Our Story
Esja Wines is a tiny winery with a big heart, run out of our garage in Bellingham, Washington. In the wine world, we're known as a garagiste—a small, hands-on winery where every bottle is made by the people whose names are on the label.
Our fruit comes from growers in the Yakima Valley who share our commitment to thoughtful farming and quality fruit. We ferment every wine with native yeast and age it in neutral French oak or stainless steel, allowing the vineyard and vintage to speak for themselves. We believe that the less we interfere, the more honest the wine becomes. The result is wines that are elegant, vibrant, and, above all, delicious.
Tanya is a first-generation American, born to Icelandic immigrants who taught her that life is meant to be lived through hard work, good food, and a well-earned drink shared with the people you love.
After graduating with a degree in French, she wasn't entirely sure where her career would take her. She just knew she wanted it to revolve around food, culture, travel, and craftsmanship. In 2015, she found her way into her first harvest at Union Wine Company in Oregon's Willamette Valley. That’s when everything clicked. Since then, she’s made wine in New Zealand and at several wineries in Washington, learning from every vineyard, vintage, and mentor along the way.
These days, home is a quirky log cabin outside Bellingham, where her garage doubles as a bonded winery. It's not glamorous, but it's exactly where she wants to be. Every vintage is made by hand, with curiosity, intention, and a deep respect for the fruit.
Nelson is a Washington native through and through. He believes some of life's greatest pleasures are a simple meal cooked at home, ingredients sourced locally—or better yet, caught himself—and a bottle of wine shared around the table. That philosophy has quietly shaped Esja Wines from the beginning. For us, wine isn't the centerpiece; it's the thing that brings people together.
He's happiest when he's working with his hands—whether that's hand-stacking barrels (we still don't own a forklift), shoveling fruit into the destemmer during harvest, or jumping in wherever another set of hands is needed. At the end of a long day, he's also the first to make sure everyone has a well-earned glass of Champagne.
At just two years old, Ylfa has already spent more time in wineries than many adults. She joined her first bottling day at five weeks old, visited vineyards before she was two months old, and completed her first harvest before she was three months old.
Like any good winery kid, she keeps us on schedule—or rather, we work around hers. She fills the winery with laughter, endless energy, and frequent snack breaks. She reminds us daily that while making wine is important, building a life around it is even better.
Our Saga
In Icelandic, a saga is a story passed from one generation to the next. Esja Wines is ours. A story rooted in family, hard work, shared meals, and the belief that the best bottles are the ones opened with people you love.
Every harvest, every vintage, and every bottle is another chapter. We're so glad you're here, and we hope you'll enjoy being part of the story.