Winemaking
David Forsyth, Winemaker, Mercer Estates
Winemaker David Forsyth grew up in the Columbia Valley and spent twenty-three years making wine and building The Hogue Cellars before taking over winemaking responsibilities at Mercer Estates. David believes in a "vineyard-centric approach" and works closely with individual vineyard managers to elevate their sites and let the grapes achieve a natural expression of terroir reinforced by a non-interventionist philosophy of winemaking. Years of experience exploring the unique appellations and microclimates of Columbia Valley have enabled him to forge invaluable relationships with the premier vineyard managers in the region.
David has embraced his transition from a staff of forty-five, producing over 500,000 cases a year at The Hogue Cellars to a staff of three in the Mercer Estates cellar. On an average day, David is at work in the cellar tasting the wines but also dragging hoses, filling barrels, and cleaning tanks with his team. In David's words, "I missed the simplicity of family winemaking, and am in a unique position to be part of the Mercer Estates experience from the ground up. Great winemaking encompasses every decision you make from vineyard to bottle, however small in scope. When you're more hands on you can influence every part of the process personally to make the subtle decisions that define quality".
Today David works with a smaller group of vineyard managers and spends considerably more time in the vineyards. He has experienced the emergence of many new wineries and vineyard plantings over the past ten years; this privileged perspective gives him a deep understanding of which grapes grow best in each appellation.
A former member of the U.S. Skydiving team as well as an experienced skier, David is not afraid to take risks, but he also recognizes that patience, perseverance and experience are critical to success. "I'm always trying to express what makes my wines unique and different," he shares. "My wines emphasize a natural fruit character and their terroir, the elements that come from careful stewardship of the vines and care in the cellar, not from a complexity we impose on the grape."
