There is an old adage that great things often come from humble beginnings—and this particular winery, located in a suburban neighborhood north of Seattle, may indeed be one of those next great happenings. The wine production, at least for now, happens in a modest space adjacent to the home in Shoreline, WA where Kevin and Kathryn Mueller live and raise their children. “Kevin was born and raised in Shoreline, and so it’s been an honor to start a business in the community that helped mold him. Staying local and helping to support the community has been a dream and a privilege,” says Kathryn.
From a single barrel of wine that got Kevin going in 2013, the winery has steadily grown to around 1,000 cases annually. In fact, plans are underway to open an Edmonds tasting room by the summer of 2022. “I always wanted to get into winemaking,” says Kevin, who got his start as an assistant at Structure Cellars.
Virtue Cellars wine conveys a sense of purity that belies the under-$30 price tags without sacrificing complexity or structure. “We purposefully price the majority of our wines between $19 to $30 to help make them accessible. We believe everyone should be able to enjoy high-quality wine at an affordable price,” says Kevin.
There’s keen attention to detail evident throughout the wines we sampled. “Every task is done by hand—from the picking of the grapes, to the de-stemming of the grapes, to the fermentations, punchdowns, pressing, everything by hand. The aging, topping of the barrels from 18 to 20 months, and then bottling, waxing and labeling—it’s all by hand, one by one,” explains Kevin.
Currently open by appointment, call (206) 930-8038, or visit the website at www.virtuecellars.com. Watch for a tasting room planned in 2022 in downtown Edmonds.
Below are three releases we recently reviewed:
Virtue Cellars 2018 Charisma Cabernet Sauvignon
92 pts.
Deeply concentrated in a pure and expressive style, with tempting aromas of blackberry and dried herbs that carry onto the palate. Full flavored, with cassis, plum, anise and thyme that veer toward the earthy side. Polished sweet tannins bind all the elements together on the seamless finish that goes on and on. $28
Virtue Cellars 2018 Enthusiasm Grenache
92 pts.
Poised and balanced, this version over-delivers with alluring aromas of wild raspberry, crushed rock and caraway that lead to a rich mouthfeel, fine tuned with accents of white pepper, dried parsley and lasting minerality. $26
Virtue Cellars 2018 Fortitude Red Blend
92 pts.
Give this Bordeaux varietal red wine time to open and it will pay dividends. Violet-infused steeped plum and cherry flavors dominate the well-structured palate with hints of coffee bean and gravel. Firm powdery tannins gain stupendous length with a well-played boost of acidity that supports the long graceful finish. $24