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Will Mercer
April 9 – I’ll be talking to Will Mercer, proprietor of Mercer Family Estates in Prosser. This is the Washington State winery of the year for 2016. The family has been producing fine examples of Columbia Valley wine since Don & Linda Mercer become the founding wine grape growers in the Horse Heaven Hills. The Cabernet Sauvignon they planted in Block 1 would later become the highly acclaimed Champoux Vineyard. The first commercial release was in 2002, a Cabernet and Merlot. In 2011 Don and Linda Mercer received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers.
Brothers Rob and Will Mercer along with many other family members and winemaker Jessica Munnell are continuing and expanding the quality bench mark set by Don and Linda. Check out the 3 tiers of Mercer wine:
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David “Merf” Merfeld
April 16 – LIVE from North Star winery with winemaker David Merfeld “Dr. of Merlot.” We’ll tell you all about the winery, vineyards, products produced and do a little blending, something Merf is a Master of.
The region has been recognized as one of the world’s most exciting and acclaimed regions for Merlot. Washington lies at the same latitude as the Bordeaux region in France, yet has the additional benefit of a longer growing season and cooler nighttime temperatures. These characteristics aid in the even ripening of grapes and the locking in of acidity, resulting in full-bodied yet balanced Merlots. Northstar’s first vintage was in 1994 and the state-of-the-art winery was built in 2002.
In its earliest years, Northstar was guided by celebrated California
winemaker Jed Steele, who worked extensively with our current winemaker,
David “Merf” Merfeld, head Winemaker since 2005. Now leading the way, and
with access to the top 2% of Columbia and Walla Walla Valley’s finest
Merlot grapes, Merf is creating wines of great distinction and acclaim.