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Live VinePair Podcast Recording with Kyle MacLachlan of Pursued by Bear Wine and Dan Wampfler of Pursued by Bear and Abeja
Wednesday, June 24th, 9:00pm ET
Join VinePair Podcast hosts Adam Teeter and Zach Geballe for a live recording of the VinePair podcast with award winning actor Kyle MacLachlan to talk all things wine and beverage. Hailing from the Yakima Valley of Washington State, MacLachlan became interested in wine in the 1980s while pursuing his acting career in LA. After several trips back to the Yakima Valley and a little encouragement from friends in Napa Valley, he decided to open Pursued By Bear in the Valley he used to call home.
VinePair named Pursued By Bear’s Blushing Bear the seventh best rosé wine in America in 2018. MacLachlan will be joined on the podcast by his winemaker Dan Wampfler who also is the winemaker at Abeja.
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Kyle MacLachlan
Acclaimed actor Kyle MacLachlan has brought indelible charm and a quirky sophistication to some of film and television’s most memorable roles. Since 2005, MacLachlan has channeled his strong interest in the world of wine into a second, equally satisfying professional pursuit. A native of Yakima, Wash., located in the heart of the Columbia Valley wine appellation MacLachlan has produced three highly-rated Columbia Valley wines: Pursued by Bear Cabernet Sauvignon, Baby Bear Syrah and his most recent, Blushing Bear Rosé. What began as an unabashed love for his home state and a desire to stay connected to his family roots has become a true passion and dedication to the craft of winemaking. MacLachlan has be- come an advocate and evangelist for the unique properties and flavor profile of Washington state wines. He is personally involved in every aspect of Pursued by Bear wines. MacLachlan sees a connection between acting and winemaking in terms of the combination and balance of process, patience and creativity. He chose to call his wine Pursued by Bear as an homage to perhaps the most famous of all stage directions, “exit, pursued by bear,” from Act III, scene iii of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.
Daniel Wampfler
Winemaking is an intricate amalgamation of science and art that requires both a head and heart for the job, and Abeja’s Daniel Wampfler understands the dance between the two as well as anyone in the business. With a mind for chemistry that allowed him to develop technical skills at an early age, Dan honed his heart for the craft in the vineyards and cellars of Eastern Washington. Born and raised in the Midwest, Dan’s dad encouraged his son’s aptitude for science. The two of them began brewing beer together while Dan was still in high school, piquing an interest in fermentation science. Dan attended Michigan State University with plans to study chemistry but soon began to wonder if a career in a white lab coat suited him. A chance meeting with a professor leading wine grape research at Michigan State led to his decision to study enology. Following graduation, Dan joined Ste. Michelle Wine Estates as a research enologist. In 2006, the company promoted him to assistant winemaker at Columbia Crest. Then came an unexpected call in 2008 from Walla Walla’s Mike Dunham inviting him to lead winemaking at the family-owned operation. During his eight years as winemaker there, Dan worked alongside the winery’s growers and managed all aspects of winemaking for both Dunham Cellars and actor Kyle MacLachlan’s Pursued by Bear, while also serving as Commissioner for the Washington Wine Commission from 2012-2018.
