2016 Convergence Zone Fly Rod Stimulator
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon
From: Columbia Valley, WA
Taste: This Cabernet features a deep ruby color and rich, smoky aromas of blackberries, cherries, plums, black roses, tobacco, cedar, a hint of mint, and black incense. The flavors are true to variety and direct, with notes of licorice, bittersweet chocolate, cola, roasted coffee beans and earth. The back picks up macerated berries, roasted nuts and graphite, followed by a chewy, ripe tannin finish.
Pairing: Pairs well with roasted or grilled meats and lasagna.
Of all Washington winemakers, Scott Greenberg of Convergence Zone Cellars may be the state’s quintessential garagiste. His production facility, barrel room, and tasting bar are all contained in a non-descript, garage-like building just steps from Greenberg’s home in a quiet residential area in the town of North Bend, WA. With the exception of a wine barrel near the street with his home address, and a sandwich board at the end of the driveway on Saturday afternoons, one might not even know that a winery exists there.
But make no mistake; inside the building that serves as the winery “headquarters,” Greenberg oversees a small, but carefully planned operation producing serious, award-winning wines that are an absolute pleasure to taste.
Greenberg came to Washington in 1974 via Minneapolis and Santa Barbara, California. He earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Urban Planning at the University of Washington and worked as City Planner for a number of Washington cities including Mercer Island, Burien, Kirkland, and Bothell before retiring in 2018.
Like many Washington winemakers, Greenberg approached his craft as kind of a side-job/hobby while still working during his first career. But rather than have an epiphany-like moment that took him down the winemaking path – perhaps while tasting a particular bottle of wine or during a visit to a European wine region – Greenberg’s journey was more of a gradual process over a number of years.
His first steps towards actual winemaking began at the couple’s Redmond home in 2004, initially with purchased kits and then with grapes that produced wines they shared primarily with family and friends. “I didn’t screw it up,” recalls Greenberg with a smile, “and that encouraged me to keep going.” Fast forward a few years, and his first vintages (2008 and 2009) were bottled under Patterson Cellars’ license in the Woodinville Warehouse District. He then subleased space from Patterson and branched off on his own with the official launch of Convergence Zone Cellars in the summer of 2010.
The opening of the winery’s present location in North Bend didn’t come until 2016, although Greenberg notes they had purchased the house and property two years earlier…and then only after plenty of careful planning, of course. Now, Convergence Zone is also home to a second label, Fly Rod Cellars, which is headed by Scott’s son-in-law along with a mutual friend who serves as volunteer cellar master. Their goal is to make a different varietal from a different vineyard source every year. Each vintage features a different red and rose' wines.
