David Merfled first joined the Northstar winemaking team while working part-time for the 2001 harvest. Straight away, he was passionate about making Northstar Merlot, and soon after his first crush, he seized the opportunity to stay on full-time in the dual roles of enologist and assistant winemaker. At the new winery, he apprenticed under legendary California winemaker Jed Steele, now a consultant at Northstar. Steele said, 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. Merf, as he is known to all, savors the opportunity to taste through the life of a wine, from vine to bottle. At Northstar, that life begins with the small, hand-picked fruit sources, which get gently sorted and whole-berry fermented. How the fruit is then treated depends on taste and the vintage, and that s where Merf s expertise comes in. He follows his instincts to extract the best expression of the fruit in the winery. A native of Greene, Iowa, Merf was initially impressed by the northwest s quality microbreweries. He relocated to Washington in 1990 to pursue a career in craft brewing, but he soon was engaged in the State s burgeoning wine industry and the acclaimed Walla Walla Valley, in particular. Now that he s leading the winemaking at Northstar, Merf continues to raise the bar with highly acclaimed, premium Merlots from both the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley designations. Ultimately, the goal at Northstar is to make world class Merlot in the company of the very best producers from Pomerol and St. Emillion. Merf is dedicated to guiding Northstar toward that goal. Making world class Merlot starts in the vineyard and gets finessed in the winery. I am committed to making the best Merlot Washington state has to offer. Being able to source fruit from the greatest Merlot blocks in the entire Columbia Valley is a huge advantage.