Eight Bells Winery
CEO/Partner – Taylor Nordby
What is your/your family’s story around your winery? How did you first become involved in the wine industry and what has your trajectory looked like?
As a kid, I remember my dad (Frank Michiels) would always ask me to smell his wine at the dinner table and describe what I smelled. I learned at a young age how to articulate smells and pinpoint different aromas in wine. I am by no means a wine expert, but I was exposed to this industry at a young age through my dad’s passion and love for wine. As I grew up, wine was not on my radar as a career, but I volunteered at Eight Bells Winery in my free time. Professionally, I pursued business for my undergrad degree and landed at Nordstrom for a number of years. I found myself wanting to combine my love for business with an industry I was passionate about. I decided to go back to school and get my MBA and worked for the second largest winery in Washington. Through that experience, I realized my real passion was for our small, family business. I pivoted and started working with the original partners (Frank Michiels, Tim Bates, and Andy Shepherd) at Eight Bells.
All the while, my husband and I started making wine in our basement with some friends and decided we were ready to take the plunge and become partners at Eight Bells. We officially invested and joined the partnership in 2021, which was when I gained the title of CEO. That is when we hired our first employee, Pete Zachara, as our winery manager. He has now been with us for four years and has been promoted to assistant winemaker. My husband and I, along with Pete, established the second generation of Eight Bells, keeping the winery a family-and-friends operation.
Since joining the partnership, we have focused heavily on creating a long-term strategy for the business. The first step was finding a place that we could call home for many years to come. We are thrilled to announce we are moving later this year to our new location at 10000 Lake City Way NE in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of north Seattle. Our new facility is significantly larger than our current location and it is the only commercial property directly on Thornton Creek. We have two decks in our retail space overlooking the creek for a truly spectacular experience.
How long have you been making wine in Washington state?
Tim Bates, our head winemaker, has been making wine since 1980. When Tim and Andy started making wine together in the early 1990s, they went by Shellback Vintners. Shellback is a nautical term for when a sailor crosses the equator and Tim and Andy are both certified Shellbacks and worked their careers at NOAA, hence the nautical theme throughout the winery. My dad met Tim and Andy through the Rotary in 2006 and discovered that they have always been wine enthusiasts. Tim grew up in Hollywood where my grandparents owned a wine and spirits shop on the Sunset Strip.
After years of making wine in their perspective basements, Tim, Andy, and Frank decided to go commercial in 2009 and Eight Bells Winery was born. In 2010, I moved back to Seattle from California, just in time for Eight Bells’ first wine release party. A couple months prior, I started dating Kip (my now-husband) and introduced him to my parents at the first Eight Bells party. Ever since that moment, Eight Bells has been a big part of our lives. We served the wines at our wedding, and we continue to proudly share it with friends and family whenever possible.
How did you first begin working with the grower?
We proudly source from two acclaimed vineyards in the Yakima Valley AVA: Red Willow Vineyard and Boushey Vineyard. When we went commercial in 2009, we sourced from five different vineyards. Over time, we consolidated to these two vineyards with the majority of our grapes coming from Red Willow. We were lucky to work with Red Willow fruit as amateur winemakers and have been able to accumulate more blocks from Red Willow over the years. My dad is our vineyard liaison; he keeps in close contact with both owners, Mike Sauer of Red Willow Vineyard and Dick & Luanne Boushey of Boushey Vineyard.
What excites you the most about the wines you’re making?
I feel honored to be working with legacy vines. I know the wine industry is facing some challenges right now and that there is a big push to revolutionize the industry. I understand that push, but I also feel compelled to do right by the people who pioneered Washington wine. We get access to some of the first plantings in the state, and I don’t take that lightly.
In the 1970s, Red Willow planted test blocks of multiple different clones of a single varietal and blocks intended to be used as field blends. These test blocks were created to decide which clone would then be mass-planted in the vineyard. However, what was discovered was the ability to make multi-clonal, single block wines which is what Eight Bells does today!
Eight Bells contracts specific blocks within Red Willow Vineyard which allows us to have high quality control over our wines, and it assures that our wines reflect a narrowly defined, distinctive terroir year in and year out. These blocks are multi-clonal, so our wines have complexity and depth to them even as single variety wines. For example, our Sangiovese is a blend of two different clones, our Syrah is eight clones, our Cabernet Sauvignon is 12 clones, etc. While these wines are largely single varietal, we believe they are full bodied and layered due, in part, to the array of clones co-fermented together. In an effort to display the single block nature of our wine, we put coordinates on the front wine label. The coordinates will take you to the exact block within the vineyard the grapes for that specific wine are from.
What is your favorite part about the Washington state wine community?
As a woman in the wine industry, I am excited to see more women owners, growers, winemakers, etc. I enjoy connecting on industry topics, but more so, I enjoy connecting on life topics like how to run a small business while juggling kids, time management, the realities of retail, balance, etc. I have two little kids (five and three years old) and my husband and I have day jobs in addition to the winery. There is always so much to do so I appreciate it when I find someone who understands. Even if it is just to vent, it is always nice to know other people are out there with the same passion and drive!
What excites you the most about what the future holds for Washington state wine? Where are we headed or what trends are you seeing?
There is no denying we are in a consolidation period and the industry is facing a series of challenges. I think it can be easy to get bogged down with the current trends. However, when the tasting room is buzzing with people, there is nothing like it! The best thing we can do as a small business in a competitive industry is provide a memorable experience for customers to then go tell their friends and families about. We try very hard to share our story and our product in a way that resonates with people so we can make a lasting impression. With each bottle that leaves our facility, we hope it is opened and shared with friends and family and that the Eight Bells story gets passed along.
What is your favorite wine and food pairing?
Our 2024 Red Willow Viognier and Dungeness crab dipped in melted garlic butter!
Co-Owner, Red Willow Vineyard – Mike Sauer
What is your/your family’s story around wine grape growing? How did you first become involved in the wine industry and what has your trajectory looked like?
After graduating from WSU in Ag Econ, I returned to farm life and started growing Concord juice grapes as well as wine grapes in the early 1970s. This was another crop for the Stephenson Family Farm that was farming wheat, Alfalfa hay, Alfalfa seed, sugar beets, and cattle at the time.
I was an early cooperator with Dr. Walter Clore for his project exploring suitable sites in Washington state for growing vinifera wine grapes. Later in the 1980s I became involved with both the Washington Winegrowers Association and the Washington State Wine Commission boards. Over the years we have entertained and hosted numerous wine events representing Washington wine.
With my two sons, Jonathan and Dan, and son-in-law Rick, we currently grow over 20 different varieties and sell grapes to over 35 wineries. We are enthused to have the next generation of Trent and Noah working on the farm part time while attending college. They represent the 5th generation on the farm.
How long have you been growing grapes in Washington state?
Red Willow has grown wine grapes for 54 years, since 1971.
How did you first begin working with this winery?
For nearly 30 years we primarily sold to Columbia Winery as well as a small amount to Cavatappi. As David Lake, MW retired from the wine scene and Columbia Winery became part of the Constellation Wine group, more of our blocks were released and we were looking for new buyers. One of the buyers was a startup wine group that had connected with us through the Boeing wine club in 2007. This first small purchase of Tempranillo led to a close and long-term relationship with Frank, Tim, and Andy. Eight Bells has fulfilled many of the shared visions that David Lake and I had concerning multiple clones on a site and selecting certain sites to match a variety. They have always been willing to try new varieties yet still seeking to emulate the classic wines of Europe.
What excites you the most about the grapes you’re growing or the techniques/equipment you’re using?
The unique and volcanic terroir of the western part of the Yakima Valley matched to new varieties still challenges and excites me. Today we are growing newer red varieties like Tannat and Touriga Nationale and we are applying good sites, intense management, and lower crop levels to white varieties. What is the upside potential of white varieties like Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Semillon if treated like our best reds?
What is your favorite part of being a part of the Washington state wine community?
For my 50 plus years of involvement in the Washington wine industry, there has always been a collaborative spirit where everyone is willing to share ideas and rooting for the success of fellow Washington winegrowers.
What do you think the future holds for Washington state wine? Where are we headed or what trends are you seeing?
These past few years have been tough. We seem to be finding a new size for our industry with many acres being removed permanently and some being changed to new red or white varieties. As a grower, we seem to be dealing with many more wineries on a custom basis that matches our sales with the winery sales.
What is your favorite wine and food pairing?
I recently had an Eight Bells Viognier that is a perfect match with BBQ Salmon. I also recently discovered that a Syrah pairs well with Gorgonzola cheese on a toasted baguette.
Vineyard Manager/Vice President/Owner, Red Willow Vineyard – Rick Willsey
What is your background, how did you come to work at the vineyard?
I come from an IT background and spent the first few years of my career working at Microsoft right out of school. After marrying my wife, Rachel, and spending a couple of years in the Seattle area, we decided to move our young family back to eastern Washington, where we both grew up. Around that time, my father-in-law, Mike Sauer, offered me a temporary position at Red Willow Vineyard which quickly turned into a permanent role. That was over 20 years ago.
How long have you been working in this capacity?
I’ve been in a management position for nearly 19 years now. While I was never formally given the title of vineyard manager, that’s essentially the role I’ve stepped into over time.
What excites you the most about working in the vineyards?
What excites me most about working in the vineyard is the constant challenge and the drive to innovate. I am never fully satisfied with doing things the way they’ve always been done. There’s always room to improve, to refine our approach, and to get better at what we do.
What is your favorite aspect of your job?
What I enjoy most is the variety that comes with being both an owner and a manager. I am involved in every part of the operation. One moment I’m designing and installing a new irrigation system or handling payroll, and the next I’m tasting wine with one of our winery partners, made from grapes we’ve grown. No two days are the same, and that’s what keeps it interesting.
What do you think the future holds for Washington state wine? Where are we headed or what trends are you seeing?
I believe the future of Washington state wine is bright. We’ve been through a difficult cycle. One that’s been challenging for grape growers across the state, but I’m hopeful that we’re nearing the end of this market correction. I expect the oversupply of grapes will begin to balance out, with lower-performing vineyard acreage coming out of production. In the long run, this will only strengthen the industry and elevate the overall quality of Washington wines.
What fact can you share about your job that wine-drinkers might not know?
At Red Willow, we are deeply committed to quality. Each vine is touched by hand five to seven times throughout the growing season to ensure we are producing the best fruit possible. A tremendous amount of care and hard work goes into every ton of grapes we grow.
