Pandora Cellars is a new winery founded in 2010 by wine enthusiast Dan Williams and winemaker Sam Keirsey. We had a chance to catch up with Sam to hear his story and check out their cooperative winemaking space.
Since they source grapes from vineyards in Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, and Horse Heaven Hills, there is a dynamic range of fruit to work with. With a focus on Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec, as well as several white wines, Pandora Cellars is bringing much needed value to premium wines out of Washington.
If you’re interested in learning more about Pandora Cellars or tasting their wines…
Visit the Pandora Cellars Website or check out their Facebook Page.
Would you like to see more episodes on wineries and their stories? Drop us a note below and let us know!
Pandora Cellars Transcript
Sam Keirsey, Winemaker:
I worked at Trader Joes, for about six years. Still do.. Working part time, it’s my second job. The biggest struggle is just getting through harvest. It’s a ton of work. I stepped down from management at Trader Joes and started taking chemistry and basic math at Seattle Central, and worked my way through all that and got accepted at Washington State University.I think it’s up to you to take those principles that you learned and apply to them to your creative side, your style, what you’re trying to push on the wine industry.
Madeline: You know this is cloudy, but it’s really tasty.
Sam: Yeah.
Madeline: This is delicious.
Sam: I like marsanne.
Sam: See, this is my favorite. It’s probably my favorite because of the Cab Franc; or the bell pepper.
Madeline: Yes, it’s more bell pepper, but maybe, more red bell pepper and black pepper, like black pepper.
*big spitting sounds, just horrifically grotesque spitting*
Sam: I like that. A lot.
Madeline: mmhhmmm … BAM!
Sam: Put a label on it?
Sam: I personally get offended when a brand new winery comes out and is charging $50 for the first production releases. It’s just like, really? I can buy Leonetti .. or I can buy your wine.. So we are really trying to keep our wine affordable. Right off the gate, my cabernet is $25, my syrah and pandora red are $21. It’s still a premium wine, it’s for the barrels we use, the quality of fruit we get, I think it’s a great value.
Sam: Goodbye!
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When I'm not drinking wine, I'm also.. a rails developer, vegetarian foodie, coffee addict, casual gamer, lover of cult movies, driver of insane turbo-2.0L ... in Seattle.
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