Marcus Rafanelli is the winemaker at L’Ecole Nº 41 in Walla Walla, WA. He is a Seattle native with extensive domestic and international winemaking experience. He is a 2008 graduate of the Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) Institute for Enology & Viticulture (EV) program and holds a B.S. in Biology from Boise State University. While at WWCC’s EV program, he worked as a harvest intern at L’Ecole N° 41, gaining experience in small-lot winemaking. After graduating, he made wine for a boutique Woodinville-based winery for six years, following which his career took him to renowned wineries in Australia & Germany. He returned to Walla Walla in 2016, taking the role of Instructional Technician at WWCC and Cellarmaster at College Cellars. In 2019, he joined the L’Ecole team as Winemaker. Marcus has been an active member of the Washington Wine Technical Group since 2009. He is also Vice Chairman of the WWCC EV Program’s Advisory Board and is a mentor for the Alliance of Women in Washington Wine.
Media Inquiries: marcus@lecole.com | https://www.lecole.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
The most unique thing about L’Ecole N° 41 is an authenticity you can’t fake. Our winery’s legacy is the result of a rare combination of genuine history, world-class quality, and global recognition – a trifecta no other winery in Washington can claim.
Our story began more than forty years ago in Walla Walla, when a family with deep roots in the valley established the winery in the historic 1915 Frenchtown Schoolhouse, which still serves as our home today. What started there laid the foundation for a philosophy centered on quality, reliability, and craftsmanship.
As our winery grew, so did our commitment to the land. We later developed our estate vineyards—Ferguson and Seven Hills—where meticulous farming and thoughtful stewardship have shaped wines of remarkable character. Those vineyards have earned international acclaim: our 2011 Estate Ferguson was awarded Best Bordeaux Blend in the World at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and our Seven Hills vineyard was named one of the Ten Great Vineyards of the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Recognition has followed consistently, with our winery being honored as a Top 100 Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits an impressive seventeen times. Today, our wines are found across the United States and in markets around the globe, carrying the story of Walla Walla to wine lovers everywhere. At the heart of it all remains the same commitment that began in that old schoolhouse: a dedication to the land, to the craft, and to wines that stand proudly among the world’s best.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
After nearly a decade working in professional kitchens before stepping into winemaking, my passion for pairing exceptional food with wine runs deep. If money were no object, I’d build a Michelin-star-level restaurant right alongside the winery- a space with sweeping vineyard views, an open kitchen, and a calendar of world-class, rotating guest chefs from every corner of the globe. Each would design multi-course menus inspired by our wines, crafting dishes that elevate and transform them with every sip. While I still love cooking at home, there’s nothing more thrilling than watching a chef interpret our wines into an unforgettable dining experience- a dialogue between glass and plate that lingers long after the last bite.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
Ferguson is L’Ecole N° 41’s flagship Bordeaux blend, a true showcase of our commitment to crafting exceptional single-vineyard wines from the Walla Walla Valley. Grown in a site defined by its distinctive microclimate and dramatic geological history, Ferguson captures the vineyard’s unique terroir in every glass- elegant, powerful, and unmistakably its own. First planted in 2008 at the southern end of the Walla Walla Valley, high in elevation and rooted in fractured basalt, Ferguson quickly proved its pedigree. It’s very first vintage, crafted in 2011, earned the highest honor in our winery’s history-the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards’ title of Best Bordeaux Blend in the World. Today, that 2011 still drinks with remarkable freshness and vibrancy, a testament to its structure and grace after nearly 15 years. Ferguson stands as a tribute to the pioneering vision of our founders, Baker and Jean Ferguson, whose spirit continues to inspire every bottle we produce. Check out my wine review for the Ferguson Red Blend.
Bonus Question: What’s the one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
At the end of 2019, I discovered something extraordinary—I was eligible to apply for Italian citizenship. What followed was a three-year journey through family history, collecting birth, death, and marriage certificates that traced my paternal lineage back through three generations, proving that no one had ever renounced their Italian heritage. Even though I was born in Seattle, this unbroken connection meant Italy had quietly been part of me all along. The process became more than just paperwork—it was an exploration of my roots, a chance to uncover stories, and a deeper understanding of where I come from. Today, I’m grateful to hold dual citizenship with both the United States and Italy, carrying forward a heritage that now feels more alive than ever.