Winery Overview
Dunham Cellars founding Winemaker Eric Dunham discovered his passion for wine at a young age. As a teenager in the early 1980s, he enjoyed helping himself to his parents' international wine collection. Even with those precious bottles safely tucked away in a locked wine cellar, Eric learned how to pick the lock. When the lock was upgraded, he discovered he could remove the hinges from the cellar door. Mike and Joanne never quite figured out how to keep Eric from his cellar sampling, and during his Navy years stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County, Eric continued to pursue his passion by enjoying many trips to the Napa Valley. With a keen palate and admiration for the art of crafting the perfect bottle, Eric returned home for a father-son fishing trip with Mike. When his dad asked him what he wanted to do with his life, Eric had a clear vision: "I want to make wine." Following this declaration, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington, after which he was hired as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. After the first few vintages of Dunham's eponymous wine were released to great acclaim, the aspiring young winemaker found warehouse space in an old WWII airplane hangar in Walla Walla and was able to convince his parents to help him launch Dunham Cellars. A couple of years later, David and Cheryll Blair were introduced to the Dunhams. They subsequently joined the Dunhams in pursuit of their collective dream of making and pairing great wine with wonderful hospitality. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, Dunham Cellars has become one of Walla Walla's most trusted and celebrated wineries. Their two estate vineyards, Kenny Hill and Lewis, provide the foundation for their acclaimed wines, and they also work closely with their farming company, Appellation Management Group to ensure their sourced fruit is of the highest quality. Their complete control of the winemaking process, from the clonal selection, planting and farming of vines, to the advanced technology and techniques in the cellar, reflects their steadfast commitment to detail and quality. Through these decades of experience growing and making wine in this Valley, they ensure that every bottle best expresses its varietal character and terroir.