Brian Carter of Brian Carter Cellars
A childhood gift sparked Brian Carter’s interest in wine. At the age of 12, his parents gave him a microscope that several years later had him yearning to explore yeasts. While on a blackberry picking expedition with his mother, he asked if he could have some berries to make wine. He has been hooked on yeast and winemaking ever since. Brian majored in microbiology in college, and eventually studied winemaking at the University of California at Davis. In 1980, Paul Thomas lured him away from CA wineries to work in his Bellevue, WA cellar, much to the surprise of Brian’s CA friends. They wondered if people even made wine in Washington, and warned him about all the dangerous volcanos in that wintry state. The Paul Thomas Winery was making grape wine, but also various fruit wines that Brian found fascinating. Brian’s friends must have been surprised when, in 1983, his Paul Thomas Cabernet Sauvignon bested ones by Quilceda Creek and Château Lafite Rothschild in a New York competition.
Brian quickly became a highly sought after wine consultant, a role he has maintained in WA for over 40 years. In the late 90s he began thinking about his own label, and by 2006 he was producing a line of Brian Carter Cellars wines. They were blends, and Brian still remains dedicated to making the highest quality blends in the style of Bordeaux, the Rhone, Italy, Spain and Portugal. He has won numerous awards, and his wines have been served at White House dinners and lunches hosted by the Secretary of State. Brian is also passionate about cooking and good food, and thus has chefs at his tasting rooms in Woodinville and Vancouver, WA. Visitors are treated to memorable food and wine pairing experiences. Don’t miss this interview with one of the pillars of the Washington wine industry.
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