Mark Ryan Winery

What’s in a name? By any other name, a wine would taste just as good, to paraphrase a guy in England a few centuries back. Nevertheless, to WineTrail enthusiasts a name is very important, because it represents a certain attention to detail. Carefully chosen names can be a good barometer for gauging how carefully the winemaker has considered every step of the winemaking process, from selecting the growers to choosing the perfect yeast. Thus, when you hear the names of Mark Ryan wines, we suspect that you will want to sample the whole lot. And what names they are! With names such as “Wild Eyed Syrah,” “Long Haul,” “Dead Horse,” and (our favorite) “The Dissident,” you know that winemaker/owner Mark Ryan McNeilly has given great thought and care to what’s in the bottle.

He’s obviously got a sense of humor, with the “Dead Horse” wine being a prime example. “Dead Horse” is a play on words associated with the grapes being from the famed Ciel du Cheval vineyard; in English, “Ciel du Cheval” loosely translates to “Horse Heaven.” But as Mark points out, “No horses were hurt during the production of this wine, and it was tested on humans.” Phew.

Mark and his winery staff like to party and do so with the release of each of their wines. Tasting-room trekkers are invited to come celebrate the release of selected vintages during the year. Check the Mark Ryan website for open-house dates. So ride in on your horse and find a hitching post close to the winery’s business park bay. You’ll want to avoid a long haul for all the wine you’ll be bringing back to the wild-eyed wine drinkers in your life.

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  Mark Ryan Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Hollywood Schoolhouse WineTrail on page 118!