Robert Gomez of Hoquetus Wine Company
At Hoquetus Wine Company in the airport area of Walla Walla, music, visual arts and winemaking come together for a truly memorable tasting experience. Owner and winemaker Robert Gomez is a musician, turned bartender, turned sommelier, turned winemaker. His music roots are apparent in the winery name Hoquetus (rhymes with lettuce, don’t forget us), which is a song device dating back to medieval times in which two distinct parts alternate to produce a melodious whole. For Robert, this device reflects the special dynamic between fermentation and winemaker that results in a beautiful wine. Some of the bottles display artist labels by Cameron Cox that embody visually the elegance of Hoquetus wines.
There is a purity, lightness and complexity about Robert’s wines that is really refreshing. He is blazing his own path with wines that are unique in a number of ways. For example, he uses native yeasts in fermentation and lots of foot stomping of grapes, oak with wines such as Riesling and Rosé that are normally done in stainless, clay amphora with Syrah and Cabernet Franc, and carbonic fermentation with one of his three syrahs. The syrahs are so very different that it is a tasting delight to compare them. One of his most unique wines is the Eulalia fortified wine inspired by Amari and Barolo Chinato. It can be drunk on its own after dinner or as part of a cocktail. Cabernet Franc is fortified with brandy and macerated with a blend of botanicals and spices reminiscent of Vermouth. Learn about this unique wine and much more in this interview.
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