The Bookwalter family roots are deep in agriculture and the Washington wine and viticulture industry. With several of the top vineyard sources in the state and a commitment to excellence in winemaking, Bookwalter winery is positioned to fulfill the growing demand for ultra premium wines from Washington State.
The family agricultural endeavors go back to the 18th century in Europe and have continued since with Jerrold Bookwalter. Jerry graduated from UC Davis in 1963 with a dual degree in Agriculture Economics and Pomology and quickly employed his degree and farming experience in San Jose, California. After managing large corporate farms in the San Joaquin Valley and owning his own farm in Atwater, California, Jerry successfully managed the largest Vinifera planting of grapes in Washington State at Sagemoor, Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards since early 1976 until 1982 when he started his own agricultural management company and grape brokering business.
Jerry produced his first wines: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc & Johannisberg Riesling in 1983. By 1984, Jerry began production of the red wines of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. By 1985, Jerry's wife, Jean, took over the operations of the business. Jean's business skills and Jerry's innovation, winemaking and vineyard management skills kept the winery operating during the challenging early years in the Washington Wine Industry.
John Bookwalter, the son of Jean and Jerry Bookwalter joined the family winery in October of 1997 after 10 years of a successful career in beverage sales and marketing with Pepsi, Gallo, WinterBrook Beverage Group and the Coors Brewing Company. John is the 10th American generation of Bookwalters to be involved in and around agriculture and has focused his attention primarily on the production of ultra premium red wines.
To produce the top red wines in Washington State, John teamed up with world-class winemaking and vineyard consultant Zelma Long in 2000. Zelma Long had just retired from her illustrious corporate career that spanned nearly 30 years in the wine industry and passed through such Wineries as Mondavi and Simi Wineries in California. Success was immediate with their first vine to wine efforts as both the 2000 Columbia Valley Merlot and 2000 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines were released to rave reviews. The next two vintages brought two top 100 wines of the year rankings, several 90 point plus Parker ratings and another Wine Spectator "Wine of the Week" acknowledgement.
