K Vintners
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Country of Origin: USA
Location: Walla Walla
People: Charles Smith, Owner & Winemaker
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Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla Washington, K Vintners opened its doors to the public on December 2001 on property homesteaded in 1853 with the adjacent farmhouse build in 1872. K Vintners' first release was 330 cases of 1999 K Syrah. K Vintners produced small lots of single vineyard Syrahs and field blends that are handpicked, foot-stomped, fermented with naturally occurring yeasts and basket pressed. K Vintners is producing wines from 2 distinctive viticultural zones: Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla Valley. Each of these areas are unique and awesome for Syrah and the field blends produced. In April 2002, two separate blocks of vineyards were planted to Syrah adjacent to the winery in the rocky dry creek beds that run through K Vintners property.
He loves to drink wine! Charles Smith, El Presidente and winemaker moved to Walla Walla after 11 years in Scandanavia managing rock bands. Originally from northern California, he has been involved with wine personally and professionally his whole life. In 2009 Food & Wine Magazine recognized Charles as "Winemaker of the Year" and in 2010 Seattle Magazine honored him with "Winemaker of the Year."
Jen Dunnuck, Wine Advocate 6/2013
"In the top tier of producers in Washington State, wild man Charles Smith fashions singular, exotic wines that never lack for richness or texture. While his wines can push the limits in some vintages and be slightly controversial, there’s nothing controversial or over the top with these 2010s and 2011s and they have beautiful purity of fruit, clean, integrated acid profiles and solid underlying structure. In almost all cases, given the quality, they represent incredible values. While this was a slight marathon tasting, when the wines are this good, it’s always easy to keep your motivation. Focusing on low-yields in the vineyards, the winemaking here is straight-forward with almost all of the wines seeing some whole cluster fermentation, time on lees and aging primarily in neutral French oak."