Walla Walla Wine Cellar

Crush is always an extremely busy time for winemakers (and crew). So it was a treat when Ashley Trout of Flying Trout Wines agreed to take a break from the long days and sit down to answer a few questions for us.

Amy Rootvik: For how long have you been interested in winemaking?
Ashley Trout: For one week before I started. I saw an email about working at a winery when I was 18 and started the next week. That was September of 1999.

AR: How did you get involved in the Argentina project? We have to get used to you being out of town several months per year.
AT: I broke a bunch of bones during crush one year and missed it and got better just as crush was ending. I didn’t want to wait 9 months for the next crush so I started looking into the southern hemisphere. I was raised in Spanish so that wasn’t a problem and someone said to come on down, so I did.
I got to Argentina and the winemaker who said I had a position didn’t really believe that I would show up, so suddenly I was without work and in Argentina for three months. I started knocking on doors essentially, until I got an internship with Alta Vista, one of Michel Rolland’s wineries down there. Following years I worked with Tamari, Tapiz (known as Zolo in the US) and Alta Vista.

AR: I know you’re a fabulous cook. I’ve heard the rave reviews. So what’s your favorite food and wine pairing?
AT: The unlikely. Surprises are my favorite. I work a lot with malbec and have found that the more French the malbec gets, the better it goes with butternut squash, but most malbecs go well with many types of squash.

AR. You do all your own bottling by hand here at Flying Trout, don’t you? Do you have any comments on that process?
AT: You have to have a sense of humor to make wine without expensive, modern technology. My bottle filler most closely resembles a cow udder or a grenade depending on how well it decides to work that day. I think over all, the process is one that creates very little bottle shock due to the lack of rough pumping, that’s what I like most about it.

AR: What do you believe sets you and Flying Trout Wines apart from others in the industry? Is there anything you are particularly proud of?
AT: I am really working on malbec. My goal is to be able to continually work with malbec from Argentina and all of the AVAs in Washington State.

AR: What is the best advice you have ever received?
AT: To paraphrase: simplify, minimize and focus. I tend to be less focused than I would like, especially getting a small business going, but when it comes to wine, I have been trying my best to minimize the chaos and really think about each detail—to do less, but better.

AR: What can you tell us about your upcoming releases?
AT: I have two Horse Heaven Hill malbecs that are fun to compare—one from a windier site and one from a stiller site. I’ve got an old vines malbec rosé (21 year old vines) coming out this summer, with a Novermber 15th preview event. That malbec comes from a part of the state that creates real fruity wines. I’ve also got a 2005 cabernet sauvignon/carmenere being released (27 cases) that has some great pepper and spice.

AR: And finally, Sonja [my sister] wants to know if you can make a wine that tastes just like ice cream… and has no alcohol in it… and is frozen. You can get back to us on that one.
AT: No. [smile]

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Having seen what Ashley is capable of, I wouldn’t be shocked if she showed up someday with a bowl of homemade ice cream for Sonja. Ashley is a talent to watch. To top it all off, she is loads of fun and completely down to earth. Don’t be fooled by her humble nature. This girl is a powerhouse who is making things happen and gaining new fans everywhere she goes.
We’re loving her current malbec and anxiously awaiting her next release.

Well, it seems the ol’ stock market is looking a little bleak these days. So, I did a little research on investing in other commodities and, to much of my delight, I found that wine is an excellent investment. Finally some good news!

The problem is keeping your hands off it for a few years while it increases in value. Over the last two decades the global demand for fine wine has increased substantially. And records show that wine has outperformed the FTSE 100 and Dow Jones repeatedly. Why? Well it’s fairly simple, supply is low and demand is high, making prices soar and the return on investment very lucrative.

Investors recommend buying newly released, low-production, reserve or sold-out wines. All of which Walla Walla Wine Cellar specializes in. Take a look at K Vintners Phil Lane, Ensemble Cellars Release Number Two, and Long Shadows Feather just to name a few. If you decide not to sell, you will still have some deliciousness to drink. So really it is a win-win situation. Keep the wine professionally stored and remember HANDS-OFF!, which could be the hardest part of the entire equation.

Drink up! Or don’t!

Aim

Well… I’ve been asked to introduce myself…..so….here it goes.

I’m Amy, the other Amy. Not to be confused with Amy R, I’m Amy W. Yes, there are two of us. And no, we didn’t plan it that way. Two are better than one, right?

Anyway, until now I’ve been involved in other aspects of WallaWallaWineCellar. Then one day it was time to get involved in the fun stuff. The stuff like meeting winemakers and understanding their passion for the masterpieces they create. Getting bundled up in December to mingle with friends and taste new releases during Barrel Tasting Weekend. The giddiness that arises when you find a wine that you can’t live without and of course being able to share all this with you.

I was born and raised in Walla Walla and grew up appreciating all the hard work and dedication that went into a family farm. I graduated from Walla Walla High School and ventured to Washington State University graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree. After returning to my roots many jobs transpired, from Interior Designer to Business Owner. Also, somewhere in between, a wonderful marriage and then two adorable children that make me realize what life is all about.

Although life keeps me busy, I have an extreme passion for Walla Walla and its growing wine industry and this led to the help of the creation of WallaWallaWineCellar. Now I am able to explore what the valley has to offer and share my love for wine with you. I am also able to fulfill the desire of running a business, while absolutely loving what I do.

Being Italian, wine has been a staple of my family’s life forever and I’d like it to be a staple of yours.

So, there it is, and here I am, Amy W., aka Aim. Let the fun begin! Cheers!