How Wine Changed Our Life (and the Way We Farm)

A personal story of how wine shaped our life, our farm, and how you can enjoy a Chardonnay tasting adventure at home—with Lagrioth and beyond!

by Chad Steiner

As I sit to write this blog post, we’re at a crossroads of seasons—spring giving way to summer. It’s the time of year when we start seeing familiar and new faces return to the farm. So I thought I’d share a story. Not just “why are we doing this?”—though that’s always good to reflect on—but why we’ve chosen this path of wine and regenerative farming.

A Little Background

Jeana grew up in Sumner/Bonney Lake. She loved animals, was a star student, a Daffodil Queen, and an FFA leader and National Finalist—on track to become a veterinarian at WSU. But a love for helping people led her to pharmacy instead. She earned her PharmD at WSU and spent 15+ years in the field, all while diving into wine courses at UC Davis and WSU, plus internships at Bogle and M2.

Chad (me) grew up around Sumner too—31 homes by age 18. One of my first memories is sitting in a pasture, dreaming of a farm with a big barn where I could grow food for people. I wasn’t the best student, but I followed friends into WSU, earned a degree in Ag Economics and a Master’s in Crop Science. That led to work at Ste. Michelle and then a Big Ag career in sales and marketing around the U.S. and world.

Why a Wine Journey?

Jeana: “After we moved to North Carolina, I realized how good Washington wine really is. Some wines at local events there were nearly undrinkable. I was so thankful for friends who shared wines like L’Ecole, Woodward Canyon, and Leonetti.”

Chad: I remember my first wine purchase while working at Ste. Michelle—two Chardonnays, one Grand Estates and one labeled “Chateau Ste. Michelle.” Both around $10. Before that, my only wine experience was seeing Boons Farm stain the snow in Pullman. Tasting those wines sparked my analytical brain—it became a never-ending adventure.

Wine is such an accessible form of exploration. The same grape grown side-by-side can yield very different wines. Tasting and sharing those differences brings people together in the best way.

How to Host a Chardonnay Tasting Night

Here’s a fun way to learn and share—without needing your own vineyard.

1. Pick 2–3 bottles of Chardonnay
   If you’re near Seattle, check out Leschi Market or Total Wine.
2. Choose different styles and origins
   – Find a stainless steel-fermented Chardonnay (light and crisp).
   – Grab a bottle of Chablis from France (also Chardonnay, but different style, find some William Fevre).
   – Find one that’s barrel fermented and aged—your richer, creamier version.
3. Invite friends to each bring a bottle and enjoy the evening.
   Even if it’s not Chardonnay, this is a fun and affordable way to learn and connect.

Pro Tip: Try our lineup—2024 Naked Chardonnay, 2024 Estate Chardonnay, and 2023 Riverview Chardonnay—or make it a Lake Chelan AVA showdown with wines from, Lagrioth, Hard Row to Hoe, Amos Rome, Tipsy Canyon, and Tildio.

Regenerative Farming: What It Means to Us

If there are two things I hope you take away, it’s this:

1. We can improve our soil and capture carbon.
2. Our food (and wine) can become more nutrient dense.

Jeana’s care for people fuels this approach—she believes deeply that food is medicine. For me, after decades in conventional ag, regenerative farming opened my eyes. Now we farm as a way to learn and share. Our vision is for this farm to be a classroom—a place where people connect over great wine and a better way of farming.

What does regenerative mean for us?
– We spray only organic inputs
– We avoid tilling our soil
– We graze our sheep in rotation
– We care for the people who work with us

It’s a choice we’ve made—and it’s bringing our farm to life.

Final Thoughts

Wine is fun. Sharing it with people you love is even better. But ultimately, the wine has to be good for you to enjoy it. That’s our job. We know regenerative farming is gaining awareness, but understanding still lags behind. If we make great wine while farming in a better way, maybe we’ve done something meaningful.

As Malcolm Gladwell says, mastery takes 10,000 hours. With wine, we could spend 20,000 and still feel like we’re just getting started.

And in the words of the Most Interesting Man (Lagrioth version):

“I may not always drink wine, but when I do, I drink Lagrioth. Stay thirsty, my friends.”

Cheers,