It is interesting when chance meetings turn into something larger and lasting. Such is the case with how I came to know Denise and Brett Isenhower of Isenhower Cellars.

About seven years ago, my wife and I were having breakfast at the Mill Creek Inn (now the Inn at Abeja) in Walla Walla when we found ourselves sitting next to Denise Isenhower. Denise and her husband Brett were in their second year with Isenhower Cellars making wine onsite at the Mill Creek Inn. Their winery is now located south of downtown Walla Walla on Pranger Road.

On the Saturday morning we met Denise, she and Brett were hosting family and friends for a weekend release party. After chatting a while, Denise asked if we would like to join them for their release dinner that evening. Unfortunately, we were headed back to Seattle, but we never forgot Denise's hospitality in extending an invitation to us, two strangers she met at breakfast.

A couple years after this chance meeting our paths crossed again, this time via my wife's parents who had moved to Walla Walla from the Puget Sound area to be closer to wine and better weather. My father-in-law, Bob, was looking around town for work in a tasting room and serendipitously came across Isenhowers Cellars. After meeting Brett and Denise, he ended up getting hired as their tasting room manager.

Thus began a friendship between the Isenhowers and my in-laws that eventually extended to my wife and me, and later to my brother-in-law, Brent, who is now an assistant winemaker at Isenhower Cellars.

Today, we count Brett and Denise as good friends, with our families enjoying a closeness that makes visiting Walla Walla that much more special. For purposes of full disclosure, my relationship with the Isenhowers is a friendship. I have no financial interest or otherwise in their winery business nor do I receive anything from Isenhower Cellars by profiling their winery on this blog.

Even still, I do feel indebted to Brett and Denise for teaching me a ton about wine in general and winemaking in particular. Were it not for them, I probably would not be as close to Washington state wine as I am today, especially the wine scene in the Walla Walla Valley.

So, it was with this blog in mind that I approached Brett and Denise last winter about creating several wine videos, gratis, to share the Isenhower Cellars story with others online. The result is three video features: An Introduction to Isenhower Cellars, A Day at Isenhower Cellars and Bottling Day at Isenhower Cellars. If you've ever been curious about what goes on beyond the tasting room or during a bottling run, then watch these videos for an insider's view.

Like others before me, I hope to produce more of these videos in the coming months showcasing various wineries in the Pacific Northwest. Especially those similar to Isenhower Cellars, who as you'll see in the videos, distinguish themselves by going beyond the bottle to connect folks to their wines.

I hope you enjoy these videos and encourage you to provide feedback on this new approach in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I also highly recommend you visit Isenhower Cellars on your next visit to Walla Walla. They will definitely provide a winery experience that goes beyond the bottle. Enjoy the show!