Mike Januik of Novelty Hill-Januik Wineries

Celebrating WA’s newest AVA - Royal Slope!!!!

Washington state has a new American Viticultural Area (AVA), its 15th since the first in 1983.  The new Royal Slope AVA is composed of over 150,000 acres, and currently has 13 commercial vineyards and 1 winery, growing over 20 grape varieties on 1900 of the acres.  It is located East of Ellensburg and north of Mattawa and the Saddle Mountains, right in between the Ancient Lakes and Wahuluke Slope AVAs.  Wines with at least 85% of their grapes from Royal Slope may now put the AVA on their label. Although the AVA is new, there have been vineyards in the Royal Slope area since the early 1980s.  In fact, some of the state’s finest vineyards are there, one of them being Stillwater Creek.   With over 200 acres planted to 14 different grape varieties, Stillwater Creek is the estate vineyard for Novelty Hill Winery, and it also produces fruit for other Washington wineries.

Celebrated winemaker Mike Januik has been making wine in WA since 1984, when he was hired by a Yakima winery after studying enology and viticulture at University of CA at Davis.  He was head winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle for ten years, before launching his own Januik label in 1999.  In 2000, he began working with the Alberg family to plant the Stillwater Creek Vineyard and to be winemaker for their Novelty Hill wine label.  Today, he is winemaker for Novelty Hill-Januik Wineries, housed together in an architecturally unique facility in Woodinville just north of Seattle.  You will find there an extensive line-up of award-winning wines, spacious and more intimate rooms for any occasion, expansive gardens with outdoor fireplace and grill, bocce ball court, and more.  In this interview, Mike talks about the new AVA, its acclaimed Stillwater Creek Vineyard, select Novelty Hill wines, and much more.

Listen to the Interview:              

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