Join us for a special event that will delight your senses! A wine tasting led by Greg Lipskur, Winemaker and Owner of Barrister Winery followed by a recital by Victor Asuncion, piano.
5 p.m. Doors open and wine tasting begins
6 p.m. Music begins
Greg Lipsker and Michael White were vacationing with their families in British Columbia. En route, they stopped in a local shop to buy wine and walked out with a five-gallon Zinfandel wine making kit.
Five gallons turned into fifty gallons, which then turned into crushing 1½ tons of grapes in Greg’s garage in 2000. Validation came when they submitted their wine to the Indy International Wine Competition and walked away with three golds and a silver medal. Their passion ignited, Greg and Michael forged ahead with a mix of trial and error, conversations with local vintners, and courses at Walla Walla Community College. In 2001, the two lawyers decided to name their new business after the British word for lawyer; Barrister Winery was launched.
As Barrister grew, so did the accolades. Vintage after vintage won awards, including “Best of Show” at the prestigious Los Angeles Wines of the World competition. As well, Barrister Wines claim consistent 90+ point scores in the industry’s most prestigious wine magazines.
As the winery grew, the need for an assistant was apparent. Tyler Walters, knowing nothing about wine, but willing to learn and committed to creating a welcoming winery experience was a great fit. Tyler has been helping make Barrister wine since 2009. Now part owner, Tyler is fully immersed in all things Barrister. As Barrister has grown, passion for great winemaking has always been at the forefront of the business. But, the relationship with customers and community has always set Barrister Winery apart.
In November 2015, Barrister opened its second Tasting Room, located at 203 North Washington Street, across from the Davenport Grand Hotel in downtown Spokane. This location features a selection of our wines at an easily accessible location for downtown shoppers, sight-seers, and theatre goers.
Hailed by The Washington Post for his “poised and imaginative playing,” Filipino-American pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion has appeared in concert halls in Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey and the USA, as a recitalist and concerto soloist. He played his orchestral debut at the age of 18 with the Manila Chamber Orchestra, and his New York recital debut in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 1999. In addition, he has worked with conductors including Sergio Esmilla, Enrique Batiz, Mei Ann Chen, Zeev Dorman, Arthur Weisberg, Corrick Brown, David Loebel, Leon Fleisher, Michael Stern, Jordan Tang, and Bobby McFerrin.
A chamber music enthusiast, he has performed with artists such as Lynn Harrell, Zuill Bailey, Andres Diaz, James Dunham, Antonio Meneses, Joshua Roman, Cho-Liang Lin, Giora Schmidt, the Dover, Emerson, Serafin, Sao Paulo, and Vega String Quartets. He was on the chamber music faculty of the Aspen Music Festival, and the Garth Newel Summer Music Festival. He was also the pianist for the Garth Newel Piano Quartet for three seasons. Festival appearances include the Amelia Island, Highland-Cashiers, Music in the Vineyards, and Santa Fe.
His recordings include the complete Sonatas of L. van Beethoven with cellist Tobias Werner, Sonatas by Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff with cellist Joseph Johnson, the Rachmaninoff Sonata with the cellist Evan Drachman, and the Chopin and Grieg Sonatas, also with cellist Evan Drachman. He is featured in the award winning recording “Songs My Father Taught Me” with Lynn Harrell, produced by Louise Frank and WFMT-Chicago. Mr. Asuncion is the Founder, and Artistic and Board Director of FilAm Music Foundation, a non-profit foundation that is dedicated to promoting Filipino classical musicians through scholarship, and performance.
He received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in 2007 from the University of Maryland at College Park under the tutelage of Rita Sloan. Victor Santiago Asuncion is a Steinway artist.
The Sitka Music Festival, a 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit is Alaska's premier chamber music presenter with the mission of providing the finest classical music experience in Alaska through performance and education.