WINEMAKING TEAM
WINEMAKING
.jpg)
Our mission at Gård is to capture and bottle the unique characteristics of the land we farm. We humbly craft award-winning wines from our sustainably farmed estate vineyards to create lasting memories for our customers.
Origin and a sense of place are of utmost importance in Gård’s winemaking philosophy, honoring our family’s farming heritage and each distinct estate vineyard site and each individual harvest season to understand and appreciate the uniqueness that these aspects bring to our wines.
​
Matías Kúsulas, Head Winemaker and Viticulturist for Gård Vintners and Lawrence Vineyards, believes that each wine has its own personality that gets formed in the vineyard – from pruning to harvest time.
Gård is a 100% estate winery, meaning we farm all the grapes that go into making our wines, which allows us to have full control over the totality of the growing season and ensuring the highest level of consistency and attention to detail from vintage to vintage to get the most of what each vintage offers.
MATÍAS KÚSULAS
Winemaker & Viticulturist
A Chilean with Greek roots, Matías was a Marine officer and Naval Engineer in Chile for more than seven years when he realized that it was time to change the course of his career: In 2005, he started studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Chile, where he graduated with distinction and a major in Viticulture and Enology. He worked in Chile for a few years and in 2011 he decided to start traveling the world on a quest to learn new wine-making techniques. After several harvests in Oceania, Europe and Africa, he settled down in France, to do his post degrees at the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. He also performed for two years as a Maître de Chai for one of the oldest and most reputable wineries in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
After years of traveling and over 15 harvests, he came to the United States and joined Gård Vintners/Lawrence Vineyards as a Production Winemaker and Viticulturist, and is currently head winemaker for Gård Vintners, Desert Wind Winery, Valo Cellars, and his own label, Massalto. In his spare time he likes to jump out of planes and is a Judo Black Belt.
HANNAH COULSON
Assistant Winemaker
Growing up in a family of restaurateurs, Hannah learned to revere wine even before she could drink it. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Colby College, she joined the wine industry while living abroad in Marlborough, New Zealand. Putting her degree to use, Hannah worked in a winery laboratory before studying at Lincoln University where she earned a Graduate Diploma in Viticulture & Oenology with Distinction. Having completed nine New Zealand harvests, Hannah returned to the US in 2018 to settle in Washington state. She joined Gård Vintners in May 2021 and is also Assistant Winemaker for Desert Wind Winery.
Currently pursuing a Certificate in Web Design from the University of Washington, she uses her previous programming and graphic design training every chance she gets. When she’s not behind a computer, at the winery or enjoying great food and wine, you’ll find her adventuring by foot or kayak through the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
BENJAMIN HIEB
Enologist | Cellar Master
Ben graduated from Washington State University with a Biology degree and entered the wine industry as a Harvest Lab Intern in Walla Walla wine country before joining our team as Enologist at Desert Wind in 2015. When Ben is not in the lab or the cellar floor, he enjoys getting outdoors, camping and hiking and chowing down authentic barbeque: pulled pork or brisket!
WINEMAKING PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
EMMANUEL FARIAS
Production Assistant
