Olympic Cellars has a 30+ year heritage of winemaking which began with our founder Gene Neuharth. The winery originated in 1979 as "Neuharth Winery," the 15th winery in WA State, and the first to locate on the Olympic Peninsula. It was initially located in an old dairy barn in Sequim, WA. But a highway bypass around Sequim and through the old winery required a move to our "new old dairy barn" in Port Angeles.

Olympic Cellars is a full production winery -- grapes crushed, wine aged and bottling at the winery. In August 2010 with the departure of Benoit back to France on a educational sabatical we did our first crush at Artifex, a custom crush, state-of-the-art facility in Walla Walla. I can tell you I went through "harvest withdrawal" not shoveling tons of grapes, sweating thru hours of punchdown and then helping out with the press and finally putting the wine in barrels for a long winter's nap.

2011 Harvest... is under discussion. We may be back at the winery or one more year in Walla Walla. Some things don't change though...

• Virginie visits the vineyards regulary from the time of bud break to harvest
• We still have our grapes hand-picked at the peak of ripeness, in the cool morning hours so sugars and acids are not compromised.
• Our vineyards have been picked over the years based on the terroir and the varietals planted... matching land to grape. Wine starts with the grapes and there can be no compromise.
• Oak barrels is our aging vessel of choice for reds and some whites... choosing the right oak is critical so the fruit is the first thing you taste with oak helping round out the complexity.
• Winemaking is where science and artistry meet... testing the wine and tasting the wine routinely is critical. I also think there is a bit of magic too.

Our wines highlight the fruit that reflects our state's terroir (the sum of all conditions that affect a vineyard - soil, slope, climate, elevation, etc.... and contribute to a wine's personality). Soft tannins make them easy to sip, and oak aging provides for a smooth, long finish. They are made to be savored with friends and family and compliment the table.

We have grown from around 1000 cases to 3500 cases. Currently, we produce 3 different brand labels,

Our award-winning Working Girl series (Working Girl White; Go Girl Red; Handyman Red) are blends designed to be distinct, yet affordable..

Our premium Olympic Cellars wines which includes five varietal wines are produced in small quantities - we make only 150 to 200 cases of each varietal each year. Each wine embodies the "sense of place - the vineyard" where the grapes were grown and are recognized through accolades, wine reviews and medals as premium Washington wines.

Dungeness Series, our heritage and artist series label, was first made in 1980. Dungeness White is a 100% Riesling, Dungeness Red Lemberger and Dungeness Rose.. new in July 2011

View all our Available Wines in our Online Store