Exit, Pursued by a Bear

Category: Eat + Drink Articles

Local wine guru and TV star team up to create a delicious Washington wine

Washington wine-lovers have a lot to thank Eric Dunham for.  His winery, Dunham Cellars (Walla Walla, 150 E. Boeing Av; 509.529.4685), has been producing amazing wines since 1995.  And last month, Dunham released Pursued by Bear, a collaboration between himself and Washington-born Desperate Housewives actor, Kyle MacLachlan. (You may also remember MacLachlan as Charlotte’s WASP-y first husband, Trey MacDougal, on HBO’s Sex and the City.)

Dunham and MacLachlan first met in 2002 when MacLachlan was looking for a wine for his wedding.  “He’s a Washington boy and was looking in Walla Walla,” says Dunham.  “We met for dinner and after lots of wine we became friends.  We kept in contact with each other and slowly started to develop our idea.”

That idea was Pursued by Bear (the name comes from a Shakespearean stage direction), a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, the duo released in September.  The wine has a dark plum, Bing cherry, and violet flavor. “It’s a really well-rounded, nicely structured wine,” says Dunham. 

Dunham notes that though MacLachlan is “one of the most laid back people you can meet,” he is immensely involved in this project, coming up to Walla Walla every other month to check in. In fact, the pair just finished creating a Syrah, called Baby Bear (in honor of the birth of MacLachlan’s son), but Dunham says it will be a couple of years before anyone sees it.

There are just 300 cases of the Pursued by Bear 2005 Cab Sauv, so grab some if you can.  Order online at pursuedbybearwine.com or dunhamcellars.com.