Brad Binko, Eternal Wine

Brad Binko, Eternal Wine

Brad Binko is the owner and winemaker at Eternal Wine in the Walla Walla AVA in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. He established the winery brand in 2014. Brad grew up in Buffalo, NY and spent time at Northeastern University, University at Buffalo, and graduated from the WWCC Enology and Viticulture program. Brad is a certified sommelier and ran fine dining wine programs in Charleston, SC, before moving to Walla Walla to follow his dreams of making wine.

Brad has owned many businesses before, including Prism Nightlife in Las Vegas, NV. While it was fun, it was not where his heart was, which made him follow his passion back into wine. He was awarded Washington Winemaker of the Year from the Washington State Wine Awards in 2025. The new tasting room combines Brad’s interests, including sports, live music, karaoke, and more. Media Inquiries: brad@eternalwine.com | https://eternalwine.com/

What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?

What makes our winery unique is simple—it’s me. As owner, winemaker, and head janitor, I’m involved in everything, and that shows up in the wines and the experience.

We run three distinct labels. Eternal reflects my sommelier side—small-production, single-vineyard wines, often just two barrels, sold only at the winery. Drink Washington State is the opposite: larger production, approachable, and distributed. Red, White and Buffalo is a tribute to my hometown, sold exclusively in Buffalo, NY.

The winery itself is just as personal. It’s part tasting room, part hangout—big screens for games, live music, trivia, pool tables, and darts. We pour wine alongside beer, cider, and slushies, and there’s a taco truck on site daily. I like to call it the “Hard Rock Café” of wineries. It’s not one thing—it’s everything I enjoy, all in one place.

Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.

I would like to buy or start a vineyard to produce estate fruit. Other than that, open tasting rooms around the world!

What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.

This one’s easy—and it wasn’t even a wine I planned to make. When I moved to Walla Walla from Charleston to study enology and viticulture, I had the chance to start a label but no vineyard connections. The only fruit I could source was Carménère, so I took it—and made a wine that changed everything.

Our first release, the 2014 Drink Washington State Carménère (released in 2016), quickly became our top seller and sold out ahead of the other wines. We’ve increased production every year and now make about 700 cases—more than our entire Eternal program.

After winning the Bill Powers sabbatical grant in 2017, I traveled to Chile in 2018 to study Carménère and film a documentary. We captured over 70 hours of footage across the country, and during the trip learned our 2016 Carménère was named Best Carménère in the Pacific Northwest by SIP Northwest Magazine. The finished 18-minute film is now available online. Read my review of the DWS Carmenere here.

Bonus Question: What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m a great bowler and have bowled in the Nationals the last two years. While my average hoovers around 200 I have still yet to bowl a perfect 300 game.