Mike Januik
Winemaker & Owner
Winemaking
A State-of-the-Art Woodinville Winery
Opened in 2007, Novelty Hill-Januik’s production facility was built to winemaker Mike Januik’s exacting design specifications in support of small lot production and gentle handling of the wine every step of the way.
Picked at Perfection
Small lots of handpicked grapes grown in Eastern Washington’s vineyards are trucked to our Woodinville winery each fall. The winemakers visit the vineyards regularly throughout harvest to taste the grapes before making the call to pick.
Fermentation
After crushing or pressing, the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks. Our winemakers taste tank samples regularly throughout harvest to make sure the fermentation is healthy and the wine is evolving properly.
Crusher-Destemmer
Red grapes arriving at the winery in small bins are placed in the crusher-destemmer to remove stems and gently break open the grape berry in preparation for adding yeast to start fermentation.
Crusher-Destemmer
Red grapes arriving at the winery in small bins are placed in the crusher-destemmer to remove stems and gently break open the grape berry in preparation for adding yeast to start fermentation.
Pumpovers
Must from the bottom of the tank is pumped over the grape cap during fermentation to further extract color, aroma, flavor and tannins from the fermenting grapes.
Temperature Control
Each tank is equipped with an energy management system to monitor fermentation temperatures and alert the winemaker if temperatures fall outside specified paramaters. The system also results in significant energy savings.
Barrel Aging
Oak barrel aging develops complex aromas, flavors and texture in the finished wine and helps integrate tannins. Most of our wines are aged in French oak. A new French oak barrel averages $1,100; a barrel yields 25 cases of wine.
Bottling Line
Few wineries our size have their own bottling line, but we’ve made the investment for the qualitative difference it makes. When the winemakers are ready to bottle, there is no waiting for a mobile truck and they can be confident the equipment has been maintained to their specifications.
Join our Wine Club
Enjoy access to limited release wines, member-only parties, tastings, special events and savings on wines.
