March 16, 2024
There’s more than meets the eye when you look at bottles from distinguished Washington wineries Pursued by Bear, Dossier Wine Collective and Bledsoe Family Winery. At first glance, the labels tell stories of polished wines crafted from Walla Walla Valley grapes. Digging a little deeper, another story begins to unfold and the names behind the three following wineries may ring a bell — an actor, two retired NFL players — and prompt a trip to southeastern Washington.
While the wine industry wasn’t where the three following vintners made their names, each pairs their reverence for the craft and their Evergreen State roots to make some seriously good wine.
Pursued by Bear
“The story starts with the name,” recalled Kyle MacLachlan, proprietor of boutique Walla Walla winery Pursued by Bear.
Pursued by Bear — a reference to the famous Shakespeare stage direction “[exit, pursued by a bear]” — is a playful homage to MacLachlan’s Eastern Washington roots and his acting background. The actor has fond memories of helping his father garden on their property in Yakima Valley and today, the wine is still a reflection of the bond between father and son. “I wanted to know what it took to make good wine and wanted to be able to share it with my dad, to go on this journey together.”
MacLachlan, perhaps best known for his leading roles in the original “Dune” and Washington-set “Twin Peaks,” has been in the acting business since the ‘80s. He was inspired to step into the wine business a couple of decades later after meeting winemakers on a trip through California’s Napa Valley.
In 2005, MacLachlan released his first red blend: cabernet, merlot and a touch of syrah. Wine Spectator rated it a 91. “I was ecstatic,” he said. “It was the most impactful review on anything that I’d ever gotten.” Shortly after, he began working on his second wine, a syrah.
What started as a winemaking hobby eventually brought the Yakima-born actor back to his home state to turn that love into a more serious pursuit. Nearly 20 years on, Pursued by Bear has added several vintages to its roster, including a “magic” chardonnay made in a lighter Burgundian style. Last year, MacLachlan’s team opened the winery’s first tasting room in downtown Walla Walla.
Today, he brings a true sense of joie de vivre to the worlds of acting and wine. From walking the vineyards, tasting the barrels, visiting the label printers and dropping by the winery’s tasting room events — MacLachlan is involved in every step of the process.
Each expertly crafted vintage allows the fruit-forward notes, beautiful structure and balance of Walla Walla wines to shine. Since the first vintage in 2008, Pursued by Bear has used grapes from the same two vineyards and the formula has remained mostly unchanged.
