Saviah Cellars

Saviah Cellars was founded in 2000 by Richard and Anita Funk in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley. The estate name is a direct family reference: Saviah Hutchins was Anita's great-grandmother, who wrote an inspirational book called 'The Gift of Little Things' that gave the winery its name and a quiet personal grounding. Richard Funk approached winemaking with a chemistry and microbiology background rather than a viticulture degree or apprenticeship in another estate's cellar, and his self-taught approach has informed the estate's identity since the founding. The Funks built Saviah from a small initial production into a mid-sized Walla Walla operation across the following two decades, with both estate vineyards now contributing the bulk of the fruit.

• Founded 2000 by Richard and Anita Funk
• Estate name from Anita's great-grandmother Saviah Hutchins, author of 'The Gift of Little Things'
• Richard Funk: self-taught winemaker with chemistry and microbiology background
• Built from small initial production to mid-sized Walla Walla operation across the 2000s and 2010s

Saviah's two principal vineyards anchor the estate's fruit supply. The Funk Estate Vineyard is the original estate site, planted to a wide mix of varieties: Syrah dominates the planting, with smaller blocks of Mourvèdre, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Malbec providing material for both Rhône-style and broader-blend cuvées. The McClellan Vineyard, planted in 2003, supplies Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, providing the Bordeaux-variety backbone of the estate's red wine program. The two-vineyard structure gives Saviah unusual breadth across both Rhône and Bordeaux variety families, supporting the wide range of cuvées in the estate's portfolio.

• Funk Estate Vineyard: Syrah-dominant with smaller blocks of Mourvèdre, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Malbec
• McClellan Vineyard (planted 2003): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot for Bordeaux-style reds
• Two-vineyard structure supports both Rhône and Bordeaux variety programs
• Combined estate fruit supplies the bulk of Saviah's production across the value and premium tiers

Saviah's range is built around two clear tiers. 'The Jack' Red Wine and 'The Jack' Sauvignon Blanc anchor the value tier, drawing on broader appellation sources to deliver Walla Walla character at accessible price points; the 2023 The Jack Sauvignon Blanc includes 14% Viognier blended in. The estate's premium tier is built around the Funk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the Saviah Cellars Syrah, and a series of single-block estate bottlings that allow varietal-specific exploration of the two estate vineyards. Richard Funk's chemistry-informed cellar approach emphasizes clean fermentations and careful microbiology, and the wines have built a quiet reputation for technical precision alongside Walla Walla's broader stylistic flavors.

• 'The Jack' value tier: red wine plus Sauvignon Blanc; the entry point to the estate at accessible prices
• Premium tier: Funk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Saviah Cellars Syrah, plus single-block estate bottlings
• Range covers both Rhône and Bordeaux variety programs, drawing on the two estate vineyards
• Cellar approach: chemistry-informed clean fermentations and careful microbiology consistent with Richard Funk's scientific background

Saviah Cellars is one of the more technically rigorous Walla Walla estates, with Richard Funk's self-taught chemistry-and-microbiology background producing a cellar approach that differs from the more apprenticeship-driven style typical of the appellation's founding generation. The estate's value-priced 'The Jack' tier has reached significant national distribution and helped introduce many consumers to Walla Walla as a region, while the premium tier provides serious Bordeaux- and Rhône-style cuvées at competitive price points. For drinkers tracking the appellation's mid-priced workhorses alongside its top names, Saviah is a useful reference and a quiet reminder that Walla Walla's seriousness extends well below the cult-pricing tier.

• Technically rigorous estate with Richard Funk's chemistry-and-microbiology approach informing cellar work
• 'The Jack' value tier has helped introduce many consumers to Walla Walla through national distribution
• Two-vineyard estate structure supports both Bordeaux and Rhône variety programs
• Reference for the appellation's mid-priced workhorses and serious value-end programming