I had been looking for an operation partner, and we had a number of people that were interested, but it wasn't really until I started talking to Marty and Chris, where I said 'These are the guys that I want to do this with.'
Woodinville-based Avennia has acquired Gramercy Cellars, the Walla Walla winery founded by former Microsoft manager Greg Harrington, uniting two of Washington's most decorated Rhone and Bordeaux-variety producers under one roof. The deal, announced September 23, 2026, includes Gramercy's Forgotten Hills Vineyard and its interest in the Octave Vineyard, while the JB George Vineyard remains with Harrington.
Harrington, who left a career at Microsoft to found Gramercy with his wife Pam, built the label into one of the state's most critically acclaimed wineries, twice named a Wine & Spirits Top 100 winery. His stated aim from the start was to make wines that "taste like dirt," an Old World sensibility applied to Washington fruit. Avennia, founded in 2010, has earned similar acclaim for its Rhone and Bordeaux blends, including a 2021 Syrah that scored 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck.
Under the deal, Harrington will stay on as founding winemaker, continuing to make Gramercy wines alongside Avennia's team. Avennia CEO Marty Taucher said Harrington would be more of a sounding board than a day-to-day presence for the Gramercy side, freeing him to focus on winemaking while Avennia handles the business.
"Finding the right partner is really hard, and we have had a few opportunities over the years that were not the right fit," Harrington said. "We are very confident that this was the right move for Gramercy. I'm looking forward to focusing on the winemaking side and working with the team at Avennia to continue to make some of the best wines in the state."
Consolidation with a Washington accent
The acquisition follows a familiar pattern in Washington wine: respected mid-size producers joining forces as succession, scale and distribution pressures reshape the landscape. Metis, the wine-industry advisory firm, advised on the transaction; financial terms were not disclosed.
Taucher described Gramercy as one of the wineries that has defined modern Walla Walla, and said the deal extends Avennia's reach dramatically, from Walla Walla into the broader Columbia Valley. Avennia's recent purchase of a Red Mountain vineyard gives the combined company estate holdings across three of the state's marquee growing regions, alongside Gramercy's Forgotten Hills site.
For the trade, the key question is what changes for the wines. Avennia says nothing will: Gramercy will continue as a distinct label, Harrington stays in the cellar, and the combined portfolio gives distributors a deeper Washington book. With more than 70 percent of Gramercy's sales coming direct to consumer, the deal also hands Avennia one of the state's most loyal customer bases, a valuable asset as tasting-room economics get tougher.
Harrington's path to Gramercy ran through Microsoft's management ranks before he traded software for cellar work, a biography that made the winery's rise one of Washington's favorite stories. Two decades on, the question facing many founders of his generation is what comes next. Selling to a like-minded Washington producer, with the founder staying in the cellar, is one answer, and the industry will be watching whether it becomes a template.
The acquisition is the latest in a run of Washington consolidation moves in 2026, as producers seek scale without sacrificing the small-lot identity that built their reputations. Whether Avennia can grow Gramercy while keeping its soul intact is the test; on paper, keeping the founder in the cellar is the right first step.