Our Story

Somebody had to do it.

Woodinville has breweries, distilleries, and no shortage of Cabernet — but nobody was flying the flag for Italy. So we appointed ourselves the unofficial Italian ambassadorship of Washington wine country: no treaty, no passport stamp, just a genuine belief that Sangiovese and good company make everything better.

We got our start back in 2004, when Derek Berger and Scott Heinrich swapped a shared love of home-brewed beer for a shared love of wine, working out of a modest garage until officially launching in Woodinville in 2011.

Our credentials are earned the honest way: on Red Mountain, one of the smallest and most decorated AVAs in the country.

It's a strange, punishing stretch of land — relentless heat, constant wind, sandy soil that makes the vines work for every drop — and it produces some of the most intensely flavored fruit in the state. We've spent years building relationships with the growers who farm it, because the wine only gets to be as good as the fruit that goes into it.

What comes out the other end is Super Tuscan in spirit — Sangiovese leading the way, backed up by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot — made in a state-of-the-art facility but never dressed up in a way that makes you nervous to order it.

No pretense, no gatekeeping, no wine-speak required. Just bold, honest, Red Mountain-grown wine built for actual drinking, at a price that makes sense.

Welcome to Italy, by way of the PNW.

Welcome to Genoa Cellars.