“I really think we’ve just scratched the surface of Washington’s capability.”

Payton talks with me about the profound connection between people and wine, the joys of being stewards to the land, and honoring the connection to wine with all communities. In this interview Payton scratches the surface of how fun and challenging the wine industry can be, and how boundless the freedom of possibility can be by not adhering to the status quo.

Madeleine Ped (MP): Can you please update me on some basic information, including your date of graduation from the EV program, current employer and position?
Payton Frantzen (PF): I graduated from the EV program in 2022.  My current position is Cellar Master at Tinte Cellars located in Woodinville, WA. 

MP: How did you get into wine?
PF: Before I made wine, I designed clothes.  I went to school for fashion design in New York and worked there for a few years before returning to Seattle, where I grew up. 

I had always been interested in wine, but nothing really came of it until I began taking wine classes at South Seattle College for fun and I quickly fell in love.  After probably only a few weeks, I kind of got it in my head that winemaking was something I could do.  The way I think about it, wine is a designed product, with the winemaker making design decisions to communicate their vision to the drinker.  I felt that I could apply the design thinking I had honed for over a decade in the fashion industry to a new medium.

What was missing from my life in corporate design I found in winemaking.  It is hands on, I get to work with raw materials, and it requires creative problem solving and an artistic spirit.

MP: Is there someone in the EV world that you admire, including fellow EV alums?
PF: I was fortunate enough to intern under Keith Johnson of Devium and Sleight of Hand for harvest 2021.  He has been my biggest influence on how I think about wine and winemaking on a local as well as international level. This side of the mountains, I really respect Erica Orr. She consults for numerous wineries, all while successfully running a lab.  I am incredibly thankful for the community she has fostered through hosting happy hours for the women in production in Woodinville.  She also makes a delicious Chenin Blanc!

MP: What’s special to you about working in the wine industry?
PF: The winemaking community is really special.  You meet some of the coolest, kindest people and you have this instant connection.  Everyone really cares about what they do, and it’s an amazing feeling to have a shared passion and experience that transcends language and cultural background.  

For me it’s special to have a connection to how things are made or where our food comes from.  Being connected to production/farming is very grounding.  I wish more people were aware of the amount of effort it takes to make the objects we consume. 

Every day in the winery, the equipment and tools may look a little bit different, but we are carrying on a process that people have been doing for thousands of years.  Being a part of a greater human tradition feels really cool.  I try to ask myself, what am I doing to improve and honor that tradition?  What actions can we take to ensure that making wine is possible long after we’re gone?

MP: What is your favorite part of your job?
PF: I think a common thread that has driven me throughout my different careers is the privilege of creating objects that become a part of people’s lives.  It’s a special feeling to see a wine that you’ve worked on for months or often years being enjoyed by people.  There’s a hope that comes every year with harvest, and with each new wine made, that culminates with people enjoying the wine in the tasting room, or that wine being a part of a celebratory moment, or a dinner with friends.  I love getting to make something that’s only purpose is to bring people joy.  

MP: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in the industry?
PF: I am always reticent to say that my race or gender has been a challenge in this industry, because I love who I am.  Although I do not view existing as myself as a personal challenge, not speaking about it is denying the fact that the wine industry, especially on the production side, is overwhelmingly male and extremely white. 

Modulating to fit in with a community that is very different from yourself, and who has traditionally held positions of power, is draining.  I have worked, and still work with many intelligent, kind, and supportive men, but having to adapt and conform to be “one of the guys” can be challenging.

In this industry I have experienced what can at best be called unintended racial microaggressions, which are usually not done out of malicious intent.  People don’t even realize their actions are wrong.  They just probably have never worked closely with someone like me.

I was the first Black woman to graduate the EV program in 2022, which still sounds insane to me.  Though I am the first, I know I will not be the last.  I love what I do so much, and I will do everything I can to make the path easier for the women of color who come after me.  Spending your life being gracious and understanding, educating, and trying to make people feel comfortable in your presence takes a toll, and I honor the people who came before me by trying to effect change in the industry to make it easier and more welcoming for others.

MP: What do you think differentiates and excites you about Washington wine?
PF: Since I’m from Washington, I have a sense of hometown pride and a bit of a chip on my shoulder when it comes to telling the world how great wine from this region is and hopefully through my work, proving the range and diversity of wine we have to offer.  Nothing excites me more being a young winemaker starting their career here than all the freedom and possibility. It’s exciting not having to adhere to a specific grape or wine style and there’s promise in the unique topography and climate areas that have yet to be planted. I really think we’ve just scratched the surface of Washington’s capability, and I challenge all of us to continue to push forward and think bigger about what making wine in this region means.  Being slow to adapt and accepting the status quo is not what’s going to make us great.

I believe making Washington wine that is derivative of other regions is not where the future is.  To me, making wine that helps refine and define what makes Washington wine different and special is exciting.  

MP: How do you foresee climate change or social issues affecting the local industry in the next few years?
PF: I would like to think there will be a change in how vineyard workers and cellar workers are compensated and treated.  This industry is notorious for not paying well or providing benefits like healthcare, and the people who are the most negatively affected by that are the people doing the most important, though least glamorous work.  It’s also the work that is less visible to the consumer and thus less likely to be recognized as valuable.  The public has this glamourized vision of a winemaker or winery owner, a position that is often attached to wealth and prestige, when in reality the industry functions largely on underpaid labor.  The cost of living is only going up and the inequality is only getting wider.  There needs to be a change.

MP: What are some up-and-coming trends in wine that you’re following?
PF: As a former designer, the physical packaging of wine and the subsequent waste left behind after it’s been consumed has been something I’ve cared about since I started in the industry.  Alternative packaging is something that I really hope is not a trend. We can farm responsibly all we want, but if we don’t focus on reducing the environmental impact of wine packaging, we are missing a huge opportunity as an industry to be better stewards of the Earth.  It’s going to take a lot of consumer education, but boxed, canned, and kegged wine needs to become a greater share of the market. 

The overall societal trend towards drinking less or abstaining from alcohol altogether is interesting to me. I think there is opportunity in the low or no alcohol wine space.  Wouldn’t it be cool if there were a ton of options for delicious and interesting alcohol-free wine?  I think that something like piquette could also be an option in this area, for people who don’t want to give up alcohol altogether.   I’m not sure how long this trend will last, but I hope that it results in a greater diversity of wine options.

MP: What advice can you share with future EV graduates?
PF: Keep a young, idealistic mindset for as long as possible.  There are a lot of entrenched beliefs in this industry and it’s important to try new things, be curious, and push the boundaries!  Have a healthy respect for those who came before you, but not so much that you are blindly following what has happened before.  Most importantly, go slow, be safe, and take care of your body.