Let’s Have a Drink
Alton is a small winery in Walla Walla, WA started by Joe and Ashley Woodworth. When curating the team for Alton, there were two important criteria. First, they had to be someone you’d enjoy having a glass of wine and hanging out with. Second, they had to have as much passion as we do for hosting and entertaining. Done and done. We can’t wait for you to meet them.
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Joe Woodworth, Owner & Winemaker
Joe is the nucleus of all things Alton. It was his push that tipped us over the edge to start and tenacity and drive that keeps the day to day happening while the long plays are percolating.
His childhood summers were spent in Moses Lake, a few of them driving a swather on his Granddads’ Alfalfa farm. A lot of golf, and a lot of caddying for his local pro landed Joe the Evans Scholarship, sending him to UW, his first trip to “the coast” for college. Post grad, a job at AT&T evolved into a career there. From running sales floors to multiple stores then regions, to financial planning and real estate projects, it was a crash course in many things we would later need to build our own business. Until one day he got the ultimatum to move or quit, he quit, and that was Alton day 1.
Present day you’ll find him splitting time between the cellar and the tasting room on a normal week. (Is there ever ‘normal’ when you own a business?) In addition to that he is our financial guru, liaison to our wine growers, and in a constant battle with the soil health and weeds around our 13 acre property.
After making our wine for the last 7 years, he’s come to love the blend of agriculture and art that comes with the job. His enthusiasm for small town life and working for yourself are contagious, so if you’re thinking of pitching it all and starting over, too, it might be the last straw to have a beer with him. But it’s a good story.
Ashley Woodworth, Owner & Director of Brand & Marketing
Hi, I’m Ashley. I’m our narrator around here so I’m going to keep it real and write this in first person.
I fell in love with wine not long after falling in love with Joe. As our life together evolved a pattern emerged, we thrived on building things together. The “projects” started as elaborate Husky tailgates, then dinners and events we’d put together for friends. Then, it became curated group wine trips every year, many to Walla Walla. As we got into our early 30’s the realization came that all the things we were creating, orbited around wine. Before long, our biggest project yet became clear, Alton.
I grew up in the less sexy version of retail (weekends, holidays, quotas) and then found my way to Nordstrom 16 years ago. I was fortunate to work in many areas before landing in product management. The common thread in my career has been curation of experiences and product, whether digital or physical, and roles with heavy emphasis on creative problem solving, and coloring outside the lines. Working for a company so focused on customer experience has translated to the way we approach our own business now. While I’ll “retire” to wine life someday, I currently do both, while some days suck, work feels different when the goal is building something all your own as a result.
Getting to live in a small town is the change I never knew I needed. I love seeing friends at Carte coffee every morning. I love the farmstands, the sunsets, the impromptu gatherings with friends, and all the small moments in between that amount to feeling truly part of something special, something I never felt in Seattle, community. To build something we dreamed up from scratch, with Joe, has been the experience of a lifetime, and, I think this one will keep us busy for a few decades.
Griffin Frey, Co-Winemaker & Sr. Director of Libations
Griffin Frey is a name that carries weight in Walla Walla, and beyond, but Griff isn’t the kind of guy who’s going to tell you how important he is. And this is one of many things we love about him. From the first month we moved to WW Griff has been a part of our winemaking journey, and a friend, more importantly. Joe worked under him during his stint in the Enology & Viticulture program, Griffin’s expertise helped us learn how to bring the Alton house style to life in the bottle.
Griffin brings years of experience from harvests in Australia, Ramey in Napa, and a few wineries around the valley. Collaborating with us on Alton, well, we’re having a lot of fun, and making some wines that we think will redefine the style in WA, let’s go!
Outside of work, Griff is likely cooking up something delicious in his wood fired oven with a house full of guests, crushing a woodworking project (a few are around the tasting room) or hanging with his wife Sara, daughter Ruby and their pups Willy and Waylon, yes, named after those two.
If you want to see Griff in peak form we’d suggest a big fruit processing day where you could see him suggest we listen to Stick Figure, make big time winemaking decisions, and then open an “all in” beer in the same hour. Pissing efficiency.
Jesse Trott, Director of Hospitality
Jesse, well, she’s a unicorn. IYKYK.
After landing in Walla Walla by happenstance in 2020, Jesse found a love of the wine world that was symbiotic with the things she thrives on, bringing people together and creating one of a kind moments.
Jesse has been formative in the guest experience around here, the logistics of wine club, and essentially being team Mom, and man, do we love her for it. Her ownership mentality, ability to think on her feet and impart genuine warmth are invaluable to all the things we care about.
Jesse’s other loves are her fantastic partner Collin (who Joe went through the Community College E&V program with) and her friends, to whom she is fiercely loyal. When it comes to likes, the outdoors, a great crispy pale ale and a weekend on the Oregon Coast (where she hails from) would top the list.
Sophia Merlino, Event Coordinator
Sophia found her way to Alton with the most legit hospitality background of any of us. After graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Hospitality Management, she worked her way into a position in Woodinville as the wine club manager for a mid-sized boutique winery. A few trips to Walla Walla later, Sophia, too, was drawn to the magic of this town, and moved here to give Alton, and small town life, a shot. Lucky us.
Sophia is organized, enthusiastic, and on top of everything. Her fingerprints are on all the Chef Spotlights, private events, and more, as she grows into a small business role that is sometimes, a little bit of everything. A lot of people say they want to work in a small business and do all the things, Sophia didn’t have to tell us, she showed us. We’re proud to have her on our team.
Outside of work she enjoys gardening, trying a new recipe, traveling to new Euro destinations and an occasional stop at Passatempo or Five Dollar Ranch. We are excited to watch Sophia keep crushing it, and of course sinking into life in wine country. Life here looks good on you.