Who We Are

Fall Line Winery is owned and operated by winemaker Tim Sorenson and his wife, Nancy Rivenburgh.

Nancy is a professor of communications. While Tim also holds a 'day job' as an economics professor, he has been professionally involved with wine for many years.

Tim's romance with wine advanced in earnest in summer 2000 when he completed Introduction to Winemaking, given by the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California-Davis. In May 2001, Tim joined the staff of a specialty wine shop in the heart of downtown Seattle. There part-time for more than three years, he tasted and studied his way to a more intimate familiarity with the world of wine, and he became acquainted with esteemed local winemakers, including Benjamin Smith of Cadence Winery.

In fall 2002, Tim embarked on what was to become a two-year 'vinternship' with Cadence Winery. From the beginning, Ben welcomed Tim's involvement in every aspect of winemaking—from making trips to the vineyards to inspect vines and sample the fruit, to running analytical tests on juice and wine samples, crushing, pressing, racking, bottling, and all the other attendant activities of winemaking.

For as long as he has been enjoying wine, Tim has had a tremendous appreciation for its artistic and cultural aspects. He is especially intrigued, though, by its science. Since completing the Davis course, Tim has amassed a significant collection of texts and other references on viticulture, enology, and the world of wine—which he continues to actively study. And as time allows, he attends professional seminars, conferences and trade shows to stay abreast of the very latest in the industry.

Tim and Nancy founded Fall Line Winery, LLC, in June 2003. The winery was licensed and bonded in summer 2004, when it moved into its present location in the eclectic South Seattle neighborhood of Georgetown.