Meet the Winemaker, Laurent Montalieu
Laurent took his first steps in vineyard in Medoc owned by his great grandfather, Joseph Montalieu. He grew up on the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe, but spent summers in his family's homeland of Bordeaux, where he learned to grow grapes and drink wine. Laurent returned to Bordeaux in 1980 to attend high school. With a renewed interest in wine, he immersed himself in studies of vineyard management and winemaking. Upon his graduation in 1987 from the Institute of Oenology of Bordeaux, he worked for Chateau La Tour Blanche near Sauternes, France and Domaine Mumm in California before moving to Oregon. After seven successful vintages at Bridgeview Vineyards in Cave Junction, Oregon, Laurent joined WillaKenzie Estate in 1995 as a partner and winemaker. Laurent gained the respect of industry leaders and professionals with his passion for the highest quality standards in the vineyard coupled with a philosophy of minimal intervention in the production of handcrafted wines. In 2003 Laurent left WillaKenzie to join Solena Cellars with his wife Danielle. Today, Laurent serves as the winemaker and co-founder/managing member of the Northwest Wine Company. At the state of the art facility, Montalieu produces wines from 55 vineyards in 15 appellations from 15 varietals! The Northwest Wine Company is home to over 50,000 cases of wine produced for over 25 clients.
Gwen K. Rosenbalm, Business ManagerPhone: 503-474-0799 Ext. 2# Email: 
