Foolhardy Vintners

Foolhardy Vintners was born out of a shared passion for wine by co-founders and college friends Jonathan Edelman and Dan Sogg. They chose the name Foolhardy, as it “accurately captures the reality of starting a winery.”

Eldelman’s wine interest developed while attending culinary school in France and working in Michelin Star restaurants. He then shifted to the business world as an advisor to various wineries and restaurants, working harvest for over a decade at Remoissant Pére et Fils in Burgundy. Sogg worked for a Boston area retailer/importer prior to a vintage stint at Bordeaux Le Vignoble André Lurton and nine years as an assistant editor at Wine Spectator.

Having chosen to shift to the production side, the pair selected Washington State to make ripe, vibrant, fruit-forward wines that pair well with food. Due to the calibre of fruit being grown and the dynamic nature of the local wine culture, Washington was the easy choice. Their mantra, “Old world wine aesthetics meet new world vineyards.” Foolhardy believes the key to quality is simplicity and attention to detail.

Foolhardy’s first crush was in Woodinville in 2016, subsequently moving production to Walla Walla. They source their grapes from Red Willow, Bacchus, Evergreen, Gamache, Elephant Mountain, and Southward vineyards, pursuing old vines for their intensity and character. The vintners make a 200+ mile circuit from Walla Walla to walk every row with their farmers, seeking the best of the fruit. Using gentle extraction techniques to highlight the soft tannins, their wines age in the finest French oak, lending texture, not overt flavor.

Sogg and Edelman believe that good winemaking must be transparent, highlighting the energy and vibrancy of ripe grapes. Their wines have consistently received high ratings from well-respected wine critics and publications.