Lost River Winery
“Sometimes you have to get lost to find the wine you are looking for,” says Founder/Winemaker John Morgan. “The clear and icy Lost River tumbles down alongside our winery from the rugged snowcapped Cascade Mountains in Northern Washington State. Due to the ‘rain shadow’ effect of the towering mountain range, our summers are hot and dry. By early fall the flow of the Lost River diminishes to a trickle and eventually disappears under the cobbled river bed just as our wines are settling into barrel for a long winter’s rest in the cellar. With the spring melt, the river returns in concert with our wines emerging from the cellar.”
Formerly a civil engineer specializing in road and bridge construction, John first fell in love with wine at his family dinner table, where his father trotted out wines collected from Bordeaux, Burgundy, and early producers in the Napa Valley. The glimpse into the alchemy of aged fine wines led John to dream of founding a winery. Years later, after talking with a winemaker on Napa’s Silverado Trail, he was ready to make the leap.
He reasoned that if he could learn pre-stressed concrete design on his own, he could learn winemaking. “After a commercial-scale test batch and coursework at U.C. Davis, we were off!” says Cofounder Barbara House. “John started the winery building design in January of 2002. By March we were chomping at the bit. Six months later, while talking on his cell phone to regulators, John waited in line at a truck scale with freshly harvested grapes on board, hoping to have the operating permit arrive at the winery before the grapes did. Turns out pre-stressed concrete design didn’t help much, however, all those years of working with permits and red tape sure did.” Now at his family winery, locally known as ‘the Winthrop Winery’, John proudly lives his dream of handcrafting award-winning wines.
The fabulous wines we featured:
Lost River Winery 2016 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Gold Medal, 2020 Seattle Wine Awards/Washington State Wine Awards
- Pairs with: rich cheese, grilled steak, hearty stews, braised meats, rustic bean dishes, dark chocolate
- Enjoy now or hold for up to 5 years.
Tasting Notes: A full-bodied, dark red wine with spicy aromas and a bright, fruit-forward style, with soft tannins and an elegant, lingering finish.
Lost River Winery 2018 Columbia Valley Chardonnay
- Pairs with: roast chicken, prawn and artichoke heart Alfredo, baked salmon with lemon and butter, fried pork cutlets
- Enjoy now or hold up to 2 years.
Tasting Notes: A medium-bodied dry white wine with a light hint of oak and bright notes of apple and grapefruit zest with silky flavors of fig and melon.
Winemaker's Notes
Lost River Winery 2016 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: In Columbia Valley, the Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley, which is noted for the herbal mint and sage nuances in its fruit. Merlot sourced from Connor Lee Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA. Cabernet Franc sourced from Weinbau Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope. Aged in 60-gallon French oak barrels, 75% new, for 18 months.
Lost River Winery 2018 Columbia Valley Chardonnay: Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley. The vineyard’s beauty is due to the ancient Missoula floods that raced down the Columbia River during the last ice age. The waters deposited Shano silt loam soils on the site, and carved the steep, basalt-rimmed canyon walls atop which the vineyards are planted. Sur lee fermented and matured in 60-gallon neutral French oak barrels for six months.
Washington
John Morgan
John Morgan