There’s more than meets the eye when you look at bottles from distinguished Washington wineries Pursued by Bear, Dossier Wine Collective and Bledsoe Family Winery. At first glance, the labels tell stories of polished wines crafted from Walla Walla Valley grapes. Digging a little deeper, another story begins to unfold and the names behind the three following wineries may ring a bell — an actor, two retired NFL players — and prompt a trip to southeastern Washington.

While the wine industry wasn’t where the three following vintners made their names, each pairs their reverence for the craft and their Evergreen State roots to make some seriously good wine.

Pursued by Bear

“The story starts with the name,” recalled Kyle MacLachlan, proprietor of boutique Walla Walla winery Pursued by Bear.

Pursued by Bear — a reference to the famous Shakespeare stage direction “[exit, pursued by a bear]” — is a playful homage to MacLachlan’s Eastern Washington roots and his acting background. The actor has fond memories of helping his father garden on their property in Yakima Valley and today, the wine is still a reflection of the bond between father and son. “I wanted to know what it took to make good wine and wanted to be able to share it with my dad, to go on this journey together.”

MacLachlan, perhaps best known for his leading roles in the original “Dune” and Washington-set “Twin Peaks,” has been in the acting business since the ‘80s. He was inspired to step into the wine business a couple of decades later after meeting winemakers on a trip through California’s Napa Valley.

In 2005, MacLachlan released his first red blend: cabernet, merlot and a touch of syrah. Wine Spectator rated it a 91. “I was ecstatic,” he said. “It was the most impactful review on anything that I’d ever gotten.” Shortly after, he began working on his second wine, a syrah. 

What started as a winemaking hobby eventually brought the Yakima-born actor back to his home state to turn that love into a more serious pursuit. Nearly 20 years on, Pursued by Bear has added several vintages to its roster, including a “magic” chardonnay made in a lighter Burgundian style. Last year, MacLachlan’s team opened the winery’s first tasting room in downtown Walla Walla.

Today, he brings a true sense of joie de vivre to the worlds of acting and wine. From walking the vineyards, tasting the barrels, visiting the label printers and dropping by the winery’s tasting room events — MacLachlan is involved in every step of the process.

Each expertly crafted vintage allows the fruit-forward notes, beautiful structure and balance of Walla Walla wines to shine. Since the first vintage in 2008, Pursued by Bear has used grapes from the same two vineyards and the formula has remained mostly unchanged. 

Dossier Wine Collective

The brick walls and light-flooded space of Dossier’s tasting room in downtown Walla Walla invite visitors to sit back with a glass of wine and stay awhile. Fueled by a mutual love for wine, former Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice and real estate broker Tim Lenihan opened the doors of Dossier Wine Collective in February 2021. With a focus on crafting high-end, approachable vintages, the duo hopes to expand Washington wine’s national profile.

Although they first connected over real estate interests, their business pursuits evolved during COVID. Curious to learn more about Washington wine, Rice reached out to Lenihan, a former Walla Walla resident and avid Washington wine drinker. During COVID lockdowns, the two bonded over many evening glasses of wine, which fed Rice’s growing interest in the industry. 

“One night, a couple of bottles in, I said to Tim, ‘I would like to do a wine label with you someday,’” recalled Rice. “Tim’s eyes lit up.” 

Before long, the plans for Dossier were underway.

When asked if he would have envisioned becoming a vintner in his post-NFL career, Rice laughed, denying that he ever imagined being in the winemaking business. The biggest parallel between his two careers, Rice said, is working on a team that plays to each other’s strengths.

“It is an amazing feeling to taste the wines out of the barrel and know that you’ve done this and are building something with your friends from the ground up,” said Rice.

As a team, Rice and Lenihan both admit to having a particular taste for bold, Bordeaux-style cabernets. “But our winemaker also excels in making beautiful blends,” noted Lenihan. The industry seems to agree. Wine Enthusiast ranked Dossier’s 2021 Flagship Index Red Blend No. 38 in its Top 100 wines of 2023 list.

Through Dossier, Rice and Lenihan aim to create a community that makes the wine world more accessible to the average customer. “Wine can feel stuffy but we want wines to be something that everyone can be engaged with from a price point and place point,” said Lenihan. “We want people to feel included and part of something that is growing.” 

On that point, Dossier extends beyond simply producing high-quality wines that reflect the terroir of Walla Walla Valley. The duo hosts events — from lake house evenings to rooftop celebrations at Thompson Seattle’s The Nest — centered on showcasing their wines and encouraging people to come together. “We want people to relax, enjoy the moment, and put their worries aside for the day,” Lenihan said. 

Rice and Lenihan hope to eventually expand and open additional Dossier tasting rooms around the state. Plans for a Woodinville tasting room and an event space in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood are currently in the works. 

Bledsoe Wine Estates

“Growing up in a small town and going to live this big football life, and then getting to come back home, it’s important to me to do things the right way,” said Drew Bledsoe, who was a local legend as a Washington State University quarterback before going on to play for the New England Patriots.

While he may be more publicly known for his career as a football player, Bledsoe’s leading professional role over the last 15 years has been the owner of Bledsoe Wine Estates in Walla Walla, where he and his kids planted the winery’s first grapes.

Over his 13-year NFL career, Bledsoe and some of the other players hosted dinners with blind wine tastings. 

“Out of curiosity, I would put something from Walla Walla into the mix and almost every time, the Walla Walla wine would win,” he said. “I realized that my hometown was producing wines that could stand up against other wine regions.”  

After retiring from the NFL in 2006, Bledsoe returned to Eastern Washington and opened his first winery, Doubleback, the following year on the southern edge of the Walla Walla Valley. The winery was named after the idea that he “doubled back and returned home.” In the years that followed, Doubleback expanded into Bledsoe Wine Estates, which includes Doubleback’s acclaimed cabernet sauvignon and merlot, Bledsoe Family Winery’s accessible varietals and the Willamette Valley-based Bledsoe McDaniels’ pinot noir. 

Bledsoe’s upbringing in the Yakima Valley and his connection to the region have been pivotal in the development of his three wineries into something beyond a hobby. From participating in tasting trials to overseeing the business, Bledsoe is involved every step of the way. “I wanted to actually have a second act that was based on the ability to create something from the dirt,” he said.

Bledsoe has always leaned toward cabernets, the family winery’s primary focus, but he really can’t name one favorite. (“It’s like asking me to name a favorite kid, and I have four of them!”) 

Whether it be the syrah or the viognier, Bledsoe Wine Estates’ vintages are balanced and elegant. The wines are the business’s love letter to the land, reflecting the Walla Walla Valley’s unique geology, which creates distinct characteristics in the wine thanks to varying elevation and soil composition across Bledsoe’s five estate vineyards. 

“We try to showcase the specific vineyards we’ve been blessed with and to let the terroir and nature shine through,” Bledsoe said.

Alicia Erickson is a freelance journalist based between Seattle and East Africa. She covers everything from social justice and political movements to conservation and sustainability in the food and travel sectors.