This is What Follows

The name sequitur finds its origin in Latin from sequi meaning: it follows. For us, the meaning is manifold. The vineyard follows our personal and professional passages through life; it follows a lifelong passion for wine; it follows family; it follows new love and new land, and it follows the influence of each particular element of the growing season. Every year the front and back labels on the bottle are slightly changed—a visual reminder of this lineage.

While the first label reads 2014, Sequitur was truly conceived when we purchased a 60-acre Douglas fir tree farm from the late Frank Dummer in 2010. In order to do so, we had to convince Frank, a life-long school teacher and a man of great integrity, that we would be worthy stewards of the beloved land. 

A forest of Douglas fir borders the property on three sides. The trees protect the gentle southern slope of the vineyard from wind and weather and preserve the unique terroir. The virgin marine sediment soils have only been farmed with organic and biodynamic principles—helping to conserve the native ground cover and promote healthy integration of all living organisms. At the bottom of the vineyard’s ridge, we built a small house in the woods. Carey’s honey bees are thriving, we think for good reason.

Between 2012 and 2014 we planted the 12-acre Sequitur vineyard adjacent to the Beaux Freres Upper Terrace vineyard. It is farmed by the team at Beaux Freres and Mikey (Michael’s son) and Michael share the responsibility of being Sequitur’s winemakers. We also share a farming and harvest crew with Beaux Freres. Our vines are made up of 17 diverse clones of pinot noir and a small knoll of chardonnay. The current production is 700 cases of pinot noir and 75 cases of chardonnay, plus or minus a few depending on the vintage. We also make a small amount of “Amphora” pinot noir—this wine never touches oak and is instead fermented and aged in an Italian clay amphora. A white pinot noir surprised us in 2020 and we are making it again in 2022.

We have just completed (with a lot of help from our architects and builders and team) an exciting new project that includes a custom crush production facility and a tasting room for Sequitur. As of 2021, Sequitur wine is made at the new Etzel Farm winery, which is just down the road from Beaux Freres. We are open by appointment for tastings and would love to share with you. 

— Michael Etzel and Carey Critchlow