Inaugural Portfolio Launches With Collection Of Bespoke Washington State And Oregon Winemakers
January 14, 2015 (New York, NY USA) – With the mid-winter selling season in full swing, a collection of some serious “never-before-tasted” Pacific Northwest winemaking in New York is hitting the streets, courtesy of Welkin Vines (www.welkinvines.com, www.sevenfifty.com/welkinvines), a newly-formed distributor planning to make waves across the wine buying market. Charlie Keyser, Founding Partner of Welkin Vines LLC, along with Partner and COO Paul Arena, worked diligently over the past year to identify and source a collection of exceptionally talented and passionate winemakers that represent the best of new world winemaking.
The essence of the Welkin Vines portfolio are its winemakers, starting with their personal stories, then enriched by the fruit they nurture and the wine they craft, all translating the unique terroir of these unique AVA’s. A few of the wines in the collection include:
From F-15 Fighter Jets to World-Class Pinot Noir
Originally a maintenance technician on F-15 Fighter Aircraft for the Oregon Air National Guard, Rebecca Pittock-Shouldis knows her way around an F-15 fighter jet, and is equally adept at crafting world-class pinot noir under the Ghost Hill Cellars www.ghosthillcellars.com name. In 2005, Rebecca decided to switch careers in order to pursue her passion for wine. Almost ten vintages later, Rebecca’s wines are earning Ghost Hill a reputation as one of the top-level boutique producers working in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Among the accolades: Ghost Hill’s 2011 Bayliss-Bower Pinot Noir earned a 90 point rating from Stephen Tanzer’s IWC, and the 2010 Prospector’s Reserve Pinot Noir took home a 92 point rating from ThePinotFile.com.
Channeling the Loire, the Mosel too
Savage Grace Wines www.savagegracewines.com was established in 2011 by owner-wine-maker Michael Savage, with a vintage of Cabernet Franc. His vision is to make Old World style lower-alcohol, balanced, and expressive wines. Savage-Grace wines are testament to that philosophy. Savage eschews modern practices, aiming for a classic result, such as dry farming whenever possible. “The Savage Grace 2013 Sauvignon Blanc could easily be mistaken for a top growth Sancerre, chalky and mineral-laden, and just gorgeous. The Savage Grace 2013 Cabernet Franc is a fresh beauty; whole berry fermented, pressed into neutral French oak (de rigeur for SG) with an elevage of seven months. The Savage Grace 2013 Riesling is a gorgeous wine with intense aromatics. Displaying an off-dry palate, the wine is suggestive of a Zilliken or Willi Shaefer.
The “Heart” of Terroir
Old Highway 8 just outside of Lyle, not far from the Columbia River, Luke Bradford and COR Cellars www.corcellars.com are shaping the next generation of Washington State wines. After several years at acclaimed vineyards in Italy, Luke Bradford returned to Washington as Assistant Winemaker for Wine River Cellars and then Syncline Wine Cellars. Seeing the enormous potential in Washington fruit, in 2005, Luke embarked on his own and planted vineyards while arranging to buy fruit from the growers who knows at Syncline – Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Malbec from Horse Heaven Hills, Sauvignon Blanc from the Wahluke Slope, and Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer/Riesling from the Columbia Gorge. In a short time, COR wines have earned wide acclaim. Ranked Washington State “Winery of the Year,” by the Seattle Pi in 2013, and with significant buzz coming out of Taste Washington 2014, where a number of COR wines were highly rated, it seems winemaking truly is in Bradford’s heart.
Additional wineries in the Welkin portfolio include:
- Azari/Corkscrew Wines www.azarivineyards.com www.drinkcorkscrew.com
- EFESTÉ www.efeste.com
- El Corazon Winery www.elcorazonwinery.com
- Fall Line Winery www.falllinewinery.com
- Plumb Wine Cellars
- Pomum/Idilico Wines www.idilicowine.com
- Willful Wine Company www.willfulwine.com
“We believe passionately in the world-class winemaking that is taking place in Oregon and in Washington State,” offered Keyser, who launched the company to bring the best of limited production, minimal interventionist winemaking to consumers. Testament to Welkin’s confidence in these Pacific Northwest AVA’s, and in their partner winemakers, Welkin is offering what it believes is a greater variety of Washington State and Oregon wines than any other independent distributor currently in operation.
Early readings from the market indicate the firm’s growing number of accounts are showing great enthusiasm for the category, and are really excited to sell these wines – – which showcase great typicity, while also demonstrating restraint and great balance in their alcohol and wood tannin levels – – all hallmarks of the Pacific Northwest style, and the reason these wines are in greater demand. One of their winemakers has already been positioned on the wine card at New York’s renowned Union Square Café, with other wines in the portfolio hitting the shelves at the city’s top wine and spirit shops.
About Welkin Vines
Welkin Vines LLC is a New York City-based wine distribution firm bringing the best of limited production, minimal interventionist winemaking to consumers. Formed in 2014, Welkin (Welkin is of Old English derivation, meaning “vault of the sky,” or “celestial abode of the heavens”) aims to be the “go to” distributor for consumers seeking high-quality wines that are truly reflective of their “terroir” and that provide a strong value proposition. The Welkin portfolio, ever growing and evolving, can be found both on the company’s web site, www.welkinvines.com, as well as at www.sevenfifty.com/welkinvines . To learn more, please visit www.welkinvines.com
