The Januik Legacy: Four Decades of Shaping Washington Wine

Mike Januik and the Making of a Washington Winery

For more than 40 years, Mike Januik has helped define excellence in Washington winemaking. His career spans the Columbia Valley’s early rise to its place among the world’s most respected wine regions. Along the wine, he’s built a winemaking style rooted in precision and patience, driven by curiosity, and guided by a deep respect for the vineyard that make Washington wine distinct.

As founder of Januik Winery and longtime winemaker for both Novelty Hill and Januik, Mike has earned a reputation for wines that are balanced, expressive, and reflect a true sense of place, delivering consistent quality vintage after vintage. His influence is felt not just in the bottles he makes, but in the standards he helped set for Washington State wine as a whole.

A Winemaker Shaped by Curiosity and Craft

Early Life and an Unconventional Path

Mike Januik was born in California. He grew up moving often, attending more than a dozen schools before graduating high school. That early life shaped his adaptability and work ethic, qualities that still define his approach to winemaking.

Before he found his way to winemaking, Mike worked a wide range of jobs, from restaurants to outdoor guiding. He and his wife, Carolyn, also owned a wine shop in Ashland, Oregon, an experience that deepened his curiosity about wine and its stories. Those days of tasting, learning, and talking with customers sparked a bigger question: what creates quality in the glass, and how do craft and science come together to make it happen?

Mike & Carolyn Januik, 1979

UC Davis and the Science Behind the Style

In 1980, Mike and Carolyn sold their wine shop so he could pursue formal training at the University of California, Davis, earning a master’s degree in enology and viticulture.

At UC Davis, Mike studied under leaders in sensory science and fermentation, including Dr. Ann Noble, creator of the Wine Aroma Wheel. That education gave him a lifelong respect for precision and process. To Mike, winemaking is grounded in science but elevated through judgment, experience, and restraint.

Choosing Washington Wine Before the World Was Watching

Mike crushed his first Washington grapes in 1984, at a time when the state’s wines were still largely unknown outside the region. Moving north was considered a risk, but Mike believed in the potential of the Columbia Valley, with its long growing season, cool nights that preserve acidity, and a remarkable range of soils and elevations. From river-influenced sites to windswept benches and sun-drenched slopes, Washington’s vineyards offered the flexibility to grow a wide range of varieties with balance and character, laying the groundwork for wines offering freshness and structure.

Throughout the 1980s, Mike worked with a variety of Washington wineries, steadily building a reputation for quality and consistency. Those early years furthered his connection to the region and positioned him as one of the state’s emerging leaders just as Washington wine began to gain national attention.

Leadership & Innovation at Chateau Ste. Michelle

A Decade of Transformation

From 1990 to 1999, Mike served as Head Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington’s largest winery. During that decade, he helped modernize the state’s winemaking infrastructure and elevate expectations for quality at scale.

Under Mike’s leadership, Chateau Ste. Michelle launched its single-vineyard and reserve programs, an important step in highlighting Washington’s diverse terroirs rather than treating the region as a single style. At the same time, Mike managed the design and construction of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s new red winemaking facility in Eastern Washington, a key contributor to the wine’s growing reputation for quality and consistency.

Technology, Precision, and Training the Next Generation

Mike also introduced advanced cellar technology that allowed for tighter control over fermentation and handling. With more precise monitoring and data-driven decision-making, the team could respond quickly as lots evolved—protecting freshness, improving consistency, and keeping quality high at scale. Just as importantly, Mike guided and mentored a team of winemakers and cellar leaders who developed the skills, discipline, and confidence they later carried into leadership roles at wineries across Washington.

During his time at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Mike also partnered with Italy’s Antinori family on the launch of Col Solare. That collaboration helped shine a global spotlight on Washington State wines, signaling that the Columbia Valley had earned a place among the world’s most respected wine regions.

Cold Creek Vineyard and a Lasting Relationship

Mike’s relationship with Cold Creek Vineyard began during his years at Chateau Ste. Michelle, where he first came to know one of Washington’s oldest and most distinctive sites. Located on the eastern edge of the Columbia Valley, Cold Creek is prized for fruit that brings natural structure, balance, and age-worthy depth. Mike quickly developed a deep appreciation for the vineyard, especially its Chardonnay, and he continues to source Chardonnay from there today.

Because Cold Creek is a Chateau Ste. Michelle estate vineyard, its fruit was historically kept within the Chateau Ste. Michelle portfolio and not sold to outside producers. So when Mike left to found his own winery, being invited to purchase Cold Creek Chardonnay was a meaningful exception. It reflected the strength of his relationship with the vineyard and the winery’s confidence in his winemaking.

Building Januik Winery and the Novelty Hill Partnership

Two Independent Wineries

Mike and Carolyn founded Januik Winery in 1999 as a focused expression of the Columbia Valley’s most respected vineyards. From the start, Mike brought a meticulous approach to the details, from fermentation through blending, where science provides the foundation and craft shapes the final wine.

Around the same time, Mike began consulting with Tom Alberg, who was considering wine grapes on land his family had owned since the 1960s. That vision became Stillwater Creek Vineyard, a 235-acre site on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills. Soon after, the Albergs launched Novelty Hill, naming Mike as winemaker to capture the finest expression of their estate fruit. As the two wineries grew, they shared a production facility in the Woodinville warehouse district, building a common home base for their winemaking. That collaboration eventually gave way to a more permanent vision, one that brought production and hospitality together under a single roof.

A State-of-the-Art Winery in Woodinville

In 2007, the Januiks and Albergs opened their Woodinville home: a destination tasting room and production facility designed for both craft and hospitality. Built with purpose and precision, the winery was designed for energy efficiency to support small-lot wine production. Just as importantly, Novelty Hill-Januik was created to welcome guests into an inviting space, indoors and out, where visitors can taste, gather, and enjoy an up-close view of winemaking in action, with outdoor tasting areas that invite guests to linger.

A Philosophy Built on Balance and Place

Mike often says his goal is to let the vineyard speak. His wines are known for structure, mouthfeel, and clarity—not excess. He avoids trends and lets each site guide decisions in the cellar. Single-vineyard wines are made only when a site consistently delivers something special. Blending is thoughtful and restrained. The result is wines that age well, pair easily with food, and reflect where they come from.

That steady, vineyard-first approach doesn’t just show up in the glass; it’s also one of the reasons his work has earned lasting attention from the critics who follow Washington wine most closely.

Critical Acclaim for a Washington Winemaker

Mike Januik is widely recognized as one of Washington’s most respected winemakers. He has been named one of Wine Enthusiast’s “Masters of Merlot” and led his wineries to hundreds of 90-plus-point scores.

Wines from Januik and Novelty Hill have appeared multiple times on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, earning praise for consistent quality across vintages and vineyard sources.

A Family Winery, Built to Last

Mike’s son, Andrew Januik, grew up in the winery. He began cellar work as a teenage, learning the craft alongside his father from the ground up. After joining the team full-time, he steadily took on greater responsibility in the cellar, developing a style shaped by the same attention to detail and vineyard focus that defines the family’s wines.

Today, Andrew serves as head winemaker for the Januik family of wines, working closely with Mike to guide everything from harvest decisions to final blends. He also produces wines under his own label, earning critical acclaim that reflects both independent vision and deep respect for the foundation laid before him. Together, their collaboration ensures continuity in style while allowing the next generation to shape the future of Novelty Hill-Januik.

L-R, Louie and Andrew Januik, Carolyn Januik, Mike Januik, Donald Januik

A True Family Effort

Carolyn Januik remains deeply involved in the business, while son Donald serves at the winery’s general manager, overseeing hospitality and marketing. Together, the family produces wines across three labels, sold through the Woodinville tasting room, the Cellar Circle wine club, online and at wine shops and restaurants around the country.

A Lasting Influence on Washington Wine

Mike Januik’s impact goes beyond the wines he makes. He helped modernize Washington winemaking, champion vineyard expression, and mentor future leaders, all while building a family winery grounded in craft and quality.

Today, Novelty Hill-Januik stands as a reflection of that legacy: thoughtful wines, made with care, from some of Washington’s most respected vineyards.