Lujon Wine Cellars was conceived in 2005 by father and son team Lewis and John Derthick. Following his enlistment in the Navy, John was attending college while also dabbling in winemaking. He heard that there was actually a school for winemaking and soon enough, John moved to California to study viticulture and enology at the University of California Davis. After graduation he worked in several Napa & Sonoma wineries but eventually wanted to get back to the Pacific Northwest.
After two decades of winemaking in California, Washington and Oregon, John was approached by his dad Lewis to consider a venture in wine for the family. While working for another producer, John figured he could easily produce a 100 case test lot and see what kind of quality could attained. Low and behold, this wine ended up receiving an 89 point rating from the Wine Enthusiast, not too shabby for a test run. That was the beginning of Lujon, and we continue to grow and receive great recognition for our wines.
John Derthick, Winemaker