Story

Part love story, part adventure (with quite a bit of drama and humor thrown in), our story is rooted in passion. It is a passion to work together as a family to create something of beauty, from the earth, that will be savored and enjoyed for years to come.

The story is far from written, but here is the start…

1996


Tim grew up in Wisconsin and wine wasn’t part of his family’s culture. In college, he worked in restaurants and developed an appreciation for hospitality and service that included wine but it wasn’t until shortly after college, on a business trip in New York,  that he had a glass of wine that opened his eyes to wine’s potential. That experience planted a seed and, in the years that followed, he developed a deeper interest and a desire to learn more.

1999


Jen is from New Jersey but our story together starts in Milwaukee, WI. We met one night, out on Milwaukee’s East Side, when mutual friends made a connection. A short while later, on our third date (a canoe day trip), Tim pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses from his backpack. This marked the first of many great memories celebrated over a shared bottle of fabulous wine.

2001


On a trip to Biltmore Estate Winery in Asheville, NC, Jen experienced her own wine “aha” moment when she discovered a varietal bottling of Cabernet Franc. We bought our first full case of wine that day – a meaningful investment as a young couple just starting out. The wine we bought was what Jen fondly began to refer to as “my Fronk.”

Our mutual enjoyment of wine continued but it wasn’t until we moved to Chicago that our interest in and commitment to wine got serious.

2005


We were married in Chicago and soon began filling the cellar of the historic, 1921 Chicago bungalow (we were rehabbing ourselves) with wines Tim had researched and purchased.

Chicago is a great city for many reasons but it turned out to be a great place to live as we learned more about wine. At the time, the city was something of a wine-shopper’s paradise with a wide range of small independent shops, larger warehouse stores, access to wines from all over the world, and, of course, a great local restaurant scene. It was a dynamic environment with great wine discoveries across a wide range of price points and there was always something new to explore.

While we didn’t know it at the time, 2005 was also a great vintage in Bordeaux. Eventually, that happy coincidence provided the impetus for us to lean even further into the idea of collecting wine – an endeavor fundamentally rooted in optimism and anticipation of great experiences in the future.

2007


As our family grew with the birth of our first daughter, Audrey, and the rescue of our beagle, Bogie – so did our passion for wine. The more we tasted, the more intrigued and curious we became. Eventually, Tim enrolled in a remote winemaking course through UC Davis and as he watched the recorded lectures on DVD each night, Jen was right there by his side.

The more we learned, the more fascinated we became, not only with what was in our glass but also in the many other elements of wine: history, culture, nature, geography, farming, science, food, hard work, celebrations, and many fascinating people.

We began to realize wine reflected many of the things we valued most in life.

2008


We began researching the prospect of building a wine business for our family. Chicago wasn’t a likely locale for pursuing our interests in making wine so, in the years that followed, the curiosity persisted and we considered all sorts of destinations.

2009


On one of his research missions to a local Chicago wine shop, Tim picked up a bottle of Merlot from Walla Walla, Washington. When we tasted it, we were thrilled to discover character reminiscent of the wines from Bordeaux we had come to love. Our eyes turned toward Washington State.

2010


As we awaited the birth of our second daughter, Tim accepted a new role at his company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The family moved in August, after Emily was born. Before our furniture even arrived, Tim was spending nights and weekends working with a winemaker in Woodinville, Washington – a Seattle suburb that had become home to more than 100 wineries, making – we would soon learn – the densest concentration of highly rated wines in the entire world. Soon, Tim was also taking winemaking classes at South Seattle Community College and then through Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology programs.

2011


Harvest 2011, we decided to dive in. We were lucky enough to contract with a well-respected vineyard in Washington’s Yakima Valley AVA for 6 tons of premium grapes. That harvest, while continuing to volunteer for the other winery, Tim made what would become the first vintage of Armstrong Family Winery wine.

2013


With three years under our belts and our 2011 vintage in bottle, we rented our own space in Woodinville’s Warehouse Winery District and opened for business. The 2011 vintage was well received – earning two Double Gold awards in the Seattle Wine Awards and many wonderful fans.

2016


Over the next several years, we grew our production from those first 6 tons to 50 in 2016. But following that harvest, it was clear we’d grown out of our space. As we considered options for a new winery space, we turned to wine country and to the first Washington wine region to capture our heart: Walla Walla. The small, rural town is home to some of the most esteemed vineyards and wineries in the world and over the years, our visits had convinced us that it would be a perfect place to raise our family. Through a twist of fate, we learned that a small farm on the north side of town that had caught our eye 2 years earlier was for sale. As soon as we visited, we knew we’d found a new home for our family and business.

2017


In May, we began the next chapter with the purchase of our new property. The 22-acre farm features a vineyard with 2 blocks of 17-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, a historic barn, a lovely home for our family, and space to eventually build a new production facility visiting area for our guests.

2018


In April 2018, we opened a second tasting room – this time in Downtown Walla Walla. Located in a beautiful, historic building, the space is filled with historic character and furnished with a variety of seating options and beautiful photos of the farm – allowing us to treat guests to a very personal, seated tasting experience and virtual farm visit… with the convenience of a downtown location.

2019


The fall of 2019, we celebrated two milestones: our first estate harvest of the two acres of Cabernet Sauvignon at the vineyard on our farm in Walla Walla, and our first partnership with a wine distributor, Well Crafted Beverage, to get our wines placed in bottle shops and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia and Washinton, D.C.

2020


2020 was a big one for many reasons. For us, the first is that in 2020, we entered into a long-term lease to farm a beautiful, 8.5 acre vineyard site about 5 miles from our farm. We named the site Journey West in honor of the site’s proximity to one of the primary routes early settlers to the area took as they moved into Walla Walla. The name also honors our own journey west to make wine.

For us and the rest of the world, 2020 also brought massive sudden change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For months at a time, our tasting rooms were shut down to reduce the spread of infection. And when we were allowed to operate, we faced ever-changing guidelines. However, whether we were limited to outdoor-only tasting during 110 degree weather or 3 degree weather – or no in-person tastings at all –  we were heartened by the support of our members, fans and local communities who ordered online, tasted in far less than ideal circumstances (and enjoyed it!), and took advangage of our curbside pickup and local delivery offers.

The changing standards also forced innvoation and we are grateful for all we learned. During this time, we started our virtual Book Club, our virtual Wine & Food series which allowed members from across the US to come together online for fun and education, and we improved our online ordering, fulfillment and reservation systems.

 2023-24


After 5 wonderful (if not unusual) years in our downtown tasting room, we closed those doors at the end of 2022 to focus on our ultimate vision of centering our winery at our farm, just 15 minutes north of downtown Walla Walla. As a result, we did not have a Walla Walla tasting room in 2023 (nor will we in 2024). Instead, we are focused on growing awareness in other markets, planning the future of our business, and hosting a small number of private events for members of our Club and list. If these past few years have taught us nothing else, it’s that change and transition push us … and while we miss having a way to host guests in Walla Walla, we think the end result will be worth the wait!