Januik

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the great figures in the contemporary wine business.  Throughout the 1990's Mike Januik was the winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle, the largest winery of Washington State.  That decade was the high point of that company's existence.  Was it a coincidence that Januik was there at their peak?  I don't think so.  If the truth be known, Mike Januik put CSM on the map.

So what exactly did he do?  Januik created the great single-vineyard reserve reds that probably put Washington State on the map for those of us who thought California invented enology.  Januik, a Washington native, had been in the wine business for the better part of a decade before CSM so he knew where to go for superior fruit.

And where is that?  From the same places where Januik sources from now; Horse Heaven Hills, Royal Slope and the greatest Washington AVA (American Viticultural Area), Red Mountain.  Januik also sources from Stillwater Creek Vineyard. a part of the Novelty Hill estate.  In 2000 upon leaving CSM, Januik entered into an agreement with Tom Alberg and Judi Beck to make the wines at their new Novelty Hill winery.  It's at that same location he would start making his own eponymous Januik labeled wines, a project he had started a year earlier.  

This year Januik celebrates his fortieth harvest.  When he started there were twenty-four wineries in Washington.  Now there are two hundred.  As of 2011 a third winemaking operation has been added to the Novelty Hill/Januik operation.  Mike's son Andrew now makes his Andrew Januik wines there also.

As we said above, Mike Januik is a giant in the Washington wine business.  We now have two of his cabernets in the store, the Novelty Hill and the Januik label.  If you like great cabernet, try these!