TRADITION MEETS HIGH TECH

If you marry tradition and age-old methods for winemaking with cutting-edge technology in the vineyards and in the winery, the result is the newest addition to the wine scene in Woodinville - Novelty Hill-Januik Winery, a collaboration of two worlds under one roof.

Novelty Hill Winery and Januik Winery share the same winemaker - Mike Januik. Januik was Chateau Ste. Michelle's winemaker for nearly 10 years, during the time when the wines saw increased acclaim by wine critics. He left Chateau Ste. Michelle in 1999 to start his own winery and produce handcrafted wines on a much smaller scale.

Long-time Pacific Northwest residents Tom Alberg and his wife, Judi Beck, founded Novelty Hill in 2000. Alberg has backed some of the area's hottest high-tech start-ups and serves as director for some of his Madrona Venture Group's portfolio companies, including Impinj, Wireless Services and Mercent.

Alberg and Januik met in 1999 at a dinner party, where Januik discovered the Alberg family had land in eastern Washington near Royal City with a south-facing slope, perfect for growing grapes. That land later became Stillwater Creek Vineyard. "When Mike came out to look at the land, he urged us to plant vines and even offered to make the wines for us," says Alberg. "I was interested, because this could become a real family business - our own company."

Alberg was surprised when he learned that many wineries use the latest technology both in the vineyard and in the process of winemaking without interfering with some of the traditional methods. Januik says he never shies away from high tech, but uses it when it makes a difference without affecting the quality of his wines.

"There is great value in using tradition where it makes sense and technology where it can best be applied in winemaking," Januik says. "A great deal of winemaking is intuitive and involves instinct. For good winemakers, that has not changed and technology has little impact." The highest impact of modern technology is to help take the guessing out of the vineyards and provide the most modern methods to ensure the quality of wines stored in the winery. Wineries often face humidity problems, mold and bacteria growth that can ultimately invade and influence the flavors of wine. Januik says the winery uses gravity to rack wine barrels, but in the new winery building, they have a new dry-fog humidifier that eliminates moisture in the building and maintains temperatures in fermentation tanks. In the vineyards, neutron probes measure soil moisture, composition and nutrients, along with software tools with analytics that work in conjunction with a winemaker's "gut."

The new winery opened in June, displaying a contemporary design that celebrates wine's agrarian roots and the artistry of fine winemaking. Guest amenities include a tasting bar, private meeting rooms, beautiful and colorful gardens, a demonstration kitchen, an in-house culinary team, a wood-fired pizza oven and a bocce ball court. The winery looks like a charming old Tuscan villa that's channeling Microsoft.

Despite the modern conveniences at the winery, the bottom line for both Alberg and Januik is the wine. Januik is among the top award-winning winemakers in Washington - and beyond. Wine Spectator has placed 10 of his wines on its "Top 100" list. Wine Enthusiast called him one of the world's 10 "Masters of Merlot." There are both similarities in Novelty Hill and Januik wines and differences. Most notably, Alberg's direction to Januik was to create a little more Old World style with the Novelty Hill wines, principally using the family's estate vineyards from Stillwater Creek. For his own wines, Januik sources fruit from some of the best vineyards in the state, including Stillwater Creek, and blends them accordingly. The common thread between both wineries is attention to detail.