Jay Krutulis and Matt Reilly of Prospice Wines
It takes guts to leave a good job to start something completely new. But that’s just what architect Matt Reilly and corporate lawyer Jay Krutulis did when they moved to Walla Walla to pursue enology and viticulture studies at the community college. For Matt it was wine loving parents and for Jay an epiphany while sipping at a London bar that kindled their passion for wine. As students at the College, they realized they had “eerily similar palates,” and they also made a memorable bottle of merlot together. The experience led to a partnership that opened for business as Prospice Wines in May 2019. The tasting room is out by the Walla Walla airport, and the inaugural vintage wines on offer there are from 2017.
When you listen to Matt and Jay talk about their wines, you realize that a lot of reflection and analysis goes into everything they do. This is especially apparent as you come to understand the thinking behind their name and brand, which involved a long process of failed attempts before landing on the perfect Latin phrase. Careful analysis is also apparent in their choice of vineyards across multiple AVAs, which results in unique blends as well as memorable single vineyard, single varietal wines. They produce multiple single vineyard Syrahs, Cabs, and Cab Francs, affording tasters an opportunity to experience very different expressions of the same grape variety. Visitors rave about the tasting experience at Prospice and critics rave about the wines. Listen to the interview to learn more about this new not-to-miss winery in Walla Walla.
Listen to the Interview: