DeLille Cellars, a Bordeaux-inspired winery with a rich history of blending fruit from Washington State’s iconic vineyards, announced two significant promotions within its winemaking team. Nick Bernstein, former Assistant Winemaker, has been promoted to Winemaker, and Mari Rossi, former Enologist, has been promoted to Assistant Winemaker, both under the direction of Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Jason Gorski. These promotions come after the winery’s first harvest in its new home at the former Redhook Brewery site in Woodinville, now called Hollywood Station.
“I’m honored and excited for the opportunity. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of such a great family at DeLille and look forward to continuing to help craft delicious wines and working with the world-class growers and vineyards we source from,” says Bernstein.
“I look forward to my next chapter here at DeLille as the new Assistant Winemaker. The quality of fruit that we receive and the people I work with everyday make this journey so rewarding, and with our new tasting room opening up at Hollywood Station it feels like the possibilities are endless,” adds Rossi.
Bernstein and Rossi have been instrumental to the winery’s growth and acclaim. Prior to joining DeLille in 2012, Bernstein acquired his B.S. in Biology from the University of Washington and then travelled the world working harvests from Walla Walla to Sonoma and New Zealand. Mari started at DeLille in 2014 after receiving a degree in Viticulture and Enology from Cornell University and working harvests in Sonoma, Napa and New Zealand before landing in Woodinville.
During Bernstein and Rossi’s time at DeLille, the winery has received three consecutive Wine & Spirits ‘Top 100 Wineries of the World’ awards (in 2017, 2018 and 2019), as well as a coveted position on the Wine Spectator Top 100 in 2018 with the winery’s 2015 Signature Syrah. In early 2020, the winery topped 600 individual 90+ ratings from top international wine critics since its founding in 1992.
“Nick and Mari have been integral to the success of the winery, improving wine quality while supporting the growth of the brand and construction of our new facilities at Hollywood Station. These promotions bring their titles in line with their responsibilities and recognize their immense contributions to DeLille Cellars,” says Jason Gorski.
DeLille Cellars moved its winemaking operations to the old Redhook facility in January of 2019. The company recently opened its three-story retail tower in December 2019, which features seated tastings as well as elevated experiences such as library tastings and food and wine pairings. The tasting room connects to the winemaking facility, where guests can peek into the barrel room to see the French oak barrels that are integral to DeLille’s traditional winemaking approach and philosophy.
