Kelsey Albro Itämeri took a winding path to winemaking, moving from politics, TV, and the restaurant world to her family’s land in Walla Walla, Washington. After working harvest at Balboa Winery, she studied Enology & Viticulture at WWCC. She interned at The Walls Vineyards and Domaine Jean Chartron in Burgundy, where she developed a deep respect for site-driven winemaking.
In 2019, she founded itä wines, crafting minimal-intervention wines from the Blue Mountain foothills. Since her first release, itä has been named a “Winery to Watch” by Wine & Spirits, and Kelsey has been recognized by Wine Enthusiast as one of the “Future 40.” Her wines consistently earn 90+ scores from leading publications, including Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine & Spirits.
Media Inquiries: kelsey@itawinery.com | https://itawinery.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
Starting itä wines wasn’t exactly perfect timing—I launched my little incubator winery in August 2019, fresh out of Walla Walla Community College. I’d just spotted an opening at the airport incubators and jumped at the chance. That first harvest came together fast—lots of frantic vineyard calls, late nights, and red tape—but we pulled it off and sourced fruit from Les Collines Vineyard, which I still work with today.
By early 2020, I was ready to debut my first whites and rosé at Taste Washington in March and open my tasting room in April. Then COVID hit, and everything stopped. We pivoted to Instagram, email, and Zoom tastings—no wine club, no distribution, just grit. Slowly, good press and strong reviews followed, and by late 2020 we were doing outdoor tastings and growing a real following.
Six years later, itä wines has survived a pandemic, two pregnancies, and plenty of uncertainty. I’ve learned not to expect anything to be easy—or take anything for granted. That resilience is baked into the wines themselves.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
My husband and I always joke that if money were no object, we’d be doing what we’re already doing, but faster! That definitely holds true for me and for itä. My parents own some property just 15 minutes southeast of the town of Walla Walla in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. It is absolutely gorgeous – my husband and I got married out there in 2014. Along with my parents, we are in the process of developing the property with an eye on long-term environmental and financial sustainability, using thoughtful plantings, design, materials, and technologies to protect the land. Our first step concluded earlier this year with the installation of a very large geothermal loop, which is an incredibly efficient and sustainable way to provide heating and cooling and hot water to all future buildings on the site including the winery, tasting room, and barns. It was also a huge investment, which means we are taking our time with the next steps. So, if money were no object, I would take the next steps to build our winery facility out in the foothills of the Blue Mountains more quickly. Either way, it will be amazing when it’s all done.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
My Merlot best represents my brand—it defies what people expect from Walla Walla or Washington State reds. I’m known for picking early; there’s even a local joke that other winemakers start sampling their fruit when I’ve already picked mine—the canary in the coal mine, I guess. The wine is about 85% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot. I harvest the Merlot early for bright acidity and red fruit, then let the Petit Verdot hang until it’s deeply ripe with dark fruit and firm tannins. The contrast between the two captures my “new school” approach—rooted in Walla Walla’s legacy but pushing it forward. Read my review of this Merlot here.
Bonus Question: Why Winemaking?
I’ve had a lot of jobs for someone my age. I studied international relations at Georgetown—briefly thought I’d be a spy or diplomat, but I can’t keep a secret and I’m too opinionated for diplomacy. After stints in Seattle politics, LA reality TV, and Lionsgate, I burned out and pivoted to the natural food world, then restaurant management in the Bay Area. Running bar programs sparked my interest in wine, and before long, my husband and I realized we were country mice at heart.
In 2016, we moved to Walla Walla, where my family had land. I interned at Balboa Winery, studied enology and viticulture at WWCC, worked at The Walls, and trained at Domaine Jean Chartron in Burgundy—plus made plenty of bad wine in my garage along the way.
I love winemaking because it engages every part of me—scientific, sensory, creative—and forces you to move in rhythm with the seasons. It’s humbling, grounding, and, honestly, great training for parenting.