Camaraderie Cellars is owned by Don and Vicki
Corson who have made the Olympic Peninsula their home since 1990.
Making wine in Port Angeles does seem a bit out of the ordinary
since it is located on the "wet" west side of the Cascade Mountains
and the grapes are from vineyards on the "dry" east side. Although
the winery is some distance from the grapes, ocean breezes from the
Strait of Juan de Fuca make the Olympic Peninsula an ideal place for
making wine. They are fortunate to have long-term relationships with
Fred Artz at Artz Vineyards on Red Mountain, and Paul Champoux at
Mercer Ranch. These vineyards are regularly mentioned as among
Washington's best, a tribute to Fred and Paul's passion for
excellence, a passion Camaraderie Cellars happens to share. Don
Corson has been making wine since 1981 when he started with 100
pounds of Eastern Washington grapes and made his first Cabernet
Sauvignon and in 1992 Don and his wife Vicki formed Camaraderie
Cellars with a combination of hope, a small new building, great
vineyard connections and a family philosophy that the best things in
life are meant to be shared. Don's passion for winemaking stems from
a multigenerational passion for good food. Family enjoyment of fruit
and the tradition of canning the harvest's bounty evolved with Don
to preserve the essence of the vineyard's crop in a different form -
the bottle! Don believes that nothing is better than a good meal
with good wine and good friends to share it with. Sharing life's
best is captured in the name of the winery he and Vicki chose,
"Camaraderie" and the name of their flagship wine "Grâce".
Camaraderie focuses on friends and sharing that goes deeper than
just a good time together. "Grâce", in the French means thanks and
blessing, elegance and charm, concepts that go beyond a label and
represent a generous spirit, a way of doing things, and values that
should be at the table and in life.
office (206)
332-1995