In the heart of Washington State, we own, hand harvest, and groom over 3,000 acres of estate-grown vineyards within the Ancient Lakes and Wahluke Slope. Our attention to detail and focus on each grape that enters our state-of-the-art wineries guarantee every bottle of wine we produce is done with delicacy and love. By taking our fruit in its prime, we exemplify the true character of our estate vineyards and display Washington’s maximum potential by way of supreme wines.
Washington Wine Group is a proud majority woman owned and operated business.
Founder / President
Born and raised in Northern California, Heather found her roots in growing up near some of the most prestigious areas, Napa and Sonoma.
Heather’s passion for wine began with her travels worldwide, exposed to the best wine-growing regions worldwide.
Before the age of Thirty, Heather had already been to over 35 countries and had a deep passion for food, wine & travel.
Her understanding of different cultures, food, and people was what Heather continued her interest in making her wines. Heather started her own company by taking her experiences worldwide to produce wines of exceptional quality. She instantly fell in love with the wines of Washington.
Today, her passion is growing our portfolio of wines she owns and produces from our estate-farmed vineyards and wineries.
Besides her tenacity and strength, her focus is on growing awareness of the incredible quality of Washington State’s wines.
Main Responsibilities
Founder / Chief Executive Officer
Jonathan’s history came from growing up in California’s famous wine-growing region of Sonoma County.
After ten years of leading in the corporate wine world, Jonathan decided to go back to his entrepreneurial roots and take the plunge to start his own wine company in 2012.
Jonathan’s wine brands grew and became recognized as some of the fastest-growing in the industry. The people behind him all agree this was all due to the intense passion he had from the vineyards to the grapes, to his sincere love for the wines he made.
In 2018, Jonathan decided to sell his businesses, but his never-ending love for the wine industry and the friends he made over 20 years brought him back; but this time to Washington. The extraordinary quality of grapes, vineyards, and potential brought him to where he is now. From Estate grown vineyards the wines express Washington’s incredible (and sometimes overlooked) exquisite quality.
Team, wine, quality, community, and fun are what Jonathan believes Washington Wine Group’s foundation is built on.
Main Responsibilities
Executive Vice President / partner
Eddie began his journey in the wine & spirits industry straight out of the inaugural Middle Eastern Studies program at the Florida State University. After obtaining his degree, and 4 years of Arabic language studies, he naturally delved straight into the world of wine, and has never looked back.
In 15 years’ time he has worked in distributor houses from Florida to New England, and wineries from Monterey to Washington, taking a brief respite in the throes of the Great Recession to obtain his MBA at the University of South Florida St. Pete.
He currently resides in his hometown of St. Petersburg, FL with his wife Ashley and son Charlie. He spends his spare time cooking, reading, fishing, and planning the next family trip abroad to visit the in-laws in Ireland…and wherever else all those travel points might take them.
Main Responsibilities
Director of Finance
Robin began her career in the wine industry administrative position in 2008, where she began her employment with Wahluke Wine Company.
With the help of fantastic mentors throughout the years, she was educated to manage several different roles. In the Spring of 2016, she transferred into the Financial Controller role for Milbrandt Family Wines and recently became the Director of Finance for Washington Wine Group.
Today she resides in Washington State with her family and is currently attending Western Governor Unversity.
Main Responsibilities
Regional Sales Manager Northwest
Michael‘s mother and father gave him his first taste of wine as a kid, which was not the typical upbringing where he grew up. Being that his mother was from South America, his household was a little different than the average smalltown American kid. That cultural foundation of love and passion for good food and wine led him to take the leap and pursue wine professionally back home in Memphis, TN. Michael joins us with 17 years of experience across the fine wine retail, wholesaler and supplier sides of the industry. When he’s not working you can probably find him enjoying some of his homemade pizza or fried chicken, and drinking wine with his husband Kelly and their rescue pup Webster.
Main Responsibilities
Regional Sales Manager central
Alexei Khimenko, was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. At the age of 10, he was accepted into the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy. After graduating at 17, he joined the Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich Theatre. Alexei toured around the world for nearly four years, fulfilling his childhood dream of exploring the world, its cultures and traditions. Alexei’s touring career brought him to the United States where he worked with multiple ballet companies before retiring as a principal dancer following 12 successful years.
Just before his 31st birthday, Alexei opened his first business — Aleksey’s Market in Nashville, Tenn., where he sold Russian and Eastern European food and delicatessen.
Two years later, in 2005, Alexei expanded into to the wine and liquor business by opening Aleksey’s Imports, a wine and spirits wholesale distributorship. At first it was a one-person operation, with Alexei taking orders one day and delivering them to customers the following day. But his business grew quickly, challenging Alexei to expand into East Tennessee with the opening of Aleksey’s Imports Chattanooga. With his Nashville operation continuing to grow faster than expected, Alexei sold his market in 2006 and then the Chattanooga company a few years later to focus on the Nashville wholesale business.
In 2012, he was approached by Ajax Turner, Nashville’s premiere beer wholesaler, and a few months later Aleksey’s Nashville became part of Ajax Turner Co. After three years with Ajax Turner as Managing Director of its Wine and Spirits Division, Alexei left to spend more time with his wife and kids who were about to enter school, and to pursue his new dream.
During his career as a wine wholesaler, Alexei learned the inner workings of many suppliers’ operations and helped launch multiple new brands. New brand concept development was always the most favorite part of his job. For quite some time, Alexei dreamed of combining his background in art and theatre with his experience in the wine business.
Main Responsibilities
Regional Sales Manager Northeast
Jake recently graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Business & Marketing, in which he recognizes the importance of building business in all avenues.
Jakes’ history began in 2016 working for Baystate Wine & Spirits. Jake’s passion for wines, hardworking spirit, and drive to be part of a successful team led him to join Washington Wine Group after college.
Jake’s core values are honesty, respect, integrity, commitment, authenticity, and a great work ethic.
Main Responsibilities
Director of Inventory Logistics
Cali started working for Wahluke Wine Company in 2012 as an administrative assistant, where she learned much about logistics, warehousing, and operations for the winery.
In 2015, Cali moved to Texas to focus on raising her young family.
She joined Milbrandt Family Wines in the Spring of 2019 as Director of Inventory Logistics, and we are grateful to have her manage the same role with us at Washington Wine Group.
Main Responsibilities