“It’s been a fun run,” says McClellan, who founded Seven Hills with his wife Vicky in 1988 as the valley’s fifth winery. “It’s been constant growth, constant hard work.”
Seven Hills Winery and the McClellan family have played integral roles in establishing Walla Walla Valley as a premier wine region. In addition to the winery’s success, Casey worked with his father, James, and Herb Hendricks to establish the valley’s first commercial vineyard in 1982.
“A lot has changed,” McClellan says. “We've gone from five wineries to over 100 [wineries] and 3,000 acres of vineyards now. It does not look like the same place.”
“I think if we would have been willing to bend the style more dramatically, it would have been a more market-friendly approach, but we really wanted to stand for something in wine, and we did. We stayed the course,” McClellan says.
New winemaker Bobby Richards is a Northwest native who became interested in fermentation science in college. After graduating with a degree in forest management from Oregon State University, he spent two harvests at Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, Oregon and went on to become a cellar hand at Tranche Cellars in Walla Walla. Richards subsequently worked a harvest at Seven Hills Winery in 2013. He was eventually hired on full-time and worked his way up to associate winemaker.
“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Richards says. “I want to stay true to what Seven Hills is, showcasing the unique terroir that we have here in Walla Walla. I want to keep crafting wines that are food friendly [and] ageable, with nice balance, without oak overshadowing the fruit.”
“There’s a changing of the guard here in Walla Walla,” says Richards. “We have these pioneers that are now retiring, and that have raised a family here, created this community such that there's opportunity for people like me to continue in this family-oriented business and community that Walla Walla has.”
While stepping aside from full-time work, McClellan will continue to consult for Seven Hills.
“I’ll be there for Bobby when he has a question about how things historically worked and try to be helpful in the way of maintaining continuity stylistically,” says McClellan. “But I have every confidence in Bobby.”
Images courtesy of Crimson Wine Group.
I have known Casey as a medical colleague, and as an outstanding winemaker in the Valley for many years. Casey’s wines have always been among my favorites and occupy a select corner in my cellar. Casey has taught me much about wine and wine making over the years. It is a bittersweet moment now to congratulate him on his well-earned retirement. Congratulations, Casey!
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