“Twenty Six Years
of Schooling
Keeps L’Ecole Wines at the Head of the Class”
By
Christina Kelly
Avalon Editor/Writer
Before taking over L’Ecole No. 41 Winery
in Walla Walla 20 years ago, Marty and Megan Clubb held big corporate
jobs in the Bay area, made tons of money, and spent most of their lives
on airplanes.
They were far removed from the bucolic atmosphere
of Walla Walla and the Blue Mountains, where Megan’s parents,
Jean and Baker Ferguson began L’Ecole in the basement of an old
1915 schoolhouse just east of town. They started the winery in 1983
after years in the banking business.
The Clubb’s were tired of being on the
road and knew if they ever wanted to have a family life, a career and
lifestyle change was in order. By 1988, they had two small children,
Riley, 2, and Rebecca who was born that year.
“You can’t raise babies on airplanes,” said
Clubb. “I knew in December of 1988 that my wife wanted to return
to Walla Walla. Having a family life was the motivating factor in our
move.”
The Ferguson’s offered to have their daughter
and son-in-law move to Walla Walla to take over the winery. Both were
getting on in years and needed help if the winery was to stay afloat.
It turned out that Walla Walla was a fabulous
place to raise children. As Marty and Megan took over L’Ecole,
the winery grew upward and steady, a bit like the Clubb children. From
1,000 cases in the early 1980s to the 25,000 cases today, Clubb watched
his wine move from solid, simple Merlot and Semillon to towering, gorgeous,
high-scoring Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Semillon. The couple
also produces Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and two Bordeaux blends.
The steady growth is sometimes hard to see on
a daily basis. It just happens. One day, you turn around and your storage
area is full, more people are working for you, and you manage more
and more land. Clubb took over an operation that was “under water
and losing money,” and turned it into one of Washington’s
finest wineries.
But the operation is a bit like raising children.
Clubb said one day you turn around and suddenly notice your kids have
grown inches and one is about ready to walk out the door and start
his own life.
Another measurement of growth: 8-year-old Ryan
Campbell, (one of the Ferguson’s grandsons) who designed the
old schoolhouse label with a crayon in a family contest, is now in
his late 20s and can actually drink the wine that carries his design.
“ Time has a way of passing out here,” Clubb remarked with a grin.
The original painting by Ryan Campbell,
made 20 years ago-
it's on display in the L'Ecole Tasting Room
Images from L'Ecole No. 41 Today
Original bookshelves, books, and floors,
contemporaneous furniture- some from the school when it was in use
Marty Chubb and Christina Kelly in the tasting room,
original large windows and bookshelves in background
L'Ecole's friendly tasting room personnel
answer questions about the winery and the school
The Wines
Although Clubb sources fruit from both the Walla
Walla and Columbia valleys, he is obtaining the purest expressions
from two vineyards in Walla Walla—Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills
vineyard. Many of his wines showcase both vineyards.
L’Ecole produces three different Semillons
(barrel fermented, single vineyard from Walla Walla and a single vineyard
from the Columbia Valley), three Merlots (Columbia Valley, Walla Walla
and single vineyard), one Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, two Cabernet
Sauvignons (Walla Walla and Columbia Valley) one Syrah from Seven Hills
(another one next year from the Columbia Valley) and two Bordeaux blends
(one Apogee from Pepper Bridge and a new one from Seven Hills, to be
released next year).
Out of the 13-14 varietals, Clubb said only about
seven or eight are actually circulating widely in the marketplace.
Some are sold mostly in restaurants or at the L’Ecole tasting
room.
New Bordeaux Blend from Seven Hills
At
a time when wineries are scaling down operations due to a sluggish
economy, Clubb is adding one more wine to his portfolio—a Bordeaux
blend from Seven Hills Vineyard. He already produces Apogee, a Bordeaux-style
blend from Pepper Bridge. He will likely stop producing one of the
Merlots to keep the varietals at the same level.
Although he doesn’t have a name for the
new blend, he is considering calling it perigee. Apogee is the furthest
point from the earth; perigee is the closest point to the earth.
“We thought it would be a crime to not
show off what we could do in the Seven Hills Vineyard or the Pepper
Bridge Vineyard,” Clubb said. “Seven Hills tends to be
a little spicier, more feminine and elegant. The wines tend to be showier
at a younger age.
“Pepper Bridge is weightier, with more
tannins. It produces a bolder wine that ages well.”
This is the winery’s 20th anniversary.
Baker Ferguson, 86, is completely retired. Megan Clubb runs his business,
the Baker-Boyer Bank, the oldest bank in Washington. Jean passed away
in 1998 but her image and presence at the winery is still felt.
For now, Clubb says the winery is right where
it should be.
“We can maintain our quality, even though
we are producing 25,000 cases of wine per year,” Club said. “We
still use small bins, punch downs and gently handle everything from
start to finish.”
His goal is to produce more wine from estate
vineyards (he is a partner in the Seven Hills Vineyard with Gary Figgins
of Leonetti and Norm McKibben from Pepper Bridge). About 40 percent
of L’Ecole’s production comes from Seven Hills. The Columbia
Valley line of L’Ecole tends to be less expensive. The majority
of L’Ecole wine is sold in the Northwest.
Steady, consistent and high quality—characteristics
helpful in raising children and producing wine. You just don’t
always notice, on a day-to-day basis, the growth spurts.
“Woodward Canyon
and L’Ecole Wineries
Side-by-Side in Location, History”
Rick Small, age 10 |
By Christina Kelly
Avalon Editor/Writer
It was the days of one- and two-room schoolhouses,
coon-skin hats and hula-hoops.
Rock ‘n Roll, a blend of Southern blues and gospel
music, filtered out of transistor radios, during the 1950s, appealing
to teenagers looking to break out of mainstream music and fuel a growing
gap between teens and parents. The baby boomers were emerging.
It was also a time of sandlot baseball, when kids
begged the local hardware store to pay for uniforms since the local
school districts earmarked funds only for reading, writing and arithmetic.
In the Walla Walla area, the two-room schoolhouse
was public school number 41 located in Lowden, WA, which now houses L’Ecole
No. 41 Winery. Across a field stood the teachers’ apartment
during the 1950s. The two teachers walked across the sandlot to teach
first through sixth grades. It is now Woodward Canyon Winery.
Read
the rest of the article...........
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