Only the square configuration of the 30,000-square-foot winery could rightfully be described as conventional.
Winemaker Gilles Nicault discusses his passion for the industry in one of the barrel rooms at Long Shadows Winery. U-B photo by Jeff Horner
Yet Gilles Nicault, the Frenchman turned Walla Walla winemaker who drives the ribbon of road three miles off U.S. Highway 12 every day to get to his dream job here, calls Long Shadows Vintners' $4.2 million facility ``nothing fancy.''
Indeed construction is still under way on the Ireland Road facility, with dust and debris from sheetrock and other materials clouding the uninhabitated portions of the building.
But when that's done, likely sometime mid-summer, the winery built into a hillside off Ireland Road could be one of the most spectacular facilities tourists and wine-lovers may never see.
That's because it will rarely
be open to the public.
Long Shadows is an umbrella winery for seven separate brands made by some of the world's most renowned vintners.
Founder and chairman Allen Shoup, a pioneer in the Washington wine industry, has partnered with vintners from Italy, Australia, France, Germany, Chile and Napa Valley.
Under the Long Shadows name, each operates their individually owned and managed wineries to produce blends of reds and whites with grapes from all over Washington state.
When each winery produces about 3,000 cases, Shoup envisions them having their own facilities.
``The long-term vision is that we would take each of the seven wineries housed there now and give them an independent home,'' he said.
So why this massive winery tucked into the rolling wheatfields of Walla Walla with the sweeping view of windmills on the horizon?
``If we did a tiny winery, the quality would go down right there,'' explained Nicault, who worked six years under Woodward Canyon owner Rick Small before joining Long Shadows.
On a tour of the facility, where hundreds of barrels held a variety of blends, Nicault said it's easier to produce everything in one place.
As winemaker for Long Shadows, Nicault's job is to work with the individual vintners on their signature blends.
The 35-year-old winemaker has traveled to the respective wineries and vineyards of each of the vintners, journeying to Australia, Germany, France and more.
``It's very important to see the vintners in their places,'' he said.
At the Long Shadows facility, he applies the specific desires of each vintner to create the blends they want, using grapes from specific Washington vineyards and hand-processing everything.
In a lab that overlooks monstrous fermenting tanks and the winery's packaging area, the chemistry of the wines is tested daily.
``We are really big on quality control,'' Nicault said.
Not that those involved haven't already made an art of their craft.
Though the facility has been under construction since 2006, Long Shadows existed several years before that. Using borrowed space, the first crush was in 2003.
Since then, a handful of wines, from a riesling to merlot, have been produced with a price tag to the customer of $20 to $55 per bottle.
Long Shadows is targeting markets all over the world. But Shoup said he expects it to be most popular domestically with fine-dining establishments, markets and individual buyers.
Long Shadows had been a longtime goal as Shoup, the retired chief executive officer of Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates, sought to bring world-renowned vintners to Washington. He said Walla Walla was the obvious choice for a location.
``I think the reason to build a winery in Walla Walla is self-evident,'' Shoup said. ``It's the perfect community for small wineries. It has the ambiance, the community support. It's probably the closest thing we have at this point in this state to a Napa Valley.''
With the partner winemakers producing around 1,800 cases of wine apiece and Long Shadows' reputation building, it may not be long before the wineries are ready to stand on their own. For Shoup, possibilities abound.
``It begs the question what would we do with this facility?'' he said. ``It could be one or two of the wineries stay there, or anything from sell it to developing additional brands.''
First, however, they'll finish construction.
LONG SHADOWS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Allen Shoup, former president and chief executive of Woodinville-based Stimson Lane wine group, which includes Chateau St. Michelle, Columbia Crest and others.
Don Peterson, former chief executive of Ford Motor Co.
Arnie Prentice, co-founder and chairman of Kibble & Prentice, one of the Northwest's largest independent financial services firms.
Adm. Joseph Prueher (retired), former ambassador to China
Anthony von Mandl, owner Mission Hill Winery in Okanogan.
The board leads the strategic direction of Long Shadows. Daily operations are managed by Allen, along with Chief Financial Officer Mike Williamson, formerly of Canandaigua Wine Co. in New York.
LONG SHADOWS' WINERIES AND VINTNERS/CO-OWNERS
Poet's Leap (riesling): Armin Diel, owner of Schlossgut Diel winery in southwest Germany's Nahe River Valley.
Chester-Kidder (red blend): Gilles Nicault and Allen Shoup.
Feather (cabernet sauvignon): Randy Dunn, owner of Dunn Vineyards in the Napa Valley.
Pedestal (merlot): Michel Rolland, international consultant/Bordeaux.
Pirouette (red wine): Chilean Agustin Huneeus and French-born vintner Philippe Melka, both Napa Valley winemakers.
Saggi (sangiovese/cabernet sauvignon): Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, father and son winemakers with a 250-year family history in Italy, including in the Chianti Classico region and Montepulciano.
Sequel (syrah): John Duval, formerly of Penfolds Grange in Australia.
ON THE NET
For more information on Long Shadows Vintners, visit www.longshadows.com.
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