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87 TruthTeller Winery WOODINVILLE Chris and Dawn Loeliger are the first to admit that they created TruthTeller after years of practice drinking wine. It was their last name, Loeliger, that served as the inspiration behind the label, though. It's Swiss and roughly translates to "village jester"—an entertainer who tells the truth through comedy. Humor and honesty; it's a perfect balance—just like their wine. A joyful sense of fun has always been behind Chris and Dawn's wine journey. They laugh when recalling their much younger days in Dallas, Texas, when they even went so far as to "research" what wines tasted best in their aluminum camping cups. But, what else could one expect from Chris, an aerospace engineer with an entrepreneurial, adventurous heart that took him from Tokyo, to the Peace Corps, to home renovation and real estate, to wine. As for Dawn, her impressive business acumen includes strategy, marketing, sales, consulting, and innovation development. Talk about a power couple. Now, the winery has become even more of a family affair, with the addition of Dawn's son, Keith, as an assistant winemaker and tasting room manager for the Woodinville location. Even younger brother Andrew gets in on the fun by creating many of the sly wine names that hint at the winery's "jester" roots. However, this family pulls no punches when it comes to the quality of their bottles, including Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and various Bordeaux blends. They know all too well that wine always tells the truth—the truth of the terroir, the stewardship and skill of the vineyard managers, and the craftsmanship of the winemaker. LEFT Owners, winemakers, business managers, and almost every other job. In this family owned and operated winery, these three do it all. ABOVE LEFT: TruthTeller's award-winning reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, The Confidante, in the Woodinville tasting room. ABOVE RIGHT: Bottling day for Quip, TruthTeller's newest offering and their first Rosé. Photographs by Richard Duval

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