Eric Dunham, a native to the Walla Walla area, grew up with a passion to make wine. Like in many European countries, wine was always on the dinner table as Eric grew up. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, and then graduating in 1994 with a focus on Irrigation Technology and Fluid Dynamics, he was faced with the question of what he wanted to do. The answer was simple..."To follow my passion," he said. And with that answer, he began his journey into the world of winemaking. He followed his desire and began a seven-month internship with Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington, where he was trained in all phases of winemaking.

Eric was employed by L'Ecole No. 41 winery in Lowden, Washington as the Assistant Winemaker, where he honed his skills under the tutelage of Marty Clubb. Eric's natural talent and passion for winemaking led him, in his spare time, to begin handcrafting small lots of premium Cabernet Sauvignon under the Dunham Cellars name. With an inaugural release in the fall of 1997 of the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I (200 cases), Eric's wine began creating quite a stir. This first release garnered several prestigious awards, including a Gold Medal and a 93 rating at the World Wine Championship. Encouraged by his success, Eric and his family decided to dedicate their full attention to the wines, and in the Spring of 1999, they went out on their own and opened the winery at the Walla Walla Regional Airport in a converted WWII airplane hangar.

Eric's focus and philosophy are the same today as they were when he first started to handcraft his ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah...use the best fruit sources possible and adopt a "minimalist" approach with regards to winemaking technique.

"Through extended maceration (cold soaking), gentle crushing, and even gentler pressing techniques, I believe that we create a wine that is both age-worthy, yet approachable now. Through gentle treatment in all phases of the winemaking process, my goal is to bring something to the bottle that you will enjoy, as well as produce something I am proud to put my family's name on." eric@dunhamcellars.com