A Textbook Tale of Washington State Winery Success
A Textbook Tale of Washington State Winery Success
Mark Ryan McNeilly’s path from sales rep to respected winemaker is a “textbook tale” in balancing creativity with business sense. With early support from industry friends and a clear instinct for branding, he turned small-batch garage vintages into sought-after wines. His labels and storytelling connect with a younger audience, but his success is rooted in experience, hustle, and a genuine love for the craft. Read on to see how a personal passion became a regional success story.
BY JEFF “WICK” WICKLUND
Photos courtesy Mark Ryan
If there’s one thing that everyone in the global wine industry can agree upon is that expanding the consumer base is always welcome. Historically, the best avenue to that outcome has been with the youth, but reaching that demographic has been somewhat of a challenge.
I’ve crossed paths with scores of folks who possess that certain “tinker gene” that has propelled them to seek joy and fulfillment through the magical alchemy of winemaking. But, to advance that passion for the fermented grape into a viable business model requires an additional skill set.
So many times I’ve heard from upstart winemakers, “It’s one thing to make it and something entirely else to sell it.” Another quip about launching into the wine industry that doesn’t seem to lose traction is, “If you want to get a million dollars out of the wine biz, start with two.”
Here’s a personal tale of a true gentleman who defied so many odds, and dodged so many bullets to create a phenomenally successful contribution to the Washington State Wine Industry.
I first met Mark Ryan McNeilly in 1997 when he walked into our first wine shop which we opened a year prior, Wick-Ed Cellars. Mark was replacing a sales rep from Unique Distributing, with whom I had a great relationship and was instrumental in getting us over the first few hurdles of the retail wine business. My first thoughts were, “Ok, who’s this big guy and how can he fill the shoes of my friend and pseudo-mentor?”
Well, filling the shoes wasn’t an issue, as Mark was about double his size and he turned out to be, and continues to be a true inspiration. Mark possesses a special gift of infectious, gleeful enthusiasm for life that left me little doubt that whatever contribution he made by being our sales rep, success would follow. It was also obvious his tenure would not be sustainable as his boundless energy was sure to propel him skyward. We stayed in touch as he moved on to be the National Sales Manager for Matthews Cellars and with the help of many friends in the industry, launched Mark Ryan Winery.
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I recall Mark bringing in a “shinner” (unlabeled bottle of wine) that he wanted feedback on saying, “I think it’s good but I’m taking it around to my friends in the business to see what they think it’s worth and what should I sell it for?”
I remember saying, “I agree, it’s delicious juice so, as for pricing, what playground do you want to start in, DeLille or Facelli?” (I was referring to two Woodinville Wineries price points at the time).
It was no surprise that Mark chose wisely and immediately sold out of his first vintage, produced in a friend’s garage in 1999.
As it turned out, Mark had (and has) the exceptional, enviable dual qualities of the successful production of wine–making it, and selling it. His first wines produced under the Mark Ryan label were catchy and creatively appealing to a broad demographic including younger buyers. “Dead Horse” a play on the vineyard source on Red Mountain, Ciel du Cheval translates to “horse’s heaven” or in Mark’s marketing, “Dead Horse,” a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend. “Long Haul,” a nod to the distance between the vineyards and winery in Woodinville, which is a Merlot dominant blend also using Ciel du Cheval fruit as well as Klipsun Vineyard and Red Willow which are some of the oldest and most respected vineyards in the state.
Mark’s passion for the band Pearl Jam prompted the production of “The Dissident,” a more approachable wine, further widening the appeal of Mark Ryan Wines to a youthful audience.
The Mark Ryan Brands have exploded over the years to include Board Track Racer, Lu & Oly, Megan Anne, Numbskull, and the Underground Wine Project labels of Idle Hands, Devil’s Playground, and the cult favorite rosé, “And why am I Mr. Pink?”. As with Mark Ryan Winery, the vast majority of the unparalleled expansion over the past few decades, Washington State wineries didn’t have the luxury of millions of dollars to invest and risk chasing their passion but, very few can rival Mark Ryan McNeilly’s massively creative capacity to draw in a broad swath of support led by the elusive youth.
