In June, Tinte Cellars made news within the Woodinville community when it acquired Cullin Hills Winery and William Church Winery.
Recently, owners Tim Gamble and Teresa Spellman Gamble graciously opened their doors and gave Carrie and me a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly combined winery. We greatly enjoyed meeting them and hearing more about their passions for winemaking and strengthening the community that makes Woodinville wine possible.
Tim and Teresa are shown here in the winery’s barrel room. They both transitioned from the corporate world before launching Tinte Cellars. Tim was CEO and President of Nutraceutix, and Teresa used her graduate degree in community development and public affairs to advance the UW Physicians Neighborhood Clinics. That experience was a perfect platform for philanthropy.
Teresa is the daughter of former Washington State Governor John Spellman and Lois Spellman (who made bold moves during her time at the Governor’s mansion. Teresa shared a story with us about her mother opening the Governor’s mansion up to the public and also insisting that only Washington wine was served at parties.) Teresa told us that a passion for giving back to local community is something she was born and raised with.
Winemaker Noah Fox Reed posed for us along with his winery dog, Tucker. The Tinte brand tries to be dog friendly, if your dog is friendly.
Winemakers Noah Fox Reed (William Church) and Derek DesVoigne (Cullin Hills) remain on staff to create their wines under the Tinte Cellars umbrella. This Europress is a newly acquired and exciting piece of equipment to the team.
Tinte Cellars is still in the process of re-branding and redecorating and will have a new website in the coming weeks. Here Carrie highlights their holiday decor and the sign showing all three winery logos.
William Church stores its award-winning Viognier wine in these giant stainless steel tanks! Tim told us that Tinte Cellars will develop its own label and a separate wine club, with a Sauvignon Blanc being one of its first offerings. Over 5000 cases of wine will be produced by the three Woodinville Wine labels each year. Wine club members will continue to receive old world wines from William Church, new world wines from Cullin Hills, and flexible options from the Tinte Cellars wine club.
The barrel room has been rearranged so that all three wineries can collaborate. As a further testiment to their support of great wines, strong community and philanthropy, the Gambles invited entire staff at both Cullin Hills and William Church to remain a part of the Tinte Cellars brand when the three melded.
You probably know by know that I have a huge soft spot for animals…and can’t resist taking winery dog photos to share. Tucker was such a cutie as he played with this wine cork. Adorable!
These custom Tinte glassybaby drinkers added a festive touch to the winery and the William Church tasting room over in the Hollywood District. We think it is hard to resist sipping Woodinville wine from pretty glassware that donates proceeds to the Child Mind Organization.
Tinte Cellars likes to focus its efforts on local non-profit companies. At a recent winery event to benefit Northwest Harvest, they introduced this glassware, collected more than 300 pounds of food and over $1600 dollars in proceeds.
I loved this Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon! Here I am clearly enjoying my pour of William Church’s 2 Spires. It’s a rich, full-bodied blend with notes of blackberries and a hint of smoke.
Carrie looked so festive at the tasting counter! We love visiting tasting rooms this time of year and enjoying Woodinville wine surrounded by the holiday decor.
We were so impressed with the dedication to giving back to the community that Tim and Teresa focus on with Tinte Cellars. They have taken two boutique wineries, each with 15 years of operation behind them and made a new family. There are exciting things ahead for Tinte Cellars, including a new event center slated to open next year and a new wine label that we look forward to trying. Pay the winery a visit on your next trip to sip Woodinvile wine and check out what has changed!
~Jen
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