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Five Star Cellars
WALLA WALLA
For some, retirement might mean more tee times. But, for Five Star Cellars'
David Huse, it watered the seed of a winemaking passion. He had always
enjoyed wine, so when he began helping out at another Walla Walla Valley
winery in 1999, it was only one short year before he decided to start his own.
His first vintage of 120 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon soon followed. In 2001,
production increased, doubling the Cabernet and adding the same amount of
Merlot. David began to realize that he needed a dedicated space to continue
indulging his passion.
In August 2002, remodeling began at what now is the current site of Five Star
Cellars. And, shortly thereafter in September, the first crush occurred at the
winery, with the tasting room opening in December of that year.
As production continued to increase and Syrah was also added to the mix,
David's son, Matt, began to take the reigns as winemaker, thus continuing
the tradition of the family-fun business and allowing David to concentrate
on marketing and distribution. The Five Star team has grown to now include
Matt's wife, Traci, who manages the Wine Club and office operations. In 2010,
Cameron Rushton joined as the Assistant Winemaker.
As for the name of the winery, well, it was selected to fulfill both David
and Matt's ongoing dedication to producing "five star" quality red wines—
including not only Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet but also Malbec, Semillon, and
Sangiovese—that are at the peak of excellence and class.
FACING PAGE: Traci Huse, Wine Club Manager; Matt Huse,
Winemaker; Cameron Rushton, Assistant Winemaker.
TOP LEFT: Enjoy the mural by Jeff Hill on the front of the Five
Star tasting room.
TOP RIGHT: Many of our wines at our tasting room can be
purchased in different sized bottles.
Photographs by Dakotah Fryatt
