Dear Berserkers, Lovers of the Grape, and Fellow Travelers of Fermentation,
Iâm Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen (AKA - JLT in some circles) â winemaker, sommelier, dad, husband, aspiring renaissance man â and I come to you from Washington State bearing two things: exceptional wine and unreasonable enthusiasm for soulful wines.
Iâm hombre behind W.T. Vintners and Gorgiste, twin expressions of what happens when a person becomes obsessed with place, grape, and how far you can push both without losing your mind, or your palate.
Now, VinDependence Days has officially launched, and let me say this plainly: the support youâve shown small wineries like mine on BerserkerDay isnât just appreciated, itâs essential. Thank you for giving independent winemakers a moment in the sun (preferably before noon and with cloud cover). Big thanks as well to Todd and the Berserker brain trust for welcoming us into this glorious chaos for the very first VinDependence Days.
Quick heads-up: Itâs blazing out there, across the West, the East, the Middle and probably your mailbox. So, weâll ship as soon as itâs safe, likely in late September. In the meantime, if youâre local,shoot us a note and come grab your wine.
The Goods:
Weâve got four limited offers split between:
- W.T. Vintners: RhĂ´ne varietals from Eastern WAâelegant and brooding without the bro-code new-oak energy. These wines are whole cluster fermented, aged in neutral oak, and built to age with grace and intention.
- Gorgiste: cool-climate wines from the Columbia Gorgeâbright, low-alcohol, low-SOâ, and meant to be chilled (if youâre into that), shared, and not overthought. Theyâre the alpine breeze to WTVâs desert depth.
A Bit About Me:
Some of you may know me from the restaurant floorâback when I was pouring wine, waxing poetic about minerality, and gently dissuading guests from ordering Cabernet with oysters. My time as a sommelier has been in Seattle and Iâve worked in the Willamette Valley, Washington, New Zealand, and Burgundy, learning that real wine knowledge comes with stained hands, sore backs, and cold almost flavorless beer.
My winemaking approach leans low-intervention, but not dogmatic. I use native ferments, old-school techniques, and a lot of patience. No new oak, no funny business, just clean, focused wines that speak for themselves. Natural? Sure. But not the kind of natural that smells like a filthy barn and tastes like kombucha.
I started W.T. Vintners in 2007 to make expressive, single vineyard terroir-driven Syrah and RhĂ´ne wines from Eastern Washington. Then, in 2012, I started working in the western Columbia Gorgeâcooler, higher, and wildly different. That project evolved into Gorgiste, which we launched in 2023, dedicated to the electric side of wine: alpine acid, energy, lift.
The approach is simple: low intervention, no flashâjust thoughtful, honest winemaking. I skip the high alcohol, the new oak, and the chest-thumping. Still, the wines manage to pull big scores from some of the fancy critics. Iâm not chasing that. I just make what I believe in. Sometimes, someone in a blazer agrees. Are they the evil empire draining the soul out of wine? Maybe. But sometimes, that shiny number is the nudge someone needs to go from âhuh, maybe this is pretty goodâ to actually buying the bottle.
Together, the wines are a study in contrasts:
WTV is structure and restraint.
Gorgiste is energy and lift.
Neither are big, bruising Washington wines. Thatâs the point.
Thanks for checking out the offers. I hope you find something new to loveâor at least something good to drink while contemplating lifeâs bigger questions, like: Am I drinking this too fast? (Probably not.)
Cheers,
Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen
W.T. Vintners | Gorgiste
Professional drinker. Occasional thinker.
$30 Flat rate shipping, even on multiple offers, from the same winery
RHĂNOLOGY - W.T. VINTNERS 4-PACK
VD1 Price $150 (SRP $201)
A study in Washingtonâs RhĂ´ne Varieties - Four distinct wines from the crown jewel of the Yakima Valley, the Boushey Vineyard.
Boushey was recently loved on real hard by Decanter Magazine in their article âCru Americana - 10 of Americaâs Finest Vineyards,â Link not included, I donât want to lose you now, we are just getting started.
1 Bottle of Each:
'21 Boushey Syrah (98 points, Decanter, Top 50 American Wines)
'21 Boushey Mourvèdre (95 points, Decanter)
'21 Boushey Grenache (96 points, Decanter)
â21 Boushey âExperimental Wine #3â co-ferment 49.5% Mourvèdre, 49.5% Grenache, 1% Grenache Blanc (94 points, Decanter)
Get Some Boushey Magic 
#2 THE MYSTERY CASE - W.T. VINTNERS LIBRARY 12-PACK
VD1 Price $339 (SRP $575-650)
East of the Cascades, Washingtonâs best grape isnât Cabernetâitâs Syrah. No offense to Cab, but most of the time it tastes like it couldâve come from Anywhere, USA. Syrah, though? Syrah tells the truth. It speaks of dirt, wind, basalt, and sunburned knuckles. Itâs the grape that tastes like where itâs grown, and around here, that means something.
I work with five vineyards across the PNW, chasing that place-in-a-bottle magic. And now, after a little patience (and a lot of cellar Tetris), Iâm bringing back a crowd favorite: the Library Mixed Case. These are wines Iâve held back on purpose; these wines reward patience. This fall feels like the right time to let them out into the wild.
Each case has 12 bottles, with at least four different wines from a range of vintages from 2016 to 2020. Youâll definitely get Syrah. Youâll also likely see Grenache, Mourvèdre, a blend or two, maybe even a one-off experiment (gone right) or a wine club exclusive bottling. A few lucky boxes will get something older that Iâve been hoarding.
Some wines are young-ish, some are entering their peak, all of them are delicious reflections of Washingtonâs greatest terroirs.
GORGISTE 6-PACK 
VD1 Price $150 (SRP $218)
Turns out, most folks donât know these winesâbut they should. Theyâre the antidote to Washingtonâs usual big, boozy, oak-soaked suspects. These are lean, bright, mountain-born wines with lo-fi charm and brisk acidity. Up here in the cool western Columbia Gorge, vintages can swing wildly, so Iâll show you a couple to help make sense of this strange and beautiful place.
1 bottle each:
â23 Chardonnay, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA (95 JD)
â23 GrĂźner Veltliner, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA (94 JD)
'22 Pinot Noir, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA
'23 Pinot Noir, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA (96 JD)
'22 Gamay Noir, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA
â23 Gamay Noir, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA (92 JD)
Get the 6-Pack
GORGISTE - HOLIDAY DINNER PARTY 3-PACK 
VD1 Price $75 (SRP $104)
Thanksgiving and holiday meals are full of contrastâroast turkey, glazed ham, sharp cranberries, earthy greens, rich sides, relatives youâd rather not see. A challenge for wine, but also a chance for it to shine.
This three-pack is built for the table or just to get to see what we are up to without breaking the bank. Bright acidity, layered texture, and supple tannins that support rather than overpower.
The 2024 GrĂźner saw some skin contact, then was fermented and aged in a mix of concrete, stainless, and old wood, giving it structure, richness, and dimension without heaviness. The Pinot is a clear, unvarnished expression of the vintage, aged in large neutral casks and puncheons, more Loire or Jura than Burgundy or Oregon. The Gamay is our nod to Cru Beaujolais: partially carbonic, partially traditional fermentation, then aged in old foudre and barrel. Lifted, energetic, and built for an eclectic menu.
Bring them to the tableâwhether youâre with family, friends, or somewhere in between. These wines are made to meet the meal and the moment.
1 each:
'24 Gruner Veltliner, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA
'22 Gamay Noir, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA
'23 Pinot Noir, Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA (96 JD)
Get the 3-Pack
BONUS!
Each âpackâ purchased will be entered into a raffle to win a W.T. Vintners Library Magnum. Post that you made a purchase for a second entry. Good Luck!
FLAT RATE SHIPPING $30 - even on multiple orders (within each winery). The more you order, the more you save. Wines will ship as soon as it cools off (est. Late September). Unfortunately, we canât ship to AK, DE, HI, MS, ND, NH, RI, SD, and UT.
Now for more information than you could ever want
Fun Facts (TLDR):
- Single Vineyard Wines of place, that tell a story, a conduit through which the vineyard can speak.
- Wine Style: higher in natural acidity, seeking lower alcohol through early picking, more structure, less blousy fruit.
- Syrah will be the KING of Washington wine.
- Less is more - Old school winemaking techniques - The vineyard should have the loudest voice.
- No commercial yeast, commercial ML, high % of whole-cluster, low-ish SO2, no acid or water additions, neutral barrel and puncheon aging.
- Winemaking philosophy inspired by the wines of Northern Rhone and Burgundy, taking cues from old-world benchmarks.
- Jeffâs extensive sommelier background lends an international perspective and inspiration, reference points for the wine style and philosophy.
Fun Facts (TLDR):
- Exclusively from the Rainmaker Vineyard, Columbia Gorge AVA, WA. (1100-1350â elevation).
- Delicate winemaking to craft easy-going but complex wines.
- These wines are made to crush, not hoard in your cellar (the sparkling is pretty âseriousâ).
- Natural wine sensibility, but not all Fâd up with flaws. No kombucha, mouse, etc.
- Short aging in the winery to allow for low SO2 without compromising quality.
- Holistic practices in the vineyard, working towards organic.
About me and W.T. Vintners
TLDR
- Sommelier turned tandem sommelier/winemaker (after working several harvests in OR, WA, NZ, & Burgundy), âretiredâ from restaurants in 2020 to focus on family and the winery.
- Burgundy and Northern Rhone Freak.
- âLow interventionâ winemaking, not ânaturalâ WTF does that mean anyway?
Spontaneous fermentations, lots of whole-cluster, no weird additives, no added acid or water, just a bit of SO2, no/rare racking, neutral barrels & puncheons, no fining and very rarely filtered, bottled with micro-agglomerated corks - Style - a bridge between the old and new world, I guess.
- Tasty wine at never-before-seen pricing!!!
Press and nice stuff people have said, for what itâs worthâŚ
âThis guy only has an A game.â Clive Pursehouse - Decanter
âW.T. Vintners is making some of the most thrilling wines in Washington right now, showing equal dexterity with reds and whites.â - S. Sullivan - Wine Enthusiast Magazine
âThis is magical work by a very old-world style of winemaker, Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen.â Owen Bargreen
2025 - Decanter - Top 50 American Wines
2019 & 2020 Top 100 Winery - Wine & Spirits Magazine
2019, 2020 Top 100 Wines - Wine & Spirits Magazine
2019 Top 100 Wines - Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2018 40 Under 40 Tastemakers - Wine Enthusiast Magazine
You made it this far, WOW! Thank you!!!
Jeff
GORGISTE & W.T. VINTNERS
Shipping Info:
Wines will ship as soon as it cools off.
Unfortunately, we canât ship to AK, DE, HI, MS, ND, NH, RI, SD, and UT.
