Sparkman Raises a Glass to His Family

Three things come through immediately when talking with Chris Sparkman of Sparkman Cellars: his passion for winemaking, his devotion to family, and his Southern roots. The passion for winemaking has made Sparkman Cellars, less than a decade old, a rising star in the wine industry. The devotion to family he attributes to both his Tennessean upbringing and luck at marrying into a family as supportive as his own.

“Family is everything,” Sparkman said. “We wouldn’t be here without our families. When I think of all I’ve done in my life, it was always my family there in the background supporting me. And now with the business, it’s both my family and Kelly’s.”

Indeed it was family, specifically Sparkman’s father-in-law, Dick Nauman, who gave him and wife Kelly, the idea of going in to the wine business. The suggestion was a not-so-subtle attempt to get the Sparkmans to settle down; a new grandchild was on the way at the time.

“Kelly’s dad suggested we open a wine shop, it made sense with my background in restaurants. So we started researching,” he said.

Opening a wine shop was a logical step in a career that spanned decades working as sommelier and wine buyer at some of the finest restaurants in the country. Sparkman worked with celebrity chef Emeril Legasse at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans and at Michael’s in Los Angeles. Finally, he landed in Seattle at the Waterfront Seafood Grill (he still works for the restaurant company).

To cut to the end of the story, a wine shop idea was dropped and a winery was born, with the help of the in-laws and the entire Sparkman clan.

“Our families are just incredible. Not only have they put the financial resources into it, but they rally when it’s harvest time, bottling; it’s truly a family business,” he said.

Sparkman Cellars opened in Woodinville’s warehouse district in 2004, taking advantage of the area's status as a wine tasting destination. He and his family also moved to Woodinville.

"This is a great community for families," Sparkman said. "We have a creek running by our house, it's such a perfect spot for kids."

Sparkman Cellars proved such a success, an additional tasting room opened in the tourist district last month. While Sparkman was learning the nuances of winemaking, Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery, lent a hand as Sparkman’s first winemaker.

“There are so many people who have held our hands along the way; people like Mark McNeilly, who taught me how to make wine,” he said, “People have been terrific about sharing their resources and time.”

Today, Sparkman Cellars is considered a rising star in the wine industry. Wine Spectator gave Sparkman Cellars’ 2008 Syrah, Ruckus and Darkness, scores of 94 and 93, designating both as exceptional wines. Still small, the winery bottles about 3,500 cases annually.   

The wine is made here in Woodinville; the grapes come primarily from eastern Washington vineyards, with one Oregon exception. Sparkman said the winery’s relationship with the growers and the understanding of the dirt the grapes are grown in is as important to the making of fine wine as the skill of the winemaker.

“Without the good fruit, there are just not a lot of options to making good wine,” he said. “The more we learn, the more we’re able to refine the identity of our wines that actually end up being based in the vineyard sources.”

Sparkman believes his work in the restaurant business, being exposed to global wines  -- particularly French wines -- enhances his winemaker’s palate.

“I taste thousands of wines a year in all the different states of maturity and that really does help feed my winemaking. And I know that’s a competitive advantage,” he said.

Sparkman is the first to admit that his lofty goals for such a young winery, to make wines that someday will be considered among the world’s best, may be naïve, but he believes in that goal. Sparkman Cellars wine also costs more than the average bottle of Washington wine, but again, Sparkman stands by his product.

“You’ll find a more elegant style to our wines, there’s still plenty of power and they are made for longevity. But they are not overly oaked, so hopefully you will never find a flabby wine. We’re delivering a lot of value for the dollar,” he said. “I’m from Tennessee, so I know we had moonshiners in our background so I come by it genetically.

Woodinville Wine Events: Feb. 25-March 3 

Friday, Feb. 25

Apex at Alder Ridge is having a Winemaker Open House with Peter Devison from 7-9 p.m. There will be food from Lola, an acclaimed Tom Douglas restaurant, paired with Apex at Alder Ridge wines. Cost is $50.

Matthews Estate has Friday Night Live with live music from 7-9 p.m. with glass pours starting at $6

Saturday, Feb. 26

Anton Ville is featuring Beecher’s Flagship, Beecher’s Marco Polo, and Horseradish cheese to pair with their wines from 1-5 p.m.

Challenger Ridge is offering a Girlfriends Day that includes salon services and chocolate, as well as wine tasting.

Davenport Cellars is holding Open That Bottle Night from 6-9 p.m. Open That Bottle Night has been around since 2000, on a special Saturday in February you join your friends in sharing a special bottle of wine. The cost is $20 or bring a special bottle to share. You might make some new friends or a new wine.

Tefft Cellars is having a Family Style Italian Dinner which is back by popular demand. Catering is provided by Lake Street Catering. You get a delicious dinner and a selection on Tefft Cellars wines for $65.

Don't forget tickets are on sale now for Passport to Woodinville, one of western Washington’s most popular wine events of the year.  The program has been revamped for 2011 to give wine enthusiasts more time and flexibility to enjoy Woodinville’s increasing number of wineries and tasting rooms. 

 This year’s passport will be valid for six weeks from April 16 – May 31. Special offerings such as appetizers and music at select wineries will be offered during the kick-off weekend, April 16 – 17.  In previous years, Passport to Woodinville was restricted to one weekend. 

Passports are $65 per person if purchased between through March 15. Tickets increase to $75, March 16-April 16, and are available on-line only at woodinvillewinecountry.com.  No passports will be sold after April 16th.

Shona Milne contributed to the listings.