Betz Family Winery

Passion is a word that has hit the overused mark in the last few years. We’re all exhorted to "find our passion" and not waste our time on anything less than what we’re passionate about. In the real world, most people don’t have the luxury or luck to be working at something that makes them intensely happy. But once in awhile you meet someone who has found that sweet spot. In this case, it’s Bob Betz of the Betz Family Winery.

Born into a German-Italian family where great emphasis was put on food and wine, Bob always felt Europe’s grip on his heart. In 1968, he and a friend traveled in Europe and the grip grew stronger. Returning to finish college at the University of Washington, he planned to attend medical school. Graduating with good grades and in the honors program, he was stunned when he was not accepted: there were more students applying than there was space. He and his future wife Cathy had met in 1968 before he’d gone to Europe and started to date seriously after his return, marrying in 1970. Without school in his future, they headed to Europe. Cathy had lived in France for a year and was eager to return. For the first three and a half years of their marriage, they came and went, touring, tasting and working in vineyards, primarily France and Italy, but also Germany, Austria and Spain. "We loved the lifestyle," Bob recalls. "It’s hard work, but a very appealing way to live and culturally attractive. Back then, fewer people had done that, so when we returned, I had an interesting background."

Photo: Bob Betz

Bob took a job managing three La Cantina wine stores. About a year later, he moved to Stimson Lane Wine & Spirits (now Chateau Ste. Michelle), starting in public relations and moving into various positions over the years—acting as a corporate officer, managing their TQM (Total Quality Management) program and eventually becoming the managing director of the winery’s two joint ventures. He stayed 28 years.

"I loved every minute at Ste. Michelle," says Bob. "I have great respect for the CEO, Ted Baseler, who takes the long view of what’s good for the company as well as for Washington wines. I see the guys from the winery all the time; it’s the best possible situation. While I was there, I had one foot in operations and the other in marketing/communications. I’ve probably been back to European vineyards dozens of times and have spent a lot of time with growers and winemakers in California. I was, at various times, part of the sensory review of wine, part of the blending team. I’ve walked the cellars and vineyards and have always had a love of winemaking even though I wasn’t actually making wine there."

In 1980, he reapplied to med school and was accepted. By that time, he and Cathy had two daughters, Carmen and Carla. They knew Bob wouldn’t be around much for 6-8 years if he took the medical path and there wouldn’t be much money. He declined and stayed at Ste. Michelle.

In 1993, he began studying for his Master of Wine, passing the final tests in 1998. An intense program, students are tested on theory and must write a dissertation as well as passing tasting tests. "It’s accepted as the highest recognition within the wine community. Always a late bloomer, I passed the course just shy of my 50^th birthday," Bob smiles. "I did well and I think it was because I had experience. It really only matters in terms of what you do with the knowledge. It makes you think about the world of wine in a different way—not just growing, but also making, tasting, selling. You learn about cultural issues, individual vineyards, growers, winemakers and wine. Very few Masters of Wine are winemakers. I think I’m the only one in America who is actually a commercial winemaker. Others are reps for wine companies, chefs, writers, educators and one who selects wines to be served on United Airlines."

Bob and Cathy knew their love of wine wouldn’t wane after his retirement. Bob made his own wine for six years before retiring from Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2003, with the first vintage in 1997. "All vacations and weekends were spent making our own wine," he laughs. They worked out of a warehouse in Woodinville for six years. "We bought the property we’re on now in 2004, moved into the house and built the winery in 2004-2005. 2005 was our first vintage here and all subsequent vintages have been made at this winery. It’s wonderful—we live on the hill behind the winery and walk to work."

The winery had to stay within the 6,000 square foot limit imposed by King County. It was designed with two major focuses: movement and sanitation. "We laid things out with horizontal and vertical abilities—we never pump skins and seeds," says Bob. "We put grapes in bins and then into the hopper, then the de-stemmer and crusher. This is all done using gravity and we need height in the building to make it work. Once it’s back in a bin, we lift it and gently dump it into tanks. After it goes through the fermenter, it’s put through a funnel we designed and into the press and then barrels." As for sanitation, walls and floor are concrete and can be spray-washed. The floor at the barrel room line is the highest point and slants both directions with floor drains throughout the rooms. Designed to fit their physical, financial and lifestyle goals, the winery is not set up for growth. "Knowing we didn’t want to grow beyond this point helped us make focused decisions; we want quality to take the forefront."

Photo above: equipment used during crush

Each of the two barrel rooms holds all the wine from one vintage, up to 180 barrels. The barrel rooms are underground with four feet of soil and concrete above them. After malolactic fermentation, the doors to the rooms are shut and they stay cool throughout winter and spring. "We turn on supplemental cooling mid-June through September," says Bob. A third room holds their case goods. "We don’t like to ship wine until the customer is ready. That way, I know how the wine was cared for, the temperature it was held at."

Photo: Bob and his barrels

Click here to read Part 2

Connie Adams/December 2008

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