Abeja is led by Dan Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler, partners in winemaking and in life. The husband and wife team met while working at Ste. Michelle wine estates, where both began their winemaking careers.
Dan is classically trained winemaker. He joined Ste. Michelle as a research enologist in 2002 and later held several winemaking positions with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Amy found her path to winemaking by way of the Columbia Crest tasting room. That experience led her to pursue a degree in winemaking while she worked as a Columbia Crest enologist, and it was at Columbia Crest where the couple's professional and personal lives crossed.
After leaving Columbia Crest, Dan to take the reins as Dunham Cellars' head winemaker in 2008 and Amy to serve as Sinclair Cellars' general manager and winemaker, their dream of working together again seemed improbable. That changed when Abeja approached the couple in late 2015.
Since joining Abeja in January 2016, Dan and Amy have combined their formidable winemaking talents with their love for one another. Their goal is to create handcrafted wines that are the result of meticulous viticultural practices; customized, small lot fermentation and aging; and selective blending.
View More