Mark & Sarah Lathrop of Liberty Lake Wine Cellars
One of the Fabulous Four WA Wineries of the Year 2023
Mark and Sarah Lathrop met in business school at Eastern Washington University. They both had jobs in finance, but dreamed of having a business together. So maybe it’s no surprise that in January 2016, they suddenly found themselves the owners of Liberty Lake Wine Cellars. It all happened surprisingly fast, but they had no idea how to make wine. Fortunately, the original owners, Doug and Shelly Smith, agreed to stay on for a year to teach them the art of winemaking. With their mentoring and Doug’s textbooks, Mark learned quickly. His 2016 Reserve Syrah received a 92 from the Wine Spectator. When Mark and Sarah were invited to submit 7 of their 2018 wines to the annual Platinum Invitational Competition, all 7 won Platinum or Double Platinum Awards. When I asked Mark how he explained their quick and remarkable success, he said it starts and ends with good fruit.
Carrying on the Smith’s tradition, Mark and Sarah source all fruit for their Liberty Lake wines from Red Mountain vineyards. They put at least 6,000 miles on their vehicle each year checking on the grapes, and then hauling them back during harvest. With the exception of a Gewurztraminer wine from 78 year old vines, Mark makes all red wines with no filtering, minimal intervention, and little to no additives. If the wine needs more acid, he uses a natural process known as bioacidification, explained in this interview. Visitors will find Bordeaux style wines, Tempranillo and Sangiovese, but also wines not often seen in Washington such as Carménère and a dry Touriga Nacional. Liberty Lake Wine Cellars is part of the Spokane Wine Association that includes roughly 20 wineries in the city and nearby Spokane Valley. The area is a great weekend wine tasting destination.
Listen to the Interview: