From Whitman to Wine

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From Whitman to Wine

Owen Bargreen '02, Nina Buty '97 and Ashley Trout '03 talk about the very different paths they took from Whitman to the wine industry.

By Alumni Relations

Date and time

Starts on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 · 4pm PDT

Location

Online

About this event

From its humble beginnings of a single commercial winery in 1977, Walla Walla has established itself as one of the country's premier wine regions. Surrounded by more than 120 wineries, it's no surprise that at least a few Whitties would take a professional interest in wine. Hear from three alumni how they made their way from Whitman College to a unique place in the wine industry.

Our panelists:

Dr. Owen Bargreen ’02, a history major, is a clinical psychologist and has his private practice in the Seattle area. Owen is a Level 2 Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers who writes part time for Decanter Magazine. He has been writing about wine for more than ten years and has reviewed thousands of wines from around the world, traveling extensively in Washington, Oregon and California, as well as throughout wine regions of the world. He speaks German, Italian and English.

Nina Buty ’97 was an art history major, with minors in studio art and geology. In 2000, after two years of careful planning, Nina founded Buty Winery with Caleb Foster (who has since gone on to other ventures). For Nina, the creation of wine was a natural extension of her background in art and geology, allowing her to combine her desire to work with nature, with her creativity. She played a key role in developing the idea for all of Buty’s wines, and continues to guide the Buty style during the evaluation and blending process for each new vintage. In 2007, Nina planted Rockgarden Estate in the cobblestones of The Rocks District, earning organic certification in 2010. She lives in Walla Walla with her two children.

Ashley Trout ’01, an Anthropology major from the Washington, D.C. area, began her wine making career at 18, following her passions around the world in search of the best ways to combine a love of wine making with a goal for community betterment. She spent the better part of a decade working harvests in Mendoza, Argentina and has been an integral part of the Walla Walla Valley wine scene since 1999. Brook & Bull Cellars is her third winery. Sister winery Vital Winery is a non-profit, with proceeds supporting Walla Walla Valley vineyard and winery workers access to affordable health care. Ashley has two children, a wonderful husband and two dogs.

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