At Swede Hill Cellars, we  handcraft  small lots of artisan wines  that reflect our relationship with:

    our growers whose skill and integrity produce the beautiful grapes that reflect Washington State's unique glacial and volcanic geology, and our friends and family who work with us during long daytime hours and into the night during Crush, to ready those grapes for transformation by the winemakers.

Because we work in small lots we can use traditional French and artisan techniques: cold soaks, co-fermentation at crush, hand punch downs, stem Inclusion, sur lie aging & battonage, minimal filtration or fining, and carefully balanced oak exposure.  We handle our wines very lightly during barrel aging, striving to minimize pumping.  The winemakers favor low oxygen exposure during barrel aging to help preserve the wines' intense fruit flavors and aromas. 

Our Swedish Arts and Crafts inspired  winery is designed to optimize its solar exposure with an insulated, passive-solar heated fermentation room.  And  our cellar employs super-insulation and earth cooling to minimize its energy use.  Along similar lines, we are using lighter weight glass for many of our releases, saving resources and energy.

Our Tasting Room in Langley

is an intimate space to share wine, stories, the awesome view of Sarratoga Passage and the Salish Sea (maybe some whales), or just to clock out in our Gallery/Library Setting

Who We Are

Eric Murphy  Head Winemaker

A longtime Pacific Northwest resident, Eric divides his time between the winery, and professional mountain guiding the world over.  Eric has led expeditions and climbs in Alaska, Antarctica, Nepal, Tibet, Africa, Argentina, and Chile, and more.  He guides for Alpine Ascents International, based in Seattle, one of the most respected and successful guide services in the world. 

www.alpineascents.com

Spring 2012

Winemaker

Eric Murphy on Mount Everest

May 30th

Eric's Team summitted Mt. Everest and have returned safely.  Eric was able to squeeze in a quick ascent of Lhotse (28,000'), solo, in 6 hours from the South Col. 

Background in the arts, and outdoor leadership.  Harvest/winemaking internships at Barnett Vineyards in St. Helena, Ca, and Zacherle Wines of Calistoga, Ca with longtime friend and Consulting Winemaker, Nile Zacherle.  www.zacherlewines.com

David Ott  Winemaker

His background in engineering, chemistry and community organizing, David moved to Whidbey Island's sunny Swede Hill  Farm in 1983 with Diane and their young family under the influence of Small is Beautiful and Five Acres and Independence.  Enacting independence.he initiated award winning brewing here in 1984.

In 2002, he and friend and fellow brewer, Eric Murphy transmuted their brewing passion and began making wine at the farm.  In 2007, they decided to make work of their play, and Swede Hill Cellars was born.  David works professionally in the field of residential building performance when he is not making wine, or tending grapes.

Diane Kaufman  Cellar Rat

Designer (space artist) of the Winery itself and the new Langley Tasting Room, minerals artist, and gardener Diane provides the nurturing support (read food) that fuels Swede Hill Cellars' wine making.  She has retired three times unsuccessfully, from university teaching, from founding and managing an energy conservation business, and from aging-focused social work. Diane is taking a break from her art to work with Eric and David redesigning the farm around their shared vision of  the winery on Swede Hill.  While Eric braves the peaks and David stalks the leaks, Diane keeps the home fires burning and the cellars cooling (or heating), depending on the weather.

Diane is learning the basics of red winemaking with all the help Eric can provide.  They will bottle the wine dearest to her heart, a Washington State Petite Sirah, this fall 2012.