Wine’s Most Inspiring People 2020, Advisor Wine Industry Network

Advisor Wine Industry Network
January 6, 2020

If you were making a list of people in the wine industry with an inspirational tale to tell, Ashley Trout’s name would have to be at the top.

This self-taught winemaker, who acquired her considerable skills through grit and on the job training, has managed, through the creation of a winery that funnels all proceeds to a free health care clinic for the underserved, to bring together the Walla Walla WA wine community in a manner not seen before.

Trout’s background in wine began in 1999 when, as an 18-year old student at Whitman College, she had the opportunity to do nighttime punchdowns for Reininger Winery in Walla Walla. About midway through her 8-year stint there, Trout suffered a climbing accident while traveling in Japan, which opened her eyes to health care access. It also caused her to reevaluate her priorities and seriously commit to a winemaking career.

Following her recovery, Trout went to Argentina for the first of eight harvests there, where she continued to hone her lab, cellar and winemaking skills.  In 2006, she created Flying Trout, her first winery, back in Walla Walla. She sold the business in 2010, but stayed on as head winemaker for another five years.