From: Yakima Valley, Washington

Varietal: 64% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes: 93 points and Editors' Choice, Wine Enthusiast, June/July 2021: "Merlot (64%) and Cabernet Franc (33%) are the stars here, with Cabernet Sauvignon playing a bit role. There’s subtlety to the aromas of flowers, herbs, flowers, earth and raspberry. The palate shows captivating purity to the flavors along with a lovely sense of texture. It’s flat-out gorgeous and all about subtlety."

Nancy is a professor of communication at the University of Washington. Tim retired from his 'day job' as an economics professor at Seattle University in 2011. "Academics is a great gig," says Sorenson, "but I fell irretrievably in love with winemaking."

Tim's romance with wine advanced in earnest in summer 2000 when he successfully completed the distance-learning course, Introduction to Winemaking, given by the Department of Viticulture and Enology at University of California-Davis. In May 2001, Tim joined the staff of a specialty wine shop in the heart of downtown Seattle. There part-time for more than three years, he tasted and studied his way to a more intimate familiarity with the world of wine, and he became acquainted with esteemed local winemakers, including Benjamin Smith of Cadence Winery.

In fall 2002, Tim embarked on what was to become a two-year 'vinternship' with Cadence. From the beginning, Ben welcomed Tim's involvement in every aspect of winemaking—from making trips to the vineyards to inspect vines and sample the fruit to running analytical tests on juice and wine samples, crushing, pressing, racking, bottling, and all the other attendant activities of winemaking.

For as long as he has been enjoying wine, Tim has had a genuine appreciation for its rich cultural connections. He is especially intrigued, though, by its science. Upon enrolling in the Davis course, Tim began assembling a significant collection of texts and other references on geology, viticulture and soils, enology, and the broader world of wine—which he continues to actively study. And as time allows, he attends trade and academic seminars to stay abreast of the very latest thinking in the industry.

Tim and Nancy founded Fall Line Winery, LLC, in June 2003. The winery was licensed and bonded in summer 2004. As committed urban residents with full-time positions in the city, Tim and Nancy decided to locate Fall Line in the funky, uber-eclectic Georgetown district, just four miles south of downtown Seattle.