Matt and Kelly Austin met early in their respective careers as attorney and fashion designer in Los Angeles. Their interest in wine flared during an impromptu trip to Santa Barbara and more wine-region adventures ensued, including many in Kelly’s home state of Washington. “When I decided that I’d like to return to school to learn to make wine, we knew that Washington was where we wanted to be,” says Matt. Following their bliss, the couple relocated to the Seattle area where Matt earned a degree in winemaking at Northwest Wine Academy. He cut his chops at Woodinville wineries such as Savage Grace, Efeste and Darby until an opening as cellar master at Dunham Cellars lured the couple to Walla Walla in 2017.
Shortly after the move, Matt and Kelly put a bid on a vineyard property that was being auctioned. They won the bid and were suddenly on the road to owning their own winery. “We weren’t expecting much when we participated in the online auction but ended up winning, much to our surprise,” Matt remembers. “We had always imagined embarking on a winery project in the future, but this fast-tracked our plans.” That property is now the site of their newly constructed winery and stylish, light and airy tasting room designed by Kelly. The property also includes a four-bedroom vacation rental called Casa Grosgrain.
With a love for lighter, fresher styles of wine, Grosgrain concentrates on minimal intervention winemaking and grapes that are less commonly grown in Washington, including Albariño, Nebbiolo, Grenache, Lemberger, and Chenin Blanc. With the goal of transitioning to working primarily with their own estate-grown fruit, they are in the process of developing two vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.
The young winery’s initial releases all merit outstanding ratings.
The tasting room is located at 2158 Half Acre Lane, Walla Walla; phone (509) 876-4045 or visit www.grosgrainvineyards.com
Below are 3 wines we recently reviewed:
Grosgrain Vineyards 2018 Red Heaven Vineyard Grenache, $34
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
This single-vineyard charmer is a lighter-bodied style that starts with aromas of red berries, rose and peppercorn. The mouthfeel is plump and viscous, with expressive layers of black raspberry, rich cherry and river rock, tinged with salinity and dried herbs that surround the finish.
Grosgrain Vineyards 2018 Lemberger Pét-Nat, $26
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
This refreshingly fizzy wine is made in a style called pét-nat (short for pétillant naturel, meaning “naturally sparkling”). Pét-nat wines are all the rage in France and Italy—the tiny carbon dioxide bubbles that make it a sparkling wine are produced by natural sugars found in the grapes. This bone-dry version boasts an exciting profile of berries, pie dough and heirloom apples backlit with a spear of citrusy acidity and stony minerality.
Grosgrain Vineyards 2018 Philips Vineyard Albariño
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
Fermented and aged in a combination of concrete egg, neutral oak and stainless steel tank, this is loaded with verve and plenty of intensity. Starting with aromas of citrus, saline and honeysuckle, the smooth sleek frame delivers vibrant and refreshing flavors of pear, lime zest, lemon and wet stone that race through the crisp finish.