Then we sat back and Chris did a calculation. He blended something that absolutely tasted like Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet. Kristine Bono, former general manager, Tertulia Cellarsĭan McCarthy, he came into the winery one time, and it was uncanny. Dan was like “Hey, keep doing what you’re doing, kid.” That’s how I got going. I sold every case I had in my van, which was my production minus maybe six cases for myself. Then went to the Columbia Tower Club and then made one other stop, and I was done. So I went and drove the van around, brought the cases in. I want you to go grab me four cases of each and put them in front of the counter.’ I’m gonna give you a list of places to go drive after you leave here. He says ‘I can sell all of that for you today. That’s great!’ He tasted the wine, and he says, ‘How much can I buy?’ I think I made a hundred cases of red and seventy cases of white. I said, ‘I’m a new Washington winery.’ Dan, his eyes lit up. So I loaded my Astro cargo van up with my red and white Matthews wines, drove to Queen Anne with shorts and a t-shirt on, and walked into the store. He said ‘You need to go see Dan McCarthy on Queen Anne.’ I asked Doug what to do when I started my winery. Matthew Loso, founder, Matthews Winery, currently Matteo Wines His passing this fall has left a giant hole in the Washington wine industry. And he was a true gourmet: it was his vast experience with the elite wines of the world that gave him the ability to put Washington’s bottles in their proper context-and to celebrate their ascendance. Having tasted thousands of wines with Dan over more than 25 years, I can say that he was the best kind of taster: critical, honest, uncompromising, and tireless but at the same time constructive, encouraging, and enthusiastic. And through his long career, no one had more to do with bringing these outstanding wines to the attention of Washington’s drinkers and collectors.ĭan was an encyclopedia of knowledge about Washington’s wines but he wore his expertise lightly. By the time he retired in 2021, dozens of wineries were making world-class bottles, and the state had truly come of age. When he founded his Seattle wine shop in 1980, there were barely a half-dozen Washington producers making truly interesting wines. Dan McCarthy was a quiet giant of the Washington wine industry.
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