About Julian Margot

Julian Margot's Winemaker Leah Kellogg, a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, was first inspired to get into winemaking during a 2013 trip visiting the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine area in Ontario. Learning about the diversity of wines and winemaking practices in different regions was intriguing.  Devouring any wine book that could be found in her native Wisconsin town, as well as visiting and interviewing regional winemakers, it became clear a career in winemaking was in the stars.

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In 2016 Leah enrolled in the remote winemaking program through Missouri State University. Leah, her husband Chris, and their fur-child Nettie moved cross-country to the Seattle area where they immediately felt right at home and ready to begin their wine journey.

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Leah landed her first wine job the following year interning for JM Cellars, learning first hand from Winemaker John Bigelow and Assistant Winemaker Tyler Farnsworth (also Winemaker of Laterus Winery) the ins and outs of winemaking.  In 2018 Leah received her Master's in Plant Science with a concentration in Enology (the science of winemaking) from MSU.  She was immediately promoted to JM Cellars' Enologist, a position held for 5 years. 

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Julian Margot came to life in 2020 strangely enough after a particularly difficult harvest day.   Upon returning home, Leah told Chris she wanted to start their own winery.  He agreed, he had been waiting for this day to come.  

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The name behind Julian Margot is simply a blending of Chris and Leah's favorite names.  Six years after taking the plunge and deciding to move to Washington State to turn the dream into reality, Leah and Chris' wine "child" is ready for its debut!

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