Pepper Bridge & Amavi!
By David Keck
Finally some snow is coming this weekend (in a more serious way)! Over here at the Wine Shepherd, we appreciate the joy that this brings for many Vermonters. In the interest of focusing on warming, festive, delicious wines that are perfect for cold winter nights after fun in the snow, we’re very excited to talk about the great wines of Pepper Bridge and Amavi.
Pepper Bridge is one of the OG producers in Walla Walla, WA, and is owned by three families: the McKibbens, the Goffs, and the Pellets. Norm McKibben (Stormin’ Norman) is seen by many as one of the godfathers of wine in Walla Walla. Ray Goff met Norm in 1998 and not long thereafter joined in as a partner at Pepper Bridge and helped to launch Amavi Cellars. Jean-François Pellet is also a partner in Pepper Bridge and Amavi, coming from his native Switzerland via France, Spain, and Heitz Cellars in California to take over winemaking at Pepper Bridge and Amavi. Jean-François is also a founding member and vice-president of VINEA, Walla Walla’s sustainable agriculture organization. Other partners include Eric McKibben, General Manager of Amavi Cellars, and Travis Goff, long-time ambassador for Walla Walla and sales guru nationally for many years. Pepper Bridge and Amavi are 100% a family affair and very much in line with everything we believe should be supported in the wine world.
The wines from both Pepper Bridge and Amavi are produced from the estate vineyards of Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and Octave. The vineyards lead the region in sustainability and the families are committed to environmental stewardship in everything they do.
The Pepper Bridge wines are truly delicious and are perfect for the cooler weather and the holidays. Based on the Bordeaux varieties, none of them are completely varietal wines, but are rather a tribute to the blending art and talent of Mr. Pellet—the Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe, powerful, structured and demonstrates the depth of flavor that great vineyards with great farming can achieve in Walla Walla. The Merlot is similarly ripe, but also has the softness and red fruit character that make Merlot so accessible and lush. Finally, the Trine (rhymes with ‘wine’) is driven by the herbal, savory character that Cabernet Franc can bring in the region. Almost in equal parts with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the balance of the three is outstanding in this vintage and speaks to the unity of the families and partners in the project.
Amavi Cellars, under the same ownership, release wines from estate vineyards that are slightly more affordable, but made without any less attention to detail or meticulous winemaking techniques. We currently have the Syrah (feel free to join the #Syrahvolution) and Sémillon. The Syrah is smoky, dark, rich, brooding, and full of the character that the dry region brings to this amazing grape variety. The Sémillon has a touch of Sauvignon Blanc and is aged in neutral oak, bringing out the stunning waxy, spicy, and tropical character of this fruit.
We are honored to represent these wines in Vermont and hope that you find as much joy in supporting these families and drinking their wines as we do!