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Changing Of The Guard: The New Winemaker Is Here!

Dirk Brink, from Benton City, and his lovely bride, Esther Nielsen have just returned from their honeymoon in South Africa, eager to begin their new life here in North Idaho.

Making the leap across the state line is no big deal for Dirk. Raised in South Africa, Dirk earned a viticulture and enology degree from Elsenburg College in Stellenbosch, South Africa (2003) and worked for several years there. Then he decided to give this hemisphere a go. Interning for flagship wineries in Washington State gave him broad experience working with fruit from some of the same Columbia Valley AVA vineyards contracted by CDA Cellars for the last decade.

Kestrel Winery in Prosser has been his home for the last 6 years. Their portfolio of high quality, complex wines actually parallels the repertoire here in many respects, preparing Dirk to continue the Gates family tradition of producing lush, well-balanced wines.