Just a word or two about our Washington Winery: Sous Sol Winery

Did you know that we have a Winery?

Chances are if you have been following Delicatus for very long, have been to one of our Dinners or have had a glass of wine at our restaurant you have experienced Sous Sol Winery.  Sous Sol was started by a group of friends over 12 years ago on a whim as myself and future Delicatus partner Derek Shankland were looking to source old wine barrels for a restaurant concept built around a custom chair.  It was harvest season in Columbia Valley and at the time we all worked in a high end restaurant in downtown Seattle which allowed us the privilege of meeting a number of Washington winemakers.  We capitalized on those connections in search of old wine barrels while also tasting a whole lot of wine but across the board as we visited each winemaker we would be asked “What are you putting in these barrels?”.  Sheepishly we confessed we intended to build a custom chair but for some, Derek Shankland being one the idea of making wine was a dream.  Derek had worked a harvest season in France and had a passion and palate that would inevitably lead to him becoming a winemaker but at that time we were definitely winging it!   So we bought a little over a ton of Sangiovese grapes and so began a labor of love that started in a tiny basement in South Seattle.

Fast forward to 2020 and that hobby has become a small, independent winery with Derek Shankland developing that passion and palate into a wine making style rooted in the Old World while elevating the natural expressions of the vineyards we source.  We identified 2020 as a dynamic, changing year for both Delicatus and Sous Sol Winery with the expectation of growing both into strong, exciting contributions to the food and wine industries.  Like you, 2020 has proved to be a wild, crazy and unpredictable mayhem of events but like you, we must push forward and find the rainbow through the clouds.  To that end we have found that for us the “Gift” of 2020 has been the incredibly powerful, vibrant and supportive communities we have been fortunate to be a part of both in our personal and professional lives.  Community has always been a foundational principle for Derek and myself and to be quite frank, without those communities we would not be in business.  It is to that end that I wanted to make you aware of Sous Sol Winery and our Cellar Club options.  I also wanted to express a heartfelt Thank You for the literally countless people within the Delicatus community who have taken the time to unwittingly remind me of just how many of you truly feel connected to what we are trying to do.  With that being said, I humbly invite you all to take a moment to explore Sous Sol Winery and consider joining one of our Cellar Clubs or simply pick up some fantastic juice!

Sincerely,
Mike Klotz