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A little bit about Laine and Drew...
Both from Missouri, Laine and Drew Pauk married in 2013. Planning to build their lives in St. Louis, they each pursued careers in their respective fields – Drew in business management, Laine as a pharmacist. As time went on, they developed a passion [obsession] with wine that took them to famous vineyards both at home and abroad. As a compliment to their traveling, Drew worked to obtain multiple wine certifications, including Certified Specialist in Wine (CSW) and Certified Wine Educator (CWE) from the Society of Wine Educators, and Certified Sommelier (CS) from the Guild of Master Sommeliers. Eventually, in the summer of 2016, their travels took them to eastern Washington. Immediately, they knew there was something very special about this place and in the spring of 2017 Laine and Drew threw caution to the wind and moved across the country to Walla Walla, WA.
"There's something beautiful about the way that a bottle of wine can take you back to a significant time in your life, or link to a powerful memory. It’s transcendent. As our passion for wine grew, we realized that we wanted to share this truly unique experience with others."
- Laine Pauk, Owner and Winemaker
Why Walla Walla?
After visiting eastern Washington, and tasting the wonderful wines, Laine and Drew knew Walla Walla would be their future home. Anyone who visits Walla Walla will tell you it’s a special place – the Blue Mountains and rolling wheat fields make for a picturesque backdrop. Home to around 40,000 people, Walla Walla also hosts well over 100 wineries. Long, hot summer days and cool summer nights, paired with minimal rainfall make the area ideal for viticulture. Being a relatively young wine growing region means that there is still an attitude of freedom and experimentation among the winemakers of Walla Walla not always found in other American wine growing regions.
"Moving to Walla Walla and learning from the winemaking community here changed my philosophy forever. I am lucky to work to translate the beauty of this place into something that can be shared with others"
- Drew Pauk, Owner and Winemaker
…okay, but why Moonbase?
Amid a myriad of obscure hobbies, Drew has always been infatuated with space. Though his dream of becoming an astronaut didn’t work out, he continues to stay relevant in all matters regarding discovery and space exploration. Drew believes we need a base on the moon as soon as possible. Combining his love for wine and space = Moonbase Cellars!
A little late to the space-game, Laine considers Moonbase to be more symbolic in nature: a starting point from which to explore different facets of winemaking in Walla Walla.
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