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If you haven’t already heard, there’s a winery that’s well on its way to becoming a modern “Rock” icon of the Washington wine industry. Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville, WA is quickly reaching celebrity status with their superbly blended reds and luscious flavorful whites. If you haven’t tried any of their fantastic wines then your missing out, which isn’t uncommon since most of Mark Ryan’s wines sell out almost immediately upon release.

But how exactly does one reach “Rock Star” status in the wine industry? First, you obviously have to have great wines. CHECK. Well known for making big bold reds, like the Long Haul and Dead Horse, and now with a couple great whites, Chardonnay and Viognier, Mark Ryan has been putting out some of the most sought after wines in Washington State. Second, you must have a sweet pad. CHECK. While the industrial warehouse complexes of “Hoodinville” aren’t exactly every rock star’s dream pad, Mark Ryan has managed to convert their space into something found inside a downtown club. Sparsely furnished, dimly lit, and decorated with rich paints, pop art, and a vintage espresso machine in the corner. Can you say “Urban Chic”?

Next, you must throw killer parties! CHECK. Mark Ryan’s release parties are infamous for offering a hip contemporary scene with a club type atmosphere, rock music and great food. All of which brings out the see-me-dig-me’s and young professionals that line up outside the door, as if they were trying to get into one of LA’s hottest nightspots. Often times a Mark Ryan release party can double as an exotic car show with the number of expensive rides parked outside. Finally, what Rock Icon would be complete without t-shirts? CHECK. Don’t be surprised if while out tasting in Woodinville you happen to see a hot young bombshell sporting a “I (Heart) Mark Ryan” tee. No self-respecting groupie would be without one. We have several!

Actually, there is one more important criterion in the pursuit of rock star status – a stage name. So, just like Madonna and Prince, Mark Ryan is actually a stage name for the true talent behind the winery, winemaker & businessman Mark “Ryan” McNeilly. Yes that’s right people; Mark Ryan is not a real person! We’ll pause to let that news sink in… Well I guess technically it really is a person, since Ryan is Mark’s middle name. But, whatever you choose to call him just know that Mark McNeilly is one of the hottest new winemakers in Washington State. A rock star by trade, but very modest individual in person, which makes this month’s Featured Winery that much more appealing. It’s refreshing to see a popular Washington winery not act bigger than they really are – unlike some wineries that all too often seem to have an over inflated sense of importance.

We were lucky enough to meet up with Mark one afternoon in Woodinville to talk wine, winemaking, and the growing “Rock” phenomenon occurring in and around the Washington wine industry. Just the fact that he was able to make time for us was big given Mark’s obvious rock star status and busy schedule. Actually, on our way to meet with Mark we felt like we were back in 1985 and instead of going to conduct a wine interview we were 13 year old girls going to the mall to meet Scott Baio. Well that was the way we felt anyway.

Our first stop was Mark Ryan’s new facility in Woodinville’s rockin’ industrial wine park known as “Hoodinville” and then on to the Horeshoe Saloon for some mid afternoon drinks…like any self-respecting rock star would!

WC: What was your first eye-opening experience with wine?
MR: “It was a 1990 Les Forts de Latour Bordeaux. I just sat there smelling it for 20 minutes and didn’t really know why.”

Many people that get into wine seem to remember that first truly good bottle of wine that peaked their interest and from that point on made them more than just a casual consumer. “It was a 1990 Les Forts de Latour Bordeaux. That was the wine that turned me.” This was a Second Label wine (lesser quality at a lower cost) from the famous French winery Latour. Mark had actually been looking for the First Label bottle, a 100-point wine selling for $280 at the time, which he heard about and was fascinated to try it. “I kept looking for it and finally found one that looked exactly the same but was priced cheaper. I thought the store had screwed up and put the wrong price on it, so I bought two bottles.” Even though it wasn’t the bottle he had originally thought it was still good enough to change his whole outlook on wine. “It was incredible! I just sat there smelling it for 20 minutes and didn’t really know why.”

WC: What made you get into the wine industry?
MR: “It’s hard to concentrate on school when you just got back from Europe with beaches full of naked girls!”

Mark got his first introduction to working with wine through the restaurant industry, waiting tables and bartending, while going to school in Bellingham. “Some of the guys I waited tables with would pool their tips at the end of the night and we would go buy some good wine to drink and discuss.” But after spending time in Europe with friends and becoming more interested in wine Mark left school and Bellingham for Seattle. “It’s hard to concentrate on school when you just got back from Europe with beaches full of naked girls!”
Once in Seattle Mark moved out of the restaurant industry to work for a wine distribution company, Unique Wine Co. of Renton. While working as a sales rep for five years he was exposed to all kinds of wine, as well as people in the industry. This eventually led to an opportunity to go work for Matt Loso at Mathews Cellars, heading up national and local sales.

WC: What made you take the big step to open your own winery?
MR: “I was in the right place at the right time.”

Several years before going to work for Matthews Cellars, Mark was sitting around with some friends drinking wine when he had an epiphany.

“Could you imagine the girls we could pull with a winery!?!?” But, at the time this was just wishful thinking. It wasn’t until Mark was working with Matt Loso that he decided to try his own hand at winemaking. “My first ever wine was from a concentrated kit of Merlot and one of Cab; and it sucked!”
After that initial experiment gone wrong Mark eventually moved on to real grapes in 1999. The grapes were from Ciel Du Cheval on Red Mountain, one of the top red wine vineyards in the state, which he got from a guy in the grocery store. “I was in Top Foods and met a random guy that was tired of making wine and wanted to take a year off.” So, Mark was fortunate enough to pull two tons of Ciel Du Cheval grapes that year (roughly enough to make 100-125 cases) for his first vintage.
The next year Mark wanted more grapes so he called up Jim Holmes, owner of Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard, and said “Hey, I’m Mark. I want to buy grapes.” Now, that would not normally work for someone like you or I, but of course we aren’t rock stars either. That year he was able to garner even more grapes from the famed vineyard, enough to take things to the next level. And so, “before things got weird (with friend Matt Loso),” and with a couple years of experience under his belt, Mark left Matthews Cellars to open up a place of his own. Mark Ryan Winery currently gets approximately 35 tons of grapes from Ciel Du Cheval!

WC: How do you feel about all the recent attention and your newfound celebrity status?
MR: “It’s just rotten grape juice people!”

Regardless of his popularity Mark is definitely not one for making a huge deal about his wines. But given his background in wine sales/promotions, he’s not one to let his wines sit around either. “Selling was second nature to me. Sometimes when I’m pouring wines at the winery people ask me how long they should keep my wines before drinking.” Instead of offering up some blow hard answer about aging his wines for 5-10 years he just asks if they like the wine that he opened 10 minutes prior. “When they respond with a ‘yes’, I tell them great…drink it now then!”
Even though his wines are quickly becoming a thing of legend Mark actually remains quite humble. “Even though the wines have been well received, I still want to concentrate on continuing to make better wines…in case I got lucky (the first time).” He also gives a lot of credit back to the State of Washington, in which he holds a lot of faith for the potential of producing world-class wines. “Myself and Washington in general are still so young. I am bonded winery #465 and I have seen California as high as 9,000. It’s not too late for anyone to still get a strong foothold here in Washington.”

WC: Being a self-taught winemaker, what are your feelings on learning to make wine that way versus those that learn through going to school?
MR: “I knew I was having trouble just getting through my bachelors degree, so I knew going to UC Davis was not going to be the best option for me.”

Learning on his own and experimenting, Mark has the ability to take a more creative approach to his winemaking. As opposed to schooled winemakers that create fantastic wines…but by the book without a lot of creativity. “You can’t teach creativity, it’s instinctive. Most of my favorite creative chefs are self taught”. In reference to his own winemaking methods Mark says, “For me, I use experience with sales and marketing combined with creativity, then I let the labs get me though some of the science and educational areas I may have missed.” Regardless of where or how he learned to make wine, there is no disputing that Mark’s wines are some of Washington’s best!

WC: What are your plans from here with so much demand right now?
MR: “Now I want to concentrate on the product. Part of why I think my wines are good is because I am a freak about every detail.”

One thing Mark prides himself on more than any is his absolute dedication to quality. That’s why he produces just enough wine that he can handle on his own. “I don’t want to lose the quality it would take to get up to such a high production (10,000 cases), and I am not ready to give up the control to do it either. Part of why I think my wines are good is because I am a freak about every detail.” Marks current production levels are just about perfect for one man. Allowing him to take care of everything at the level of quality he expects out of himself and his wine. “Winemaking is so time consuming and can be so volatile. It’s like making ice in the dessert.” By trying to make any more wine than he currently produces he would have to look at hiring help, to which he says “it would be hard for me to give up any control even just to hire someone at the winery.”
As opposed to expanding production Mark has more specific goals for the grapes themselves. “I am more interested in getting my own exclusive blocks that I can control and affect.” He’s really interested in becoming more involved with the viticulture side of things that go on in the vineyards. “I want to be in the vineyard some day.” Mark believes that this will give him the ability to make solid consistent wines every year, specific to his level of perfection. But when asked about the possibility of moving his winery to be closer to the grapes Mark says, “I don’t think I could ever move to central Washington. There’s no sushi there…and that’s big for me.” Spoken like a true rock star!

Check out these current releases from Mark Ryan Winery available at most local retailers and stay tuned for more great things to come:

• The Wild Eyed Syrah

• The Dissident Red Blend
• Chardonnay

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MARK RYAN WINERY - WOODINVILLE, WA