Gorman Winery

Chris Gorman is the highly respected owner and winemaker at Gorman Winery in the northeast Seattle suburb of Maltby. After graduating from college in 1991, Chris spent three years working for a small Italian importer. His philosophy was, and still is, “to make wine, it is imperative to understand it.” So, for the next decade, he traveled extensively in the wine areas of Italy, Spain, and Germany before returning home and establishing Gorman Winery in 2002.

He began by choosing premium grapes from respected growers, such as Kiona Vineyards, partnering with the finest coopers and suppliers, and producing small-batch wines that quickly gained a following. His wines have been described as delicious, raucous, and intense. Chris’s other love is music, and his Woodinville, Washington tasting room features walls decorated with celebrity-signed guitars. Live music is offered there on Friday nights.

In 2008, Wine Spectator named Chris one of ten rising stars in American winemaking. Until recently, he produced fewer than 8,000 cases per year and his wines were scarce outside of the Seattle/Bellevue metro area. Now, the winery is embarking on a national expansion.

Gorman wine is produced from grapes grown primarily in the renowned Red Mountain AVA, part of the Columbia AVA in Central and Southern Washington. The region is known for its unique terroir, climate, and geography, and is home to vineyards that produce high-quality fruit imbued with distinctive flavors and minerality.