Linda and Steve Colvin are the owners, growers, and vintners of Esther Bricques Winery, nestled slightly above the sunny Okanogan Valley floor in northern Washington State. Together they make their Okanogan winery a home away from home for every visitor who encounters their intimate setting. And they are testament to the fact that science and math do go well with wine. As former high school science and math teachers, Linda and Steve devote the rest of their energies now to their winery, its products, and its experiences.
Do What You Love
Believe in it and the rest will come (after you devote a LOT of time and effort to it!). That’s what has come from the efforts of Linda and Steve, who began their winery as an appreciation of wine and a love of the land. Shortly before they married, the first trial vines were planted. Each of the three major plantings since has brought their operation closer to an estate winery.
Their passion for wine-making stems from Steve’s background in farming as well as his love of science. Steve is a jack-of-all trades who has built up their vineyard and winery with the help of friends and family. Linda’s interest in wine started when she was completing her Master’s degree in chemistry. But it’s not just about the grapes and the art of making beautiful wine. What Linda and Steve enjoy most about running a winery are the people they meet and the experiences they create through their tastings and variety of special events. When they merged their interests and skills into building their winery, they soon realized that not only was their winery a place in which to make wine but also a setting for experiences to be shared.
Steve Colvin
Everything happens on-site at Esther Bricques Winery. Steve and Linda believe in sustainable agricultural and wine production practices resulting in clean, fresh, fruity wines unfettered by rounds of manipulation. The grapes are grown on site, harvested by hand, crushed, and fermented into wine without leaving the premises. Bottled and sold onsite, the wines have never been pumped or pushed thanks to the gravity flow design of the premises. These wines do indeed represent the ultimate character contributed by the close relationship with the Okanogan setting.
“Esther Bricques.” Where does this name come from? In order to make wine, winemakers must know the role of fragrant “esters” and keep their fingers on the pulse of the “brix” or sugar content at harvest. When you put these two terms together, you get “ester brix” or, in the Colvins’ variation of the spelling, “Esther Bricques”. Translate that as “sweet fragrances” and you begin to get an idea of what these wines have in store for you.
Linda Colvin
Esther Bricques is truly a team effort between Linda and Steve, as well as a gift of the contributions from many of their friends. Merging their efforts and dreams, they have created Esther Bricques Winery, operating on a passion and a dream that has been made real by time and effort.
