Vintner Lisa Warr-King Packer is back on the scene with a new wine project: Mana Vintners. Although there is no tasting room currently, the wines can be found online at pop-up locations or at Russell’s Restaurant in Bothell, WA.
Lisa Warr-King Packer left the fast-paced world of tech marketing and turned her passion for crafting boutique wines into a thriving venture when she founded Warr-King Wines in 2011.
She fostered reputations with growers at places like Stillwater Creek Vineyards, Crawford Vineyard, Kiona Vineyards and Quintessence Vineyard that allowed her access to premium fruit. Armed with exceptional grapes and a low-interventionist philosophy in the cellar, Lisa built a loyal fan base to her Woodinville winery.
In 2022 during post-Covid, an offer to buy Warr-King Wines landed her way, prompting Lisa to seize the moment and sell the winery. “This allowed me time to recharge and rekindle the enthusiasm that drives me to create artistic, small-lot wines,” she says.
“I traveled for a year and learned more about wine,” Lisa says. “I went to Italy, Slovenia and Tahiti.” She says the only Polynesian winery in Tahiti is located on an atoll called Vin de Tahiti, situated on Rangiroa, which is known for producing unique white and Rosé wines from coral soil, the only vineyard of its kind in the world.
Now Lisa is back on the scene with a new wine project: Mana Vintners. The winery name is a grateful acknowledgement of her childhood growing up in Hawaii.
“Mana is the Polynesian word for wisdom,” she says. “And I feel I’m at a place in my life where wisdom is important.” The name also signifies the powerful elemental forces of nature that are reflected with honesty in her wines.
Lisa Warr-King Packer is currently making the wines at a state-of-the-art custom crush facility in Woodinville. Mana is a small, micro-winery and there is no forthcoming tasting room, but they do offer special events, club-only and direct online sales. The wines can also be found at Russell’s Restaurant in Bothell, WA.
Learn more at www.manavintners.com.
Mana Vintners 2022 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Chardonnay
95 pts.
Made in the traditional Champagne style with grapes from Celilo Vineyard, this sparkling wine from Lisa Warr-King Packer spent two years in secondary fermentation. The fine bead is sleek and precise on the expressive palate, cut with citrusy acidity and steely minerality, showing well-balanced notes of brioche, lemon custard and Golden Delicious apple. $58