Our Story

My start in the wine business began in Walla Walla, Washington, a region that was also getting its own start as a wine grape producing region. At that time, there were roughly 25 wineries producing on average 1,000 cases/winery! Upon graduation from Whitman College with a B.A. in French Literature, I pursued enology and viticulture studies at the, then, brand-new, Walla Walla Wine Institute. I was the 3rd graduating class of approx. 30 students in 2007. Next, it was off to France to complete a master’s program in International Wine business in Dijon, France which led me to live and work in the Languedoc-Roussillon. This vast region, which is the largest wine-growing region in the world, has a surprising number of similarities to my native Eastern Washington State and gave me incredible insights and perspective on the potential of my own native state to produce world-class wines.

After a 12 year hiatus in the Languedoc-Roussillon, where I lived and worked learning about how vineyards are cultivated in an equally, similar growing climate, I decided it was time to craft my own wine from the Columbia Valley, a beautiful, red blend of Syrah and Grenache, some of my favorite grape varietals. TOP SOURCE is born!

The Southern part of the Columbia Valley is an ideal place for Syrah and Grenache to grow as the harsh, desert-like climate, (Washington State has the most northern “desert” in the United States) stresses the vines, resulting in incredible fruit quality. Due to the Columbia Valley’s northern, geographic latitude, we also benefit from high, daily, temperature differences (diurnal flux), especially in the summer which allows the vines to better conserve natural acidity thus achieving natural balance between the alcohol levels, acidity, and amazing aromatic complexity.

Next came the opportunity to work with some special lots of wines from the Walla Walla Valley.

Walla Walla Valley is one of the United State’s few AVA’s that is located on basalt-based, volcanic soils. Volcanic soils make up 3% of the world’s soils and an even smaller percentage of the world’s wines

(Read: Volcanic wines: Salt, Grit, Power by John Szabo). Wines coming from volcanic soils are unique because they have ideal drainage and are nutrient poor thus creating growing conditions that force the vines to produce the best quality fruit.

The Walla Walla Valley is composed of 4 unique volcanic soil composites of which this blend of only Syrah represents several.

You might ask how I got my hands on such great Walla Walla Valley wine? All those year’s ago, as a young person in the valley, I partied with, shared dinners, attended wine events, waited on, worked at various wineries leading me to cultivate and maintain many important relationships with winemakers, winery and vineyard owners, in the valley even during my time in France. As those various people have progressed in their businesses, they are happy to see my back in town and give me a chance to bring a new vision to the valley as Walla Walla continues to prove itself as a top, world-class, wine-growing region with it’s own personality, pedigree, and great people.

As our valley is still quite small, yet growing, I signed an NDA with the different sources involved in my project in order to be able to purchase these wines. I really wish I could tell you in more in detail exactly the provenance and pedigree (it’s quite spectacular), all I can say is my wine is a beautiful blend from distinctive parts of Walla Walla and I am absolutely tickled to share something so special with my fellow wine lovers.