Kobayashi Winery was founded in 2014 by Travis Allen and Mario Kobayashi and has since become one of the most exciting and distinctive new projects to emerge from Washington State. Their path into the wine industry was anything but conventional, as neither had a formal winemaking background. In 2007, Travis and Mario moved their family to the Pacific Northwest after Travis accepted a position as a nurse anesthetist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a role he continues to hold part time.

A longtime and serious student of wine, Travis eventually decided to try his hand at production, beginning with a single barrel of Cabernet Franc at an urban winery in Seattle. From that modest 25-case debut in 2014, Kobayashi Winery has grown to produce fewer than 1,000 cases annually. They intentionally remain small, with no plans to expand.

Today, production takes place at Force Majeure Winery in Milton-Freewater, just south of Walla Walla. Kobayashi focuses on Northern Rhône varieties and Cabernet Franc sourced from premier Columbia Valley vineyards, including WeatherEye and Red Willow. Travis and Mario’s meticulous attention to detail and willingness to experiment set their work apart. The resulting wines are singular, rooted in Washington terroir yet driven by an innovative and boundary-pushing spirit.