Bobby Richards is the winemaker for Seven Hills Winery in Walla Walla, WA. He grew up in Albany, Oregon, but his path to winemaking began at Oregon State University when a Syrah project with the fermentation science club sparked his passion. After graduating in 2009, he worked harvest at Benton-Lane in the Willamette Valley, where he fell in love with both winemaking and his future wife. He later moved to Washington, gaining experience with Bordeaux, Rhône, Italian varietals, and Chardonnay at Tranche Cellars before joining Seven Hills in 2013. Mentored by founder Casey McClellan, Bobby spent seven years mastering every role in the cellar and vineyard while completing UC Davis’ Enology and Viticulture certification. In 2021, he succeeded McClellan as Head Winemaker.
Bobby’s goal is to craft wines that express varietal character and terroir while offering enjoyment from release through long-term aging. His experience extends beyond the Pacific Northwest, with winemaking stints and study in Ribera del Duero, the Rhône Valley, Portugal, Margaret River, Yarra Valley, Southern Oregon, California, and Texas.
Media Inquiries: Kaylee DaLuz kdaluz@colangelopr.com | https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
There are a few things that make Seven Hills special. The first is that Seven Hills is a pioneering winery that was established in Walla Walla in 1988 as the fifth winery founded in the region. We have some of the oldest vines planted in the valley, originally planted in 1980 and 1982, two years prior to Walla Walla’s establishment as an AVA in 1984. These historic vines, which we still work with today and bottle a single varietal as the Seven Hills Founding Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, originally started the AVA at 6.8 acres and have grown to 3,000 acres of vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA.
The Seven Hills tasting room is also in the same building as its winemaking facility in downtown Walla Walla. It’s one of the few historic winemaking facilities in downtown Walla Walla. Previously, the building was a lumber and planing mill, built in 1904 and known as the White House Crawford building.
What makes this particularly meaningful is how both elements – our vineyard and our building – represent the foundation of Walla Walla’s development. The building helped construct the city of Walla Walla itself, while our vineyard was instrumental in establishing and developing the AVA. It’s this connection between two foundational pieces that helped build different industries in Walla Walla that makes Seven Hills unique – we are rooted in the history of both the city and the wine region.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
Although I do feel like I am already living my dream as a winemaker and the second winemaker in Seven Hills’ history, working with some of the oldest vines in Walla Walla that date back to 1980 and 1982, if the sky truly was the limit, it would be my dream to be able to make wine all around the world.
I would love to have labels in multiple countries – such as establishing operations in Australia and Argentina, and creating wines from vineyards across all the major wine regions of the United States. The idea of being able to travel the world, flying from vineyard to vineyard to oversee operations and craft wines that express the unique terroir of each region, is incredibly appealing.
Specifically, I’d love to create a red wine in the Northern Rhone, capturing the essence of that legendary region’s Syrah. I’d also want to make a dessert wine in Portugal. The opportunity to work with different grape varieties, climates, and winemaking traditions across continents would be my dream.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
It would be the Seven Hills Pentad Red Wine, which represents something deeper about our winemaking philosophy. The name “Pentad” means “grouping of five,” and this wine truly showcases the art and skill of blending. We’ve been creating Pentad since 2001, and as the winemaker, it’s where I get to demonstrate the craft of bringing together different varietals to create something greater than the sum of its parts. It is the alchemy of blending.
My favorite vintage is the 2021 Pentad, which holds special significance because that’s when I officially took over winemaking operations at Seven Hills after our founder Casey retired in May 2021. What makes Pentad emblematic of Seven Hills is that it represents both our history and our future. It’s a magical creation that people get to experience – from the moment someone walks into our tasting room in that historic 1904 building to when they open a bottle at home. Wine is this incredible craft that’s been perfected over thousands of years, and I have the opportunity to continue that tradition while creating new experiences for people. That’s the magic of winemaking, and Pentad captures that perfectly. Read this wine review here.
Bonus Question: Why Winemaking?
Wine is this magical creation that we’ve been perfecting over thousands of years, and I have the opportunity to continue that craft and create these products that generate experiences for people and myself.
That’s why we put dabbing unicorns on our barrels at Seven Hills – because wine is magical, but we made them dabbing because you’ve got to have fun while you do this. Wine is magical and fun all at the same time.
I get to be part of this ancient tradition while creating new moments and memories for people. Every bottle has the potential to be someone’s first experience with a particular flavor profile, or to be the wine that’s opened during a special celebration. That connection between the craft I’m practicing in the vineyard and cellar, and the experiences people have when they taste our wines – that’s what makes winemaking so special to me.