Washington wines have been making headlines for years, known worldwide as some of the best around. But when we think of “Washington Wine Country,” our minds tend to stray east of the mountains, to the sunny valleys of the Columbia River Basin where vineyards abound and a wine-tasting weekend with friends calls to us. However, you don’t need to book a full weekend and drive three hours to taste award-winning wines, meet the winemaker, and tour gorgeous grape vines. Simply drive an hour west towards the sea to Westport Winery, the westernmost winery in our state.
Owned and operated by Kim and Blain Roberts, Westport Winery opened in March of 2008. It’s been a busy five years, but one that culminates a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship, the land, family, and serving customers. The Robert’s son, Dana, is the winemaker, having graduated from WSU’s professional Winemaking Program, and their daughter Carrie is the general manager. “We have the really amazing luxury of working with our kids,” shares Roberts. “As parents, we wanted to teach our kids a love of enterprise, as we are lifelong entrepreneurs, a love of community, and a love of the land.” With Westport Winery, they are able to do this and so much more.
The Robert’s business life began in Hawaii where they owned and operated a charter SCUBA business called Lahaina Divers. Kim recalls a defining moment when their business concept crystalized. A business consultant was working with them and said, “Find out what your customer wants and give it to them.” While it may seem like no-brainer advice, when fully embraced it can do magical things as it did for the Roberts, growing their business to the largest charter SCUBA operation in Hawaii. They take this philosophy seriously and apply it to their Winery with equal success.
It was listening to, and valuing the input of, their customers that lead the Roberts to increase their varietals from 12 to 36. Customers would taste their wines, enjoy them, then say, “You know what you should do…?” Instead of brushing off their advice, the Roberts took it seriously. “If it’s what your customer wants, then it’s what your customer gets,” shares Kim Roberts.
As the business, and loyal customer base, grew, the Roberts began to notice another trend: people were saving their Westport Wines for “special” occasions. The Roberts wanted to teach their customers how to drink Westport wines and began offering culinary classes. These ultimately led to customers saying, “You know what you should do…open a restaurant!” And, true to their philosophy, the Roberts listened.
Today, Westport Winery offers its visitors a full Winery experience. Their tasting room offers 5 tastes for $5. You can choose any of their 36 varietals and if you purchase a bottle, the $5 is waived.
After you’ve had a few tastes, you can satisfy your sweet tooth at the on-site bakery, open 11-6 daily. Kim’s baked goods are famous and the bakery grew out of the restaurant patron’s love of the dessert menu. Again, when the customers asked, Kim and Blain listened, stocking the bakery with customer favorites including blueberry-lavender scones with lemon zest crumble and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a “Message In A Bottle” blackberry sauce and Chantilly cream. Mouth watering yet?
If it’s not yet dinner time, stroll through the extensive gardens on the Winery property. They have grown out of Kim Robert’s love of plants and cultivating beautiful spaces. Extensive labels help visitors identify the more unusual species and the onsite greenhouse and nursery include grapevines and specimen plants for purchase. Scattered among the gardens are a wide array of sculptures commissioned from local artists to reflect the seaside theme of the winery. The GrapeVine Maze, the Dune Gardens, and the many Gardens of the World displays ensure that visitors never lack for beauty.
It is amazing what the Roberts have accomplished in five years, taking their property from a tangle of Himalayan Blackberries to the jewel it is today. Kim Roberts explains, “When you stay clear on your guiding concepts, you have greater success and your life gets better.” And with a customer centered philosophy, all visitors to the winery benefit.
While Westport Winery clearly is a destination to be enjoyed and lingered over, it’s really the wines that are the stars. Their 36 varietals are all named with a nod to their seaside location such as Shorebird Chardonnay, Jetty Cat Red, and Lighthouse White. And each of their wines is an award winner – unprecedented for the age of the winery. It’s not just the wines winning awards, either. The Robert’s unwavering commitment to giving customers what they want has earned them the King 5 Best of the Northwest Award for Best Winery Tour in 2012 and Best Winery in 2010 as well as the very exciting 2011 “Winery to Watch” award from Wine Press NW. “This is the one that makes you say ‘Oh my goodness!’ when you get that call,” shares Roberts.
Whether you visit Westport Winery as an afternoon activity with the family or you are a serious wine connoisseur looking to stock your cellar, you will find what you are looking for when you head west towards the sea. And when you arrive, you’ll be welcomed by a family who is passionate about what they do and more importantly, who they are doing it for. “It seems like this is what we are meant to do,” says Kim.
Westport Winery
1 South Arbor Road
Aberdeen, WA 98520
360.648.2224
