People

As a young man growing up in Greene, Iowa, David Merfeld never guessed he’d one day become a winemaker crafting world-class Merlots in Walla Walla, Washington. Since joining the Northstar winemaking team in 2001 he has done just that, learning the ropes as an enologist and assistant winemaker before becoming the winery’s winemaker in 2005.

“It’s incredibly exciting for me to see the way these wines take shape and grow into what they eventually become – a great experience in the glass.”

“Merf,” as he is known to all, began his journey towards Northstar in 1990 when, impressed by the quality of the Northwest’s microbreweries, he relocated to Washington to pursue a career in craft brewing. When the opportunity arose to apply his knowledge of fermentation science to making wine at Northstar, he jumped at the chance to become involved in the burgeoning Washington wine industry.

“Washington is one of the most exciting wine regions in the world, and Washington Merlot is the purest expression of our unique terroir,” says Merf. “When I got the offer to make Merlots at Northstar, no one had to ask me twice.”

Northstar’s commitment to making Merlots that rank among the world’s best begins in the vineyards. Merf quickly proved to have an expert’s eye for sourcing and blending the highest quality fruit from around the Columbia Valley.

“Merf has what all great winemakers must have: a sixth sense about grape selection and exacting standards when blending the best of the best from the vineyards,” said legendary California winemaker Jed Steele, a Northstar consultant who has worked with Merf since 2001.

Once fruit is selected from the state’s top vineyard blocks, Merf and his team guide it through a gentle sorting and whole-berry fermentation. Then the toolbox comes out. State-of-the-art winery equipment, cutting edge tannin research, and old-fashioned instinct all aid Merf in creating the final blends of Northstar’s highly acclaimed Merlots from both the Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley designations.

“Winemaking is a constant learning experience and the vineyards, lab, and equipment resources we are fortunate to have at Northstar give us a great advantage in making the kinds of wines we strive for.” says Merf.

For some, the route to a career in winemaking comes through an interest in chemistry or agriculture. Northstar enologist Noah Reed’s path to wine began not in a lab or vineyard, but in a college dorm room.

“I feel very lucky to be working at Northstar, where not only do I get to work with the best fruit in the state, if not the world, we also have a cellar with some of the best tools available to make great wine.”

“I was studying philosophy at the University of Redlands in Southern California,” recalls Reed. “My study partner’s father was a winemaker and we drank some great wines during those study sessions! After I graduated, winemaking seemed like a natural progression.”

A Washington native, Reed returned to the Northwest and was part of the second graduating class in the winemaking program at Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology and Viticulture. While studying, he interned at several Walla Walla wineries, and in the spring of 2006 accepted an intership abroad in Australia.

“My time in Australia gave me a good perspective on how different styles of wine are made,” said Reed. “It gave me the ability to work with several varietals grown in a similar climate to Washington, which I then could bring back and apply to wines here.”

Reed returned to Walla Walla in fall 2006, and began working in Northstar’s cellar during harvest that year. He became the winery’s enologist in 2007, and works closely with Northstar winemaker David “Merf” Merfeld on the production of the winery’s acclaimed Merlots and varietals.

“Merf and I spend each day working to make wines that are the best they can possibly be,” says Reed, who runs Northstar’s cutting-edge lab, among other things. “We are constantly tasting to improve the wine any way we can.”

“I feel very lucky to be working at Northstar, where not only do I get to work with the best fruit in the state, if not the world, we also have a cellar with some of the best tools available to make great wine.”

For Reed, who enjoys a wide variety of activities including traveling, playing soccer and golf, and snowboarding in his spare time, the variety of vineyard sites, vintage conditions, and varietals is one of the most exciting things about working at Northstar. “There is something new to learn every vintage, I never get bored!”