Forgeron Cellars

Forgeron Cellars was established in 2001 in Walla Walla, Washington. Its founders were more than two dozen local Walla Walla business leaders, many of whom had successfully founded and sold Canoe Ridge Winery. The aim was a winery in downtown Walla Walla that would help anchor local business and contribute to the reinvigoration of the downtown area. The founders chose an old blacksmith building at 33 Birch Street, two blocks off Main, and the building influenced the winery's name: Forgeron is the French word for blacksmith. After months of renovations the blacksmith building became the tasting room and office, while a new building was constructed for barrel storage and fermentation, along with a crush facility for processing grapes.

• Established in 2001 in Walla Walla, Washington
• Founded by more than two dozen local Walla Walla business leaders, many of whom had founded and sold Canoe Ridge Winery
• Old blacksmith building at 33 Birch Street, two blocks off Main, converted into the tasting room and office
• New building constructed for barrel storage and fermentation, plus a crush facility for processing grapes

Marie-Eve Gilla, a French native, came to America from the University of Dijon in 1991. She worked at Argyle in Oregon and then at Covey Run in Washington, where she rose to winemaker, before winemaking positions at Hogue Cellars, Gordon Brothers and Forgeron. She was Forgeron's founding winemaker and retired in the summer of 2018. Cody Janett, who grew up in Royal City, Washington, joined Forgeron in the fall of 2011 as a harvest intern, was promoted to assistant winemaker in the spring of 2015 and worked alongside Gilla on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 vintages, then was promoted to head winemaker upon her retirement. Jeremy Baker is Managing Partner, responsible for all facets of the winery's operations and serving on the Board of Directors; the winery credits him with renewing, starting in 2018, its focus on site-driven, fresh and balanced wines. Baker earlier conceived, built and managed Thomas George Estates in the Russian River Valley, starting in 2007.

• Marie-Eve Gilla: founding winemaker; came to America from the University of Dijon in 1991; retired in the summer of 2018
• Cody Janett: harvest intern from fall 2011, assistant winemaker from spring 2015, head winemaker from 2018
• Jeremy Baker: Managing Partner and member of the Board of Directors

Forgeron works side by side with Eastern Washington growers focused on sustainability, aiming for site-specific wines that illustrate the diversity of Washington's appellations. Its vineyard sources are Alder Ridge (Horse Heaven Hills); Boushey, Crawford and French Creek (Yakima Valley); Dionysus, Gamache, Lodmell and Sagemoor (Columbia Valley); Equinox Ridge Estate, Francisca's, Heart of the Hill, Minnick Hills and Seven Hills (Walla Walla Valley); and StoneTree and Weinbau (Wahluke Slope). The Boushey Vineyard has been one of Forgeron's favorite sites to grow with over the last two decades. Norm McKibben sold fruit from Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills to newcomers including Forgeron.

• Growers across Eastern Washington, selected with a focus on sustainability
• Walla Walla Valley sites include Equinox Ridge Estate, Francisca's, Heart of the Hill, Minnick Hills and Seven Hills
• Yakima Valley sites include Boushey, Crawford and French Creek; Columbia Valley sites include Dionysus, Gamache, Lodmell and Sagemoor
• Also Alder Ridge (Horse Heaven Hills) and StoneTree and Weinbau (Wahluke Slope)
• Boushey Vineyard: one of Forgeron's favorite sites to grow with over the last two decades

The winery describes its Anvil by Forgeron collection as the epitome of Forgeron Cellars' finest work, a selection of the best from every vintage. Anvil draws on sites in the Walla Walla, Yakima and Columbia Valley AVAs, blending warmer and cooler sites from growers who share the winery's stance on sustainable viticulture. The Chardonnay comes from French Creek Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, including the Old Wente block planted in 1981; the 2021 vintage was aged 12 months in 35% new and 65% neutral French oak. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Dionysus Vineyard in the Columbia Valley, the 2016 vintage made from 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot. The Syrah comes from Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. The Proprietary Blend is a Bordeaux blend from Minnick Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley, a south-facing slope at 1150 ft elevation with volcanic ash and windblown loess soils; the 2020 blend was 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Franc, 16% Petit Verdot and 12% Merlot. The collection has also been offered in 1.5L, 3L and 5L large formats.

• Chardonnay: French Creek Vineyard, Yakima Valley, including the Old Wente block planted in 1981
• Cabernet Sauvignon: Dionysus Vineyard, Columbia Valley, blended with Petit Verdot
• Syrah: Boushey Vineyard, Yakima Valley
• Proprietary Blend: Bordeaux blend from Minnick Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, at 1150 ft elevation

Beyond Anvil by Forgeron, the Forgeron Cellars main-label reds include a 100% Grenache from the Boushey Vineyard (the 2021 vintage was the winery's fourth), a Syrah, a Cabernet Franc and a Zinfandel. The winery's whites lineup includes a Late Harvest Orange Muscat. Forgeron's Artist & Blacksmith Series, priced at $25, includes the Imaginarium Red Blend.

• Forgeron Cellars Grenache: 100% Grenache from Boushey Vineyard, the 2021 vintage its fourth
• Forgeron Cellars Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel round out the main-label reds
• Forgeron Cellars Late Harvest Orange Muscat
• Artist & Blacksmith Series: Imaginarium Red Blend, $25

The tasting room at 33 W Birch St offers a classic flight of five pours for $20, waived with a bottle purchase and complimentary for wine club members; groups of six or more need a reservation made in advance.

• Classic tasting: five pours for $20, waived with a bottle purchase

Primary sources (producer's own sites): https://www.forgeroncellars.com/, https://www.forgeroncellars.com/our-history, https://www.forgeroncellars.com/our-vineyards, https://www.forgeroncellars.com/tasting-experiences, https://forgeroncellars.orderport.net/wines/Reds, https://forgeroncellars.orderport.net/wines/whites, https://forgeroncellars.orderport.net/wines/artist-and-blacksmith-series, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/our-story, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/our-team, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/wines, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/accolade, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/chardonnay, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/cabernet-sauvignon, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/syrah, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/proprietary-blend, https://www.anvilbyforgeron.com/vineyards. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/features/europes-own-land-of-the-free-the-pacific-northwest-247405/, https://www.decanter.com/features/walla-walla-northern-stars-248656/. Last verified 2026-10-12.