“Napa isn’t the story, Washington is the story,” declared Wine Spectator senior editor Tim Fish, as he invited award-winning actor and Pursued By Bear owner-vintner Kyle MacLachlan to the New York Wine Experience stage. Over the past two decades, MacLachlan has become a champion of bringing Evergreen State wines into the spotlight: His Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignons have consistently earned outstanding scores from Wine Spectator, and this star of stage and screen is dedicated to demonstrating all that Washington wines have to offer.
“I've worn many hats,” joked MacLachlan, sharing memories of his most recognizable roles from over the years, from Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks, to Trey MacDougal on Sex and the City to Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s 1984 Dune adaption. But he noted that none of his pursuits have meant quite as much to him as making wine at Pursued By Bear.
While the name of his label is a cheeky nod to Shakespearean stage directions, MacLachlan also takes his branding literally, entertaining the crowd with a slideshow of his head winemaker, Daniel Wampfler, chasing him around his Washington vineyards in a bear costume. “We are a rather whimsical brand on the outside,” MacLachlan quipped, “but we are very serious about wine on the inside.”
Despite MacLachlan’s lighthearted jests, at the heart of Pursued By Bear is a deep passion for Washington’s wines and the state’s unique terroirs. As a child raised in Yakima Valley, he spent his early years gardening and exploring the outdoors with his brothers, which instilled a lifelong dedication to the land of his home state. “Yakima is known as the fruit bowl of the nation,” he explained. “Growing up there gave me a deep appreciation for agriculture—growing things and the cycles of the seasons. Harvesttime was always my favorite, and it still is.”
That dedication is on display in Pursued By Bear’s flagship bottling, which represents MacLachlan’s longtime fascination with Cabernet Sauvignon. He recalled that his love for the grape variety was born when director David Lynch gifted him a bottle of Château Lynch Bages after his first screentest for Dune. He and Lynch have shared their deep passion for Bordeaux ever since.
Inspired by his first taste of Bordeaux, MacLachlan became interested in winemaking and made friends with California’s Ann Colgin and Mark Aubert, who was Colgin’s winemaker at the time, to learn more about Cabernet production in Napa Valley. But his sights were always on Washington, and after meeting one of the state’s iconic vintners, the late Eric Dunham, they soon started a label that would become Pursued By Bear. Through his work with Dunham, MacLachlan met Wampfler, and it was “a match made in heaven.” They’ve now been making wine together for almost two decades.
As MacLachlan looked back on his wine journey, the audience tasted his Pursued By Bear Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2021 (93 points). MacLachlan noted that 2021 was “a high-yielding season with extended ripening,” and that the wine “shows elegance, complexity and liveliness. I think it demonstrates some of the best of what Washington state can do with Cabernet Sauvignon.”
MacLachlan spoke passionately about how Washington deserves the credit for his Cabernet’s impressive quality. He pointed out that the state is often stereotyped for its rainy days, evergreen forests and misty vistas (using a photo of himself in front of Snoqualmie Falls and the Great Northern Hotel, main locations from his hit show Twin Peaks, to illustrate this point). But he clarified that eastern Washington’s Columbia Valley, and its Yakima and Walla Walla subregions, are ideal for winemaking: “The Columbia Valley has just the right amount of sunshine necessary for ripening grapes, and also has a massive diurnal shift. It's these long, cool nights that help create the beautiful vibrancy in the wines.”
While he has quickly become one of Washngton’s best-known vintners—offering two Cabernet cuvées as well as a Syrah, Chardonnay and rosé—MacLachlan remains humble: “Of all the roles I’ve played over the years, my favorite is pouring wine for people around the world, spreading the word about Washington state and what makes us so special.”
