Andrew Will Winery was started in 1989 and is owned by Chris Camarda. The winery was launched out of a love for wine that Chris had developed while working in the restaurant trade for almost 20 years. Named after the Camardas’ son Will and nephew Andrew, Andrew Will has been a major contributor to the success and notoriety in recent years of Washington State wines. Initially, the winery consisted of 900 square feet of rented industrial space in Seattle. In the early days, everything was done by hand from shoveling grapes into crushers, to labeling and delivering the wine. In 1994, the Camardas moved to Vashon Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where they built the present winery. They now have two buildings which allow them to make about 4300 cases of wine a year. They have also purchased land in Eastern Washington and planted 36 acres in grapes. Andrew Will makes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. As Chris Camarda has developed his style of winemaking over the years, he has focused on the primacy of the vineyard over variety. It is now the driving force behind Andrew Will. While the idea of terroir has become almost a hollow marketing tool, it has great attraction for Chris in its purest form. "I believe that an individual piece of property can form a signature - an identity - and it is that face that is the focus of my winemaking, " he said. "We are trying to let the vineyards reveal themselves. I believe that if Washington is ever to be considered a great wine region we need to establish the characteristics of our geographical areas and the characteristics of each vineyard in those areas," he added. He also believes that blends of varieties also make the most complex and attractive wines. The Cabernet Franc and Merlot, two grapes which mature beautifully over the long growing season in Eastern Washington, when blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, best express the characteristics of a vineyard. For instance, the 1999 Sorella is made up of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet France and 15% Merlot. Andrew Will has no plans to increase the size of the winery or its output but instead to focus on the vineyards and the care needed to produce the kind of fruit to satisfy the Andrew Will ideals.
Wines from Andrew Will Winery
- Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval
1998 Rated 4/5
- Andrew Will Seven Hills Merlot
2002
- Andrew Will Sorella
2005 Rated 4/5
- Andrew Will Merlot Columbia Valley
Columbia Valley, Oregon; Washington, USA Rated 3/5
- Andrew Will Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Columbia Valley, Oregon; Washington, USA Rated 3/5
- Andrew Will Champoux
Rated 4/5
- Andrew Will Merlot Cuvée Lucia
Rated 3.5/5
- Andrew Will Merlot Cuvée Lucia
2004 Washington Rated 3.5/5
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| 2007 Andrew Will Winery Two Blondes Vineyard $47.99 Aged in oak for 21 months with 35% of it NFO (new french oak). It was a hair darker than garnet with a green or almost stem-like nose. Rich with peppers and medium plus tannins. Good wine but will need some time. ... |
| WINE IN SWEDEN: TN : Annie Camarda Syrah 2007, Andrew WIll Cellars ... TN : Annie Camarda Syrah 2007, Andrew WIll Cellars, Washington State, USA. The grapes for this wine come from Champoux and Ciel du Cheval. The titratable acidity is 0.67 grammes per 100 ml and the pH is 3.7. The wine spent 12 months is ... |
| OS Winery 2005 Ulysses | WineFoot.com Ulysses is their “Flagship wine” and also commands the largest pricetag. It's a reflection of Bill's talents, efforts and years of experience as a winemaker and assistant to the famed Chris Camadra of Andrew Will winery on Vashon Island ... |
| Farm to Table Tours Our third stop will be at SuDan Farms where we will pick up fresh lamb, duck eggs, and chicken. Then we will head off to a local winery where you will receive aa tour and wine tasting. While you're doing that, my assistant and I will ... |
