- John Powers, founder of Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co., passed away July 30.
John Powers, co-owner and founder of acclaimed Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co. in Bellingham, Wash., passed away July 30.
John, whose tasting room in downtown Bellingham was a hot spot for live music and delicious, fun-loving wines, suffered a severe head injury during a July 18 tournament at Bellingham Golf & Country Club. A Bellingham radio station reports he tripped over a concrete edging while moving out of the way of a golf cart.
My friendship with John began long before either of us were in the wine business.
In fact, we met in the journalism program at Western Washington University in the mid-1980s. He was an older student with a good deal of worldly knowledge, and I was a young know-it-all. Despite differences in age and politics, we became friends - primarily because it was impossible to not like John. I remember him as cool, suave and self-assured.
After graduation, I headed to a newspaper job in Twin Falls, Idaho. I don't know what happened to John, but I don't think he ever strayed too far from Bellingham. I landed in Kennewick, Wash., in the late '80s and launched Wine Press Northwest nine years later.
I'd long forgotten about John by the time 2004 came around, but that fall we tasted wines from a young winery near Bow, Wash., at the southern end of famed Chuckanut Drive. The Syrah and Merlot each earned our top "Outstanding" rating - remarkable for a new, unknown winery, so I called the owner to talk about the wines and get a bit of info for my reviews. Lo and behold, my old friend John answered the phone. It took each of us about 30 seconds to realize our past connections, then we had a long, enjoyable conversation about what we'd been doing for the prior two decades.
About once a year, I'd find an excuse to call John and say hi, or he'd email me to let me know what he and co-owner/winemaker Michael Burnett were up to. In 2007, I was heading to Bellingham for a conference on visual journalism and decided to look up John. By that time, he had relocated the winery to its location on State Street, just down the hill from the university. It was a great location, and he was seeing a fair bit of success and support from local patrons as well as out-of-town visitors.
Last year, Jon Bauer, editor-at-large launched a column in Wine Press Northwest, called "Nom de Vine." The first column featured Chuckanut Ridge's Bad Bunny label, which he described as "more Bugsy Siegel and less Bugs Bunny."
I received an email from John soon after the magazine came out, thanking us for the publicity. It was the last time we corresponded.
This afternoon, I received an email from Jenny Schwartz, John's girlfriend, with the news of John's passing over the weekend. I got further information on the "Friends of John Powers" Facebook page. I inquired what the plans for Chuckanut Ridge would include, and she quickly replied: "I will be running Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co. for him. He groomed me for years to do just so, without ever telling me. It is a passion now of mine to continue his legacy."
It's a sad day for those who knew John and appreciated his savoir-faire. Tonight, I will raise a toast to my old friend.
Read Dan Radil's tribute to John in the Bellingham Herald.
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