecutive year that we’ve held these popular events. As a mother to three boys, Jessup, age 5, Wyatt, age 3, and newly born Weston, I look forward to carrying on our family’s farming and winemaking legacy for many generations to come.
Favorite wine? Airfield Estates 2017 Airport Ranch Red
Lori: This limited release blend is dear to my heart as it celebrates my family’s 50-year anniversary of growing wine grapes in the Yakima Valley. My grandfather, Donald D. Miller, planted our first wine grapes back in 1968. I love how smooth, balanced, and approachable this wine is as it highlights notes of dark berries, tobacco and savory nuances.
Chandler Reach Vineyards
Meghan Potter
Woodinville Tasting Room Manager
Chandler Reach Vineyards was founded in 1997 by Len and Lenita Parris who raised their daughter, Meghan Potter, in Woodinville far from the family’s Yakima Valley estate vineyard. Focused on hospitality management, Meghan oversees the Woodinville tasting room, and reports that she looks forward to someday exploring the vineyard and winemaking processes that bring their wines to life.
Biggest impact? I joined the winery (in an official capacity) when we opened our Woodinville tasting room in 2014. Having spent the previous five years managing a chain of coffee shops, the transition into the world of wine was welcome, exciting and full of opportunity. I quickly found my stride in the tasting room, building relationships with our customers and familiarizing myself with our product, from vine to bottle. I think the greatest impact I have made to the winery is heading up our marketing department. I undertook the redesign of our website, social media channels, and all direct-to-consumer promotional material and correspondence. I find it challenging and ever evolving.
Favorite wine? Chandler Reach Vineyards 2014 Parris Estate Reserve Sangiovese
Meghan: What I most appreciate about this particular wine is that it is a wonderful representation of Old World meets New World style. It is medium bodied with a lovely cranberry color and has aromatics of graham cracker and caramel. There’s a nice acidity, making it very food friendly, and notes of tart red cherries, red raspberries with herbal undertones. It is a wonderful example of our vineyard.
Arbor Crest Wine Cellars
Kristina van Löben Sels
Winemaker, CEO, Owner
Founded in 1982 by her parents, Harold and Marcia Mielke, and her uncle David Mielke, Kristina van Löben Sels and her husband Jim have taken this Spokane-based winery to the next level. Kristina says it is her dream to see her three children someday become involved in the business as well, handing down Arbor Crest from generation to generation.
Biggest impact? I believe my greatest impact has been helping to coordinate a dynamic winery team that loves wine as much as my husband and I. When my husband and I took over the business in 1999, we had a vision of what Arbor Crest could be and the wines we could make. Slowly, we have put together a team to help create that vision which has been rewarding and exciting. As a team we have created systems, defined our company’s core values and share a commitment to excellence and love of wine.
Favorite wine? Arbor Crest 2016 Avansino Grand Reserve
Kristina: I absolutely love this wine for many reasons. First, I love the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. It is so silky and full of flavor as well as food friendly. I just love to pair this with food! As well, I love this wine because it is named after my mother and is a tribute to her and her Italian family!
Côte Bonneville
Kerry Shiels
Winemaker
Hugh and Kathy Shiels planted DuBrul Vineyard in 1992, which led to the advent of their estate winery, Côte Bonneville. Their daughter Kerry made her first wine at age 13 for a school science project. After cutting her teeth in the wine biz in California, Australia and Argentina, she came home to the Yakima Valley where she makes the family’s wines, along with handling other duties.
Biggest impact? The biggest impacts I’ve made are expanding the range of wines we make and helping more people get them. Before I came home in 2009, we made three wines. We now vinify all six varietals we grow, and have introduced a second label, Train Station (an historic building that we converted into our tasting room in 2015). Opening the tasting room and starting a wine club have given customers so much more access to the wines—production is limited and they can be hard to find, especially outside of Washington. It is so much easier for people to come visit, and we now ship to almost every state.
Favorite wine? Côte Bonneville 2011 DuBrul Vineyard Red Wine
Kerry: DuBrul Vineyard has unique flavors and structures; it’s a very distinctive site. Our flagship wine comes from a specific planting and soil profile, with intense fruit, expressive aromatics, and great structure. The 2011 vintage was challenging, but the wine is elegant, complex, perfumed, and delicious.
Westport Winery
Carrie Roberts
Chief Financial Officer
Blain and Kim Roberts, who both have deep ties to the sea, founded this coastal-based winery in 2008. Their son and daughter—Carrie, along with her brother Dana—became partners in the winery in 2016. Aside from being CFO, Carrie is involved in everything from sales to gardening. For example, during harvest last year the winery hauled over 100 tons of grapes and she was behind the wheel on all but a couple trips.
Biggest impact? When the other members of my family come up with a seemingly unsolvable dilemma they always come to me to get my distinctly different perspective. While my ideas may not always be adopted, my unique viewpoint often directs us as a team to the solution we have been struggling to find. This has worked in a variety of situations from when we need more space for production, to making our ciders, to generating new collaborative opportunities.
Favorite wine? Westport Winery 2016 Nirvana Red Wine
Carrie: I am obsessed with our ultra-premium, red blend of Conner-Lee Vineyard Merlot and May’s Discovery Vineyard Cabernet Franc. It is a fruit forward, bigger-than-life red wine that reminds me of a magic, inviting red sunset where you bask in the glow of its warmth.
English Estate Winery
Jennifer English
Winemaker
winery in Vancouver, Wash. and was started by Jennifer English’s father, Carl English. He planted the vineyard on the family farm in 1980, and later founded the winery in 2002. Jennifer and her brother took over completely upon their father’s passing in 2010 and today Jennifer crafts the wines and manages the vineyard as well.
Biggest impact? I have touched pretty much everything! I’m most proud of the fact that what we sell comes 99.8% from this farm, which has been in my family for generations. We’re making three different wines from our Pinot Noir grapes, in addition to four white varietals that are really coming into their own. We also make several varieties of a mistelle-type wine from other fruits we grow here, usually raspberries and plums, but sometimes wild blackberries if we pick them before the birds!
My father was sick for several years before he passed so much of the first three years were spent getting everything back into working order: bringing the vineyard back from a terrible powdery mildew infection, redesigning the labels and otherwise righting the ship. It was a big learning curve.
Favorite wine? English Estate 2015 Gravel Mine Vineyards Pinot Noir
Jennifer: The fun thing about growing all the fruit we use in our wines is that I remember each year and exactly what was going on. 2015 was a very warm summer. We ripened about two weeks early. I feel like the resulting wine is just so complex. I consistently get cherry and blueberry but also licorice. It’s been fun watching it mature over the years, and it’s really coming into its own now. I just love this wine.
Foundry Vineyards
Lisa Anderson
Sales & Events Manager
Mark and Patty Anderson started Foundry Vineyards in Walla Walla in 2003. Now their daughter Lisa Anderson coordinates the business side while her brother Jay oversees the winemaking. Along with managing all sales from distribution to wine club, Lisa juggles numerous duties from events to marketing and strategic planning. She is also in the final stages of converting their estate vineyard to organic certified.
Biggest impact? I came on board full-time at the end of 2015 to manage the winery’s accounting and finance. In 2016, I started taking on more responsibility for our events program. I searched for unique event opportunities like partnering with the Walla Walla Public Library to bring in Washington State’s Poet Laureate or partnering with Connoisseur Concerts to bring in a triple-grammy, award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey bi-annually. Simultaneously we started to incorporate weddings as a rental option. In 2016 we did 23 events but by the end of 2017 we increased our events to 60 per year! Now, moving into 2019 we are gearing up for it to be the biggest year to date.
Favorite wine? Foundry Vineyards 2014 Summit View Vineyard Malbec
Lisa: My favorite wine is our 2014 Malbec which is sourced from Summit View Vineyard. This wine immediately catches your eye with its deep purple color as soon as it is poured. It’s a solid expression of Malbec from the Walla Walla AVA and beside just tasting great on its own it is an exceptional food wine. I find myself returning to this wine over and over.
Barnard Griffin
Megan Hughes
Assistant Winemaker/Enologist
Growing up in her family’s winery, Megan Hughes has all the qualifications needed to be a brand ambassador for Barnard Griffin. Her parents, Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard, founded the winery in 1983. Mehan works alongside her father in the cellar most days, but as in many family businesses, she admits there is no department she is not involved in.
Biggest impact? My parents have always been extremely humble, too much at times. As the second generation, I get to come out and promote how amazing they and their accomplishments are. The wine industry is a constantly changing and evolving landscape and it’s up to any future generation to adapt and look for innovation. I have helped lead the development on a new brand only available in restaurants, a brand that is sold exclusively on the east coast, and our most recent venture into canned wine.
In summary, I would say that promoting Barnard Griffin’s legacy and brand development are the areas where I feel I have made the greatest impact. My parents have been in this business for 36 years, and I get to continue the tradition of excellence while still innovating for the future.
Favorite wine? Barnard Griffin 2017 Albariño
Megan: Currently my main focus involves white wine production. I find this Albariño has a nice sea breeze crispness to it. When Barnard Griffin first started making Albariño, I learned more about the varietal and discovered its roots in Spain come from an area of predominantly female winemakers. This certainly had an appeal to me coupled with the fact that the grower is female. I love the salinity in the aroma that’s able to come through.