Mark Ryan Winery

Mark Ryan McNeilly established Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville, Washington, in 1999, starting with a few tons of grapes in a friend's garage. That first vintage sold out quickly. Before starting his own label, McNeilly worked in restaurants as a server and bartender, moved into a sales position for a Seattle distributor, spent two years as national sales manager for Matthews Cellars in Woodinville, and worked at Steele Winery in California. In 2017 production shifted from Woodinville to Walla Walla, which allowed tasting rooms to open in both cities. The winery describes itself as the 14th largest winery in Washington. McNeilly introduced Board Track Racer, established Megan Anne Cellars for Oregon Pinot Noir, and in 2022 the winery acquired Underground Wine Project.

• Established 1999 in Woodinville by Mark Ryan McNeilly; first vintage made from a few tons of grapes in a friend's garage
• Earlier career: restaurant server and bartender, sales for a Seattle distributor, two years as national sales manager for Matthews Cellars, and work at Steele Winery in California
• Production moved from Woodinville to Walla Walla in 2017
• Mike Macmorran joined in 2008 and became a partner in 2011

Mark Ryan Winery has two winemakers. Mark McNeilly is Founder and Winemaker. Mike Macmorran is Winemaker and Partner: he volunteered as a cellar rat at DeLille Cellars in 2005, became assistant winemaker there, joined Mark Ryan Winery in 2008 and became a partner in 2011.

• Mark McNeilly: Founder and Winemaker
• Mike Macmorran: Winemaker and Partner; formerly assistant winemaker at DeLille Cellars

Mark Ryan Winery sources its fruit from partner vineyards across the Columbia Valley, with a special focus on Red Mountain. At Quintessence Vineyard on Red Mountain it sources from three sites: the 13.5-acre Water Witch block, planted with the Quintessence team in 2012 on a small bench with a gradual southerly slope to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot; two 3.5-acre blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, one planted to clone 169 and one to clone 191; and a 16.5-acre block, also designed with the Quintessence team, planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Ciel du Cheval, planted in 1975, is one of the oldest vineyards on Red Mountain; the winery harvests Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Mourvèdre there. Klipsun, planted in 1982, has supplied Cabernet Sauvignon since 2005. Other Red Mountain sources are Henry Earl, Obelisco, Shaw 32, Stanton and Quinn. In the Horse Heaven Hills, the winery planted a 10-acre Cabernet Sauvignon block at Phinny Hill with the vineyard team in 2012 (clones 8 and 191) and sources clone 337 and clone 191 Cabernet Sauvignon from Discovery Vineyard, where it broke ground on a new custom planting in June 2024. In the Yakima Valley it works with Red Willow and Olsen, where a 7.5-acre block of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre was planted in 2014 above 1,800 feet.

• Quintessence Vineyard (Red Mountain): Water Witch block of 13.5 acres planted from 2012; two 3.5-acre Cabernet Sauvignon blocks (clones 169 and 191); a 16.5-acre block
• Ciel du Cheval (planted 1975) and Klipsun (planted 1982), two of the oldest vineyards on Red Mountain
• Further Red Mountain sources: Henry Earl, Obelisco, Shaw 32, Stanton, Quinn
• Horse Heaven Hills: Phinny Hill (10-acre block planted 2012) and Discovery Vineyard (new custom planting begun June 2024)
• Yakima Valley: Red Willow and Olsen (7.5-acre Rhône-variety block planted 2014)

Dead Horse is one of the two original labels from 1999; its first vintage came from Ciel du Cheval, whose name translates to Horse in the Sky or Horse Heaven. The foundation of the blend is the custom planting at Quintessence, completed by fruit from Obelisco, Discovery and Olsen; it is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Long Haul, also made since 1999, is an homage to the many long treks between distant vineyards and the early production facilities, and is primarily Merlot from Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Red Willow. The Dissident is made to complement Dead Horse and Long Haul from the same vineyards and barrels, but built to be approachable younger; its foundation is Cabernet Sauvignon from Quinn and Quintessence with Merlot from Red Willow and Olsen. Lonely Heart is the reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a barrel selection made every year since the early 2000s, and is a single-vineyard wine from custom-planted blocks at Quintessence: Block 16, planted in 2012 to clone 191, and Block 53, planted in 2017 to clone 337. The 2022 Lonely Heart came entirely from Block 9 at Quintessence. Water Witch, a label dating to 2005, now comes exclusively from the Water Witch block; McNeilly's grandfather was a water witch who located water in Eastern Washington farmlands. Crazy Mary is a Mourvèdre made only when quality and vintage allow; a Victoria Williams song covered by Pearl Jam, one of McNeilly's favorites, makes for label inspiration. The lineup also includes Wild Eyed Syrah from Red Mountain (since 2006), Lost Soul Syrah from Red Willow, Little Sister reserve Merlot (added in 2015), Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Monkey Wrench, Viognier (since 2006), a Chardonnay from Olsen, Caballo Muerto (first vintage 2023), a Quintessence Sauvignon Blanc (first vintage 2023) and a Rosé (debut vintage 2024).

• Dead Horse: original 1999 label; mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, founded on the Quintessence custom planting
• Long Haul: label since 1999; primarily Merlot from Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Red Willow
• The Dissident: same vineyards and barrels as Dead Horse and Long Haul, built to drink younger
• Lonely Heart: reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from custom-planted Quintessence blocks (Block 16, clone 191, planted 2012; Block 53, clone 337, planted 2017); 2022 entirely from Block 9
• Water Witch: label since 2005, now exclusively from the Water Witch block at Quintessence
• Crazy Mary Mourvèdre: made only in vintages that meet the winery's standards; label inspiration from a Victoria Williams song covered by Pearl Jam, one of McNeilly's favorites

The Board Track Racer project began in 2007 with The Vincent Red, created as a lineup ready to drink on release and wallet-friendly. The label is named for a long-gone style of motorbike racing, and McNeilly collects vintage motorcycles. Lu & Oly began with the 2013 vintage and was inspired by McNeilly's daughters Lucia and Olivia; its label art is by Northwest illustrator and tattoo artist Kyler Martz, and the lineup includes the Flowerhead label (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Rosé), We Sat by the Ocean white blend and Untethered Bubbles. NumbSkull started with the 2014 vintage to explore Walla Walla vineyards, with label artwork by Cherylin Andre. Megan Anne Cellars was conceived in 2014 as a collaboration between Mark and Megan McNeilly and former Evening Land winemaker Isabelle Meunier; its inaugural Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was released in fall 2016, and it offers a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and the reserve-level Black Love Pinot Noir. Underground Wine Project began as a collaboration between McNeilly and Trey Busch and Jerry Solomon of Sleight of Hand Cellars, with Idle Hands as its first release in 2009; Mark Ryan Winery acquired it in 2022. In 2023 NumbSkull and Underground Wine Project joined the Board Track Racer Collective wine club.

• Board Track Racer: began 2007 with The Vincent Red; named for a long-gone style of motorbike racing
• Lu & Oly: from the 2013 vintage; includes the Flowerhead label
• NumbSkull: from the 2014 vintage, first focused on Walla Walla vineyards
• Megan Anne Cellars: Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, inaugural release fall 2016
• Underground Wine Project: first release Idle Hands in 2009; acquired by Mark Ryan Winery in 2022

Mark Ryan describes its Red Mountain wines as "big-shouldered wines that we coax a great amount of finesse and elegance from." The winery blends across vineyards, using one site to highlight an element and another to support it. Dead Horse and Long Haul are crafted to be age-worthy, while The Dissident is built to be approachable younger. Wild Eyed Syrah is aged in thick-staved 500-liter French oak barrels.

• Blending across vineyards to highlight and support elements from each site
• Dead Horse and Long Haul crafted to be age-worthy; The Dissident built for earlier drinking

The Dissident Columbia Valley 2016 was Wine #45 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2019.

The Woodinville tasting room is in the Old Redhook Brewery complex, next to Long Shadows and Fidelitas, at 14200 NE 145th St, Suite D. It offers a Classic Tasting and a Reserve Tasting, and the winery also has a tasting room in Walla Walla.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.markryanwinery.com/, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-story, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-vineyard-partners, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines/mark-ryan, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines/btr, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines/lu-oly, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines/megananne, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines/numbskull, https://www.markryanwinery.com/our-wines/underground-wine-project, https://www.markryanwinery.com/news/our-commitment-to-red-mountain-ava, https://www.markryanwinery.com/visit-our-tasting-room. Secondary sources: Wine Spectator, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/wine-tip-value-wines-pacific-northwest-washington-oregon, https://www.winespectator.com/wine/wine-detail/id/1232839/name/mark-ryan-the-dissident-columbia-valley-2016/guest (Wine Tip, 12 March 2018; wine detail page for The Dissident Columbia Valley 2016). Last verified 2026-10-18. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.