MikeL's Guide to WA Wineries
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Maury Balcom |
Vineyards: 110 acres wine grapes, 150 acres Concord grapes
History:
Maury Balcom grew up around wine. His father was raised near a winery in Grandview, WA, which went out of business during Prohibition. He later started Globe Cellars in Pioneer Square, which is where the cafe in the basement of Elliot Bay Bookstore is today. As a child, Maury met many of the major California winemakers-Mondavi, Martini, Wente-through his father's friendship with Angelo Pellegrini (a University of Washington professor, noted northwest gourmand). Maury went on to earn a degree in winemaking from Fresno in 1974.
The vineyards were planted in 1971, and Balcom and Moe grapes were
sold to some of the best wineries in the state for 14 years. In 1985,
Balcom and Moe started making wines under the Quarry Lake Vintners
label, with Maury as winemaker. Quarry Lake was producing about
15,000 cases per year, which Maury felt was too large a production for
proper control of the quality of the wines. In 1992 Quarry Lake was
closed, and in 1993 it was reopened as Balcom and Moe Vineyard, with
dramatically decreased production now at more appropriate levels.
Sources:
[the winery]
The Wines: (Winter 1997):
Whites: Reds:
Winemakers:
Maury Balcom 1985-present
Of special note:
The Balcoms and the Moes started farming together in 1927. The current Balcom and Moe farm includes 60 acres of apples, 33 acres of cherries, 1600 acres of sweet corn, 400 acres of wheat, and 2200 acres of potatoes, in addition to 260 acres of vineyards. Maury Balcom has been in farming for 30 years, and is looking forward to his son joining him in the business in 1998-the fourth generation of Balcoms to be involved with the farm.
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