EFESTĒ

Owned by Helen and Dan Ferrelli, Patrick Smith, and Angela and Kevin Taylor, EFESTĒ began as a small project based on Dan's family history. His grandparents were born in Italy, immigrated to the U.S. and sometimes sold Italian Zinfandel made in their basement to get by. Over the years, Dan continued the annual "making of the wine" with friends and family using his grandfather's wine press. In 1989, Kevin Taylor, married to Dan's daughter Angela, joined in. In 2001, Dan and Kevin began bottling and labeling their wine. Dan introduced Kevin to Patrick Smith, who in turn introduced them to the Woodinville wine community. Making a few barrels turned into a full-fledged winery.

EFESTĒ opened in 2005 with Chris Upchurch and NaKenge Adisa consulting, and Mike Macmorran in 2006. In 2007, Brennon Leighton was hired, blending the 2006 wines and making the 2007s. Brennon met Chris Upchurch soon after arriving at Chateau Ste. Michelle (CSM). "Chris has been very good to me," says Brennon. "He took me under his wing and helped give me a path where I could be successful. We may sometimes disagree, but he had faith in me and gave me opportunities that can't be minimized. He introduced me to EFESTĒ's owners."

Brennon's early years wouldn't lead you to see him as a winemaker. "I was a counter-culture punk rock guy," he recalls. "I wanted to be in music. I wasn't very good; in fact, I'm embarrassed to say I was a musician. I was living in one room in a communal house, partying with roommates and drinking Jameson on the rocks. In the early 90s, a family friend got me a job at a high-end restaurant. I liked the job. The GM shared a bottle of wine one day. That wine changed everything. I turned into a guy buying his own Riedel glasses and drinking alone in my room, studying the Encyclopedia of Wine. I was 24 and had started to mature. How to continue? Sommelier? GM?" He'd always been a poor student, but going to junior college with a sense of direction, school became easy. He interviewed Eric Olsen, an assistant winemaker at CSM as part of his studies. Eric told him he had to attend UC Davis. "I moved to Sacramento and went to the school that feeds the college. I didn't do anything but study and work. Ignorance was a benefit. If I'd known how hard it would be, I probably wouldn't have done it.

Photo above: Winemaker Brennon Leighton

"The experience was huge for me. I tasted lots of wine and it taught me a lot. I did a research project for a professor and a winery, then got a job as assistant winemaker at CSM. It was an incredible experience. I was allowed to do experiments and trials. I learned what works and what doesn't—I messed up a lot of wine. But I learned who I was as a winemaker and that certain things are really important in making wine. I think that Washington winemakers mix too many techniques that don't fit together. You have to choose your path. I feel there are three important things: science, craft and art."

Brennon, as he freely admits, has some opinions. He is a reductive winemaker and prefers native fermentation. "I don't like to add oxygen to wine. The only time oxygen is introduced is when I press. I'm hyper-sensitive to using inert gases to get oxygen out of the way. And instead of using packaged commercial yeast for fermentation, I use yeast that is natural to the area. Ambient yeast can come from many places, there are probably 20-30 types during fermentation: it's survival of the fittest. The yeast that's there in the beginning is gone at the end. One yeast kills another. I like it because it's happening naturally. It's less like making wine than monitoring wine. Wines are more complex because the battle for resources (yeast) creates character. I think the greatest wines are perfectly flawed. Flaws create interest. But that's just my opinion."

The one wine that is an exception to his rules is his Riesling. "I learned to make Riesling a certain way at CSM. While I'm proud of being part of changing the flavor profile there, I have a certain perspective." Brennon produced the award-winning Eroica Riesling. "My artistic side still wants to change it up, but my craftsman side thinks it's quite beautiful as is."

EFESTĒ has purchased and planted two 20-acre parcels on Red Mountain and 25 acres near Dick Boushey's vineyards in the Yakima Valley AVA. The first fruit was harvested in 2010. "I'm extremely excited about this. Having our own grapes is the bedrock for what I do. I'm like a kid before Christmas and can't wait until I know what I have!"

Brennon loves the idea of place and varietal, and the purity of those things together. "If I find a good fruit from an interesting place, I'm going to make wine," he says.

EFESTĒ produced 9500 cases of wine in 2010. About 2/3 of the wine goes to their two wine clubs and the tasting room. Seattle is their biggest market, with Quebec, Canada, the second. "They found our wine and came after us," says Brennon. "It gets said a lot, but in our case I think it's true. Our wines are more European but with a New World edge.

"Washington is a young wine state with such potential. I want to see winemakers make it even more unique. So I'll continue to poke a stick at the hornet's nest, pushing myself and other winemakers to find their voices."

Passionate wine lovers combined with a passionate winemaker have created EFESTĒ. This tight-knit group will continue to create interesting wines for us to enjoy.

Connie Adams/June 2011