Learn more about the culture that informs Maryhill Winery's
involvement with the Spokane community

Vicki & Craig Leuthold with Henri

Craig and Vicki Leuthold's wine journey began back in 1985.

It was then the young couple first visited California's Napa Valley where, Craig says, "We lost our taste for lambrusco." The sweet rendition that Italian wineries shipped to the United States at the time was popular, in part, due to its low price point.

As the Leutholds pursued their careers, their interest in wine did not wane. Just the opposite. Later they spent time as members of the North Idaho Enological Society, which helped them expand and refine their palates. And in 1999, they pooled their resources to found Maryhill Winery in Goldendale, Washington, opening to the public on Memorial Day weekend of 2001.

While that initial Napa trip included visits to celebrated estates like Grgich Hills, it was a stop at V. Sattui Winery that "planted the seed for doing something ourselves," Craig Leuthold recalls. "They had a big self-service deli and a huge outdoor lawn with lots of picnic tables. Their license was grandfathered, so it was the only place in the valley where you could buy a bottle of wine and consume it on the grounds. And they had so many different types of wine. When we decided to go forward, Vicki reached out to Daryl Sattui (grandson of the estate's namesake) to pick his brain."

What emerged was a vision to create a destination winery, something rare then in Washington state and nonexistent in far southern Washington.

"The first growth spurt of wineries in Washington took place around Walla Walla and Yakima," Leuthold says. "We wanted to build our winery in a place where people could access it from a major metro area and make a day trip out of it. Goldendale seemed perfect because of its proximity to Portland," about 90 minutes west. "We thought it would be nice to give the people some alternatives to pinot noir," the variety most widely planted in Oregon.

Maryhill Winery started small with a handful of releases and expanded gradually as the Leutholds developed relationships with grape growers. The winery certainly doesn't make every type of wine possible, but it does offer 60 distinct bottlings, a mix of blends and 100% varietal wines, including a number rarely seen in Washington.

When the Leuthold's decided to open satellite tasting rooms in urban areas — including Spokane in November of 2017 — they knew that simply pouring samples of their wines would not suffice.

"A carefully curated food-and-wine experience is necessary, especially with the younger generations," Leuthold explains. "That's why each tasting room [Spokane, Vancouver and Woodinville] has a full-service kitchen. We have about 25 selections on the menu. About 12 are core items at all the tasting rooms, and the rest are up to the culinary teams to decide what's appropriate for their market. On the menu, we always suggest a wine pairing for each item."

Music is another staple at Maryhill, with each tasting room hosting live performances two or three times per week. There's also a 4,000-seat bowl at the Goldendale estate, which has hosted national touring acts like Santana, Counting Crows, Train, and Earth, Wind & Fire through the years.

"Wine is one thing," Leuthold says. "Music is something else. Combining them creates a whole new genre of an experience."

Today, the Leutholds spend a good chunk of time each year in Spokane.

"I first came to Spokane after graduating from Washington State," Leuthold says. "It's where I fell in love with the four seasons and fell in love with my wife."

It's also where their love of animals has prompted them more recently to help fund the Spokane Humane Society's animal transport van. Proceeds from the sale of two private-label wines, Rescue Red and Rescue White, go toward Humane Society pursuits.

Supporting Inlander Restaurant Week as the event's Drink Local sponsor is another way the Leutholds give back to the Spokane community. Watch for Maryhill offerings on menus throughout this Guide.

"This place is important to us," Leuthold says. "We have roots and memories here. That's why we want to help create memories for everyone who visits our tasting room. We want to create close relationships."

Not to mention help others move on from lambrusco.

The winemaker's favorites

Maryhill Winery makes 60 distinct bottlings each year. Here are three of winemaker Richard Batchelor's current favorites:

• 2021 PROPRIETOR'S RESERVE CHENIN BLANC, ROZA HILLS. "This full-bodied white is a versatile favorite, with vibrant fruit flavors," Batchelor says. "It's great on its own or with food (scallops, trout, salmon). It is really the perfect wine for any occasion." ($34)
• 2020 CARMÉNÈRE, ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN. "Carménère delivers a twist with its silky, round tannins and plenty of rich, ripe fruit. A wine that stands out." (Club exclusive)
• 2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN. "Bold, this cabernet sauvignon is perfect for the colder months. With robust tannins and a hearty profile, it carries well with many dishes." ($57)



Many thanks, Vicki and Craig, Mark and the whole Maryhill team, for this exclusive, exciting, honored, and precious partnership we do have to represent and sell Maryhill wines in whole State of Florida. It's not difficult selling wines; we do love ourselves! Each one of them.