Recipe for making a successful new local winery: Be passionate about quality winemaking; use grapes from some the State’s best vineyards; package the wine in a beautiful, eye-catching bottle; then give it an affordable price to entice people to try it.

And, of course, don’t forget to fill it with some really good wine.

Dynasty Cellars owner/winemaker Peter Osvaldik and his wife, Olga, have followed this formula for their first release with impressive results. Osvaldik sources his fruit from some of the best vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, including Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills, and gives his wine plenty of aging time in the barrel, allowing it to develop depth and character.

His initial release, the DC3 2006 Meritage Red Wine, is a blend of 65 percent cabernet, 30 percent merlot and 5 percent syrah. The wine is just hitting the market, and it’s a superb first effort.

Beautifully textured with layers of cherry and dark fruits, it also displays plenty of oak and a trace of chocolate on the finish. This is a big, well structured wine that will pair nicely with a beef entrée now and it promises to get even better with additional cellaring.

I also recently did a barrel tasting of Osvaldik’s 2007 vintages, including the three DC3 varietals as well as some malbec and zinfandel. The blending and release of most of these grapes should occur next year, and I can tell you up front that these are likely to result in some blockbuster wines that will be worth a follow up.

For now, you’ll have to be content with just the DC3, which is a must-buy at only $19.99 a bottle. Osvaldik estimates that there are about 120 cases still available for purchase, notably at Purple Smile Wines in Fairhaven and selected Haggen stores. You’ll also find it served at Giuseppe’s Restaurant on Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham.

Distribution is expected to increase over time, and you can contact the winery at (360) 758-7919 or at dynastycellars@qwestoffice.net for more information.