Let’s talk uber-local.
Tom Davis and Tracey DeGraff have been making wine in Blaine since 2002, and yet many people still don’t even know. Davis and DeGraff, owners of GLM Wine Company, have a darling tasting room at 1678 Boblett Street (exit 275). The old garage, renovated to house their Eastern Washington-sourced wine, is also where they press, stomp, strain, rack and ferment.
I met them when I first moved to Blaine from Southern California and offered my name for one of their unbottled vintages. Surprisingly, they accepted! The barrel-sample was going to be called Jackalope, and I had thought that sounded rather cringe, while having flashbacks of people telling me I had a pretty name. Soon, a friendship was born.
Fast forward 15ish years and they have made a wine from the original inspiration: Jökulhaup (pronounced: yo-KOOL-lahp) an Icelandic word meaning glacial outburst flood. The winery’s full name, Glacial Lake Missoula, is inspired from the cataclysmic events that brought minerals to Washington’s soil, creating some of the highest quality grapes for wine-making.
Earlier this month, the winery released the wine, its very first port-style wine, which is 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Tempranillo and 30 percent Shiraz. The spirits used to fortify the 2022 vintage were distilled at Bellewood Farms in Lynden, where Tom brought a botched sparkling wine that he was going to give up on when he decided to distill it instead. The result is stupendous.
The winery is open for a tasting experience where both children and dogs are welcome from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday . A wine club is on the horizon, so follow GLM Winery on social media for updates on the launch.
Tasting notes: Red rose and strawberry preserves, blueberry pie and minor cigar box scents precede an explosive palate of sweet nutmeg, pie cherries, maple and pomegranate.
Pairing suggestion: Assorted cheeses, desserts, nuts or just by itself.
Song pair: “Rigoletto, Act III: La donna è mobile” by Luciano Pavarotti, London Symphony Orchestra and Richard Bonynge
Amberleigh Brownson is a local wine writer, consultant, sommelier, and assistant winemaker for GLM Wine Company. She is also a ten-year wine judge and four-time Wine Spectator award winner recipient.
