Jessica Munnell of Wautoma Springs Winery
Lines on Wines would like to thank the Best Western Plus Inn at Horse Heaven for their generous sponsorship.
A vineyard meeting between Jessica Munnell and Tom Merkle eventually led to the creation of Wautoma Springs Winery in Prosser, WA. Together, they bring years of viticultural and winemaking experience to crafting outstanding boutique wines with unforgettable flavors. Jessica is the winemaker and Tom the owner and manager of Wautoma Springs Vineyard which, together with Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, supplies most of the fruit for Wautoma wines. Tom’s roots in fruit farming are deep. A 32-year old vine planted by his father at Indian Wells Vineyard stretches across the Wautoma Springs tasting room wall to honor the Merkle family’s farming heritage. The palatial tasting room also offers many tins of seafood from around the world that patrons can consume as they taste.
Both the labels and wines at Wautoma are memorable. White and Rosé wine bottles display a native plant linked in some way to the color or nature of the wine inside. Most red wine labels display either a character from a favorite Russian novel or a cuttlefish, whose ink reflects the wine color, especially in the case of Malbec. In fact, the two Wautoma Malbec wines are named Inky and Little Inky, reflecting their color and bold flavor. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec are two favorite wines of Tom and Jessica, and the El Prat wine is an outstanding blend of the two grape varieties. Great wines, story, and art, as well as a love of food and travel, come together at Wautoma Springs Winery, as you will learn in this interview.
Listen to the Interview: