Dakota Creek Winery Opening in 2007

Update: All of the 2005 vintage wines listed below are now available for sale. You can find them at Purple Smile Wines and Gateway Wines in Bellingham and Northern Meadows in Blaine. For more details about the winery and contact information, visit www.dakotacreekwinery.com.

Original Post From September, 2006: If you live in Whatcom County, Washington and enjoy wine, the opening of a new winery is welcome news. And the word I have is that Ken Peck and his wife, Jill, are tentatively set to open Dakota Creek Winery, located near Blaine, sometime in 2007.

I had the good fortune to participate in an advance tasting of their wines. My feeling is that they’re drinking well right now and they have the potential to be really, really good. Of course the jury is still out on the final product, but for a winery in it’s first year of operation, the Peck’s meticulous attention to detail is beginning to show in their wines – even though most of them will still be in the barrel for several more months.

Releases slated for next year include an oaked and an unoaked Chardonnay, a Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. All are 2005 vintages with the grapes coming from Elephant Mountain Vineyards in the Yakima Valley. Prices for all of the releases are expected to be under $20 a bottle each.