THE SOUTHERN SOJOURN STORY
From an early point in my winemaking journey, I knew that being a part of the global wine community was important to me. Not only for the ability to try so many brilliant wines from around the world but also to experience the culture of these places through the wine and the people making them. Making this global community a larger part of my life was both more difficult and more rewarding than I could have imagined.
In 2015 I decided to spend three months working a harvest in Mendoza, Argentina. These three months were transformational both as a winemaker and person looking to experience new things. After months spent forging new friendships and learning exciting ways to make very different styles of wine, I knew that I would be back soon. The following year I spent a couple of months doing the same but in South Africa. The two experiences couldn’t have been more distinct from each other all while being equally invaluable.
After two harvests of collaboration and learning from great winemakers, I knew the natural next step was to fulfill the dream I’d secretly kept for many years- making wine of my own wine abroad. I decided to dive in and start making my own wine in Argentina in 2017.
While making the trip to Argentina a couple of times every year to make and check in on the wine, I found myself spending more and more time in Chile. I would always make sure that the trip both started and ended in Chile because every time I visited, I fell more in love with the country and with the wines. The natural progression was to start making wine there, with the first vintage being in 2020. The idea for this project all along has been to make wines that merge the principles of Washington State with South American winemaking, staying true to my roots while embracing what makes wines unique in every wine growing region.
The name, “Southern Sojourn,” felt appropriate as these sojourns to the Southern Hemisphere have been life-changing and something I eagerly look forward to every year. Thank you so much to everyone for the support and excitement over the years and I hope you enjoy this wine!
Andrew Januik, Proprietor & Winemaker
PHOTO: Standing next to a tank, but not just any tank. This is tank 25 at Alfa Crux and it has been my lucky tank over a number of vintages. I have worked all throughout the cellar utilizing all of their facilities but for whatever reason, my favorite wines, the wines that make Southern Sojourn have almost always come from Tank 25.
