Gramercy Cellars

Gramercy Cellars was founded in 2005 by Greg and Pam Harrington, following a pivotal moment in the spring of 2004 when Greg attended a backyard picnic in Brooklyn hosted by the Walla Walla Wine Alliance. The wines he tasted there displayed earthy characteristics and balance quite unlike typical American wines, and he was immediately drawn to the region. Greg worked harvest in Walla Walla later that year, which only deepened his conviction. Gramercy's first harvest followed in 2005, and the couple relocated to Washington in 2006 to build the winery full time. Prior to founding Gramercy, Harrington managed wine programs for restaurants run by Joyce Goldstein, Emeril Lagasse, Stephen Hanson, and Wolfgang Puck (Spago).

• Founded 2005 by Greg Harrington (MS, passed 1996 at age 26, youngest American at the time) and Pam Harrington
• Inspired by a 2004 Walla Walla Wine Alliance tasting in Brooklyn; Greg worked harvest in Walla Walla that same year
• Greg was, according to wine writer Paul Gregutt, the first sommelier to transition to winemaking in Washington State
• Brandon Moss, who has a background in fermentation science and prior experience at King Estate, Indevin (New Zealand), and Waters Winery, joined around 2008 and became partner and co-winemaker

Gramercy Cellars exemplifies how a sommelier's Old World sensibilities can reshape New World winemaking. Greg Harrington was the first sommelier-turned-winemaker in Washington State, and his restaurant background left a clear imprint on the style: lower oak, lower alcohol, high acidity, and wines clearly designed for the dinner table. The winery's consistent critical recognition and numerous awards established early benchmarks for quality in Washington. For students and professionals, Gramercy represents a reference point for understanding Washington Rhône and Bordeaux varieties at their most restrained and food-compatible, demonstrating how mineral tension and structural elegance can emerge from the Walla Walla Valley.

• First sommelier-to-winemaker transition in Washington State wine history, according to Paul Gregutt's 'Washington Wines'
• Seattle Magazine: 'Best New Winemaker in Washington' (2008) and 'Winemaker of the Year' (2014); Food and Wine: 'Best New Winery in America' (2010)
• Wine and Spirits 'Top 100 Wineries in the World' in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013
• Consistent 93-97 point critical scores across major publications establish the winery as a quality benchmark for Washington State

Gramercy works almost exclusively with Rhône and Bordeaux varieties, producing a tiered lineup of wines across Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley appellations. The Syrah program is multi-tiered, ranging from the entry-level Columbia Valley bottling up through the single-vineyard Forgotten Hills, The Deuce, and the flagship John Lewis. The Bordeaux range includes Columbia Valley and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a Merlot. Additional wines include L'Idiot du Village Mourvèdre, The Third Man Grenache blend, Inigo Montoya Tempranillo, a Rosé, and a Picpoul blanc. Many Rhône wines are single-vineyard estate expressions, particularly from Les Collines and Forgotten Hills vineyards.

• Syrah tiers: Lower East (entry), Columbia Valley, Lagniappe, Forgotten Hills, The Deuce, and John Lewis (flagship); all 100% Syrah
• Cabernet Sauvignon program includes Columbia Valley and Reserve bottlings; the 2013 Reserve earned 97 points from Jeb Dunnuck (Wine Advocate)
• Rhône blends include L'Idiot du Village Mourvèdre and The Third Man Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre-Carignan blend
• Picpoul blanc added to the portfolio in 2013 from Olsen Vineyards (Yakima Valley) and later Los Oidos Vineyards in the Blue Mountains

Gramercy owns three estate vineyards and controls several others, ensuring grapes are grown and harvested to the winery's specific profile. All estate vineyards are organically farmed. Key sites include Les Collines Vineyard on the east side of Walla Walla Valley at around 1,300 feet elevation against the Blue Mountains, where cooler temperatures and higher rainfall produce Syrah ideally suited to whole-cluster fermentation. Forgotten Hills, situated on volcanic rock and basalt, is another estate source for layered, savory Syrah. The winery also draws on Red Willow Vineyard for the Lagniappe Syrah, and Olsen and Alder Ridge vineyards for Mourvèdre and other Rhône varieties. The Columbia Valley's continental climate, significant diurnal temperature variation, and low rainfall allow complete physiological ripeness while preserving the acidity central to Gramercy's style.

• Les Collines Vineyard: approximately 1,300 feet elevation, east side of Walla Walla Valley against the Blue Mountains; primary source for John Lewis and The Deuce Syrahs; often fermented 100% whole cluster
• Forgotten Hills Vineyard: estate site on volcanic rock and basalt; single-vineyard Syrah bottling with distinctive pepper and savory character
• All three Gramercy estate vineyards are organically farmed
• Continental climate with significant diurnal temperature variation; picking at 22-23 Brix to preserve freshness and acidity even in warm vintages

Gramercy's winemaking philosophy is rooted in four principles: work with top vineyard sites, harvest ripe but not overripe, intervene minimally, and use as little new oak as possible. Fermentations are conducted in concrete and oak vessels using native yeasts, with extensive use of whole-cluster inclusion, particularly for Syrah. Greg Harrington introduced stem inclusion and non-interventionist practices to Walla Walla when most local wineries relied on more technology-driven approaches. The team regularly tastes benchmark Old World wines from the Northern Rhône and Bordeaux to calibrate ripeness targets and winemaking goals. The result is wines with balance, earthiness, strong fruit definition, and the structural elegance to age well.

• Native yeast fermentations in concrete and oak; whole-cluster inclusion used extensively, especially for Syrah; Les Collines Syrahs often 100% whole cluster
• Low new oak usage as a core principle; extended aging in neutral French barrels; The Deuce, for example, aged 18 months in neutral puncheons
• Harvest targeted at approximately 22-23 Brix to preserve freshness and acidity; team holds firm to this even in warm vintages like 2013 and 2014
• Regular benchmark tastings of Northern Rhône and Bordeaux classics to calibrate ripeness standards and stylistic goals

Gramercy Cellars has earned consistent critical acclaim across its range, with Jeb Dunnuck at Wine Advocate as a particularly consistent champion. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve earned 97 points and was compared to a top Margaux. The 2020 John Lewis Syrah received 96 points. The Columbia Valley Syrah and Forgotten Hills Syrah regularly score in the 93-95 point range from multiple critics. Scores across the range routinely fall between 91-97 points. Critics consistently highlight the wines' purity of fruit, mineral tension, food-friendly acidity, and structural elegance as defining characteristics. Wine critic Sean Sullivan of Seattle Met has described the wines as having 'distinctly high acidity' and as 'clearly meant for the dinner table.'

• 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: 97 points Jeb Dunnuck (Wine Advocate); compared to top Margaux
• 2020 Syrah John Lewis: 96 points Jeb Dunnuck; described as 'a stunning example of Syrah from the Walla Walla Valley'
• Multiple Syrah and Cabernet bottlings consistently score 93-95 points across Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and regional critics
• Critical vocabulary across reviewers converges on: mineral tension, purity of fruit, food-friendliness, earthiness, and structural elegance