Lacey Steffey is the winemaker for Estival in Horse Heaven Hills AVA, WA. Energy, innovation, and warmth are what make Lacey Steffey the perfect fit for the role of Head Winemaker at Estival, a brand in the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ portfolio focused on aromatic white wines.
After working in California’s wine country, Lacey and her family relocated to Washington State in 2015, where she assumed roles such as Harvest Enologist, Vintage Assistant, and Traveling Winemaker before joining Estival as Head Winemaker to craft the first vintage of Estival.
Focused on vibrant, aromatic white wines from Washington’s stunning Horse Heaven Hills, much like Estival itself, Lacey brings a radiant nature to her winemaking philosophy, embodying the region’s distinct energy, diversity, and refreshing character.
Media Inquiries: katie.jaeger@smwe.com | https://estivalwine.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
With our first release, ESTIVAL is ALL about beautiful Sauvignon Blanc. Since moving to Washington, my exposure to aromatic white varietals has been extraordinary, but nothing excites me like this varietal. I’ve had the privilege to work with fruit from sites as far west as Marsanne and Roussanne in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA, to Gruner Veltliner on the east side of the valley, to Riesling from north in Ancient Lakes AVA to Sauvignon Blanc in the Horse Heaven Hills… all of which have helped improve my winemaking skills over the years with a wide variety of fruit and fermentation techniques, contributing greatly to how I craft wines for ESTIVAL. It’s fresh, balanced, layered and nuanced, while still appealing to a wide variety of wine drinkers.
In my opinion, the Horse Heaven Hills AVA is one of the greatest places to grow Sauv Blanc in the world, and I wanted to create a wine emblematic of the incredible quality we can produce here. And personally, it’s thrilling to have ownership and autonomy of a new brand. It’s very exciting to take the lead with picking, fermentation and blend style decisions to create a delicious wine representative of the quality of fruit in Washington and the Horse Heaven Hills.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
If not constrained in any manner, I would love to take a few years to explore and collaborate with top winemakers around the world- play with lesser-known varietals, new technology, learn from both old school winemakers and innovators. I think that collaboration and shared passion are what keep us all excited about this field and keep us coming back vintage after vintage with renewed enthusiasm.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc showcases our ability to thread the needle on vibrant ripe fruit, beautiful balanced acidity, complex minerality and an overall appeal that is unrivaled. It is such a fun wine to craft in the cellar and put together at the blend table; I get to play with so many options, from neutral barrels, to stainless steel, to concrete fermenters. I think this wine is a great representation of my style: fresh, pure, fruit driven, but surprisingly layered and nuanced; it appeals to a wide audience. Read the wine review here.
Bonus Question: What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
Something people would be surprised to learn about me is that I was an elementary school teacher for 6 years! It was a wonderful part of my early career and very rewarding. I find that my love for educating has shifted to wine education- I truly enjoy talking with people about winemaking and love sharing the behind-the-scenes details and stories of how we put amazing wines in the bottle. Connecting personally with the people both in and out of our industry is how we create and maintain relationships with wine consumers that will last!