Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro
OUR WINEMAKERS, a history
Paul and Wendy
Amelia Wynn Winery has been producing small-lot wines on Bainbridge Island since 2008.
Paul’s history as a winemaker goes back decades after participating in his first crush more than 20 years ago. He sources all his fruit from Eastern Washington vineyards to make wines that showcase the varietal as well as complement a great meal.
Paul Bianchi was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, where his family heritage dates back to 1797. He loved the (then) small hamlet, however as the town grew, Paul felt he needed a change. In 1972, he moved to Washington with his first wife, taking a job in Skagit Valley working on a 200-head dairy farm. He relocated to Ballard in 1974 to attend the University of Washington and complete his degree (and subsequent licensing) in landscape architecture while also working in the bakery and restaurant business. Paul has always had a deep love of fine food and wine, and enjoyed the experience he garnered working in the culinary industry.
By 1978, Paul and his family had moved to Bainbridge Island and Paul expanded his design pedigree, becoming a licensed general contractor. It was Bainbridge Island that Paul would call home forever, and in the mid-1980s he built his first house (solo) on the island, while raising his daughter as a single father.
It was in 1998 that a couple of Paul’s friends asked if he’d be interested in making homemade wine. They crushed approximately four barrels, creating what would be their first small vintage. This set Paul on a new path, and as a craftsman, he already had a high bar set for whatever he created—the winemaking process was no different. Over the next several years, Paul learned everything he could about the production of fine wine, and in 2008, Paul’s first bonded crush was completed. That same year his daughter gave birth to her first children, fraternal twins Amelia & Wynn, and the Amelia Wynn Winery name was born, after their namesake.
Paul knew he needed to start small and build from there. He enlisted graphic designer, Laurel Wilson to create his labels, and sold his wines through Island Vintners on Winslow Way in downtown Bainbridge Island. In 2018, Paul married the love of his life, designer and artist, Wendy Armstrong.
Together, they created the Amelia Wynn Winery and Armstrong Art Gallery on Winslow Way, where they established wine tasting, served small appetizers and displayed Wendy’s art. Wendy now creates all the labels for Amelia Wynn Winery.
However, their dreams were much bigger. They wanted to create an atmosphere where they could enhance direct sales to their customers, create and serve culinary delights to pair with their wines, as well as providing a comfortable and inviting space to enjoy it all. When a larger location on Winslow Way and Ericksen became available, Paul worked tirelessly with the real estate agents to lease the property. Paul and Wendy knew this would be the ideal location for a new tasting room and bistro with a commercial kitchen. Construction on the property began in 2019, and because both Paul and Wendy are experts in design and construction, they completed most of the work themselves along with their sub-contractors.
The new Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro opened in December 2019, and like everything, they were shut down due to COVID-19 in March of 2020. This was a gut punch to Paul and Wendy, but they refused to let it keep them down. Like many restaurants, they re-worked their business model to provide take-out and curbside pick-up for both their menu items and their wines. As restriction guidelines changed, Paul and Wendy worked to accommodate their customers, expanding their outdoor dining, adding a full awning and heat lamps.
In 2022, with thoughts of eventual retirement, Paul and Wendy sold the Bistro location to their beloved staff. Passing the torch on to his general manager Erika Johannsen and her partner Nicolas Van Den Bosch. Paul is excited to focus on winemaking while Wendy enjoys more time in her studio. Together they look forward to traveling, family, and a beautiful future of good food, good wine, and each other.
Paul is very proud of his accomplishments as a small winemaker, and his hard work has been rewarded on several levels. Amelia Wynn wines have competed at the highest level and won at some of the largest wine competitions. They have received the Best of Show award, the Best of Class award, and top 25 and top 50 awards per the Seattle Times. In addition, his wines have received numerous golds and double golds. His crowning moment was his 2016 Aragon Grenache, which won Best of Class and Best of Show at the Washington State Wine Competition. In 2025 Paul was named as One of the 2025 Pacific Northwest Fantastic Four Winemakers by the Seattle Wine Awards.
OUR VINEYARDS
Amelia Wynn Winery’s goal is to source the best quality grapes from vineyards where the terroir and viticultural practice insures consistency over vintages. During harvest we are in constant contact with the vineyard manager to insure grapes are picked at the optimum time. We have proudly sourced grapes from the following vineyards:
The Crawford Vineyard, Yakima Valley AVA
Kiona Vineyards, Red Mountain AVA
Six Prong Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills AVA
Stone Tree Vineyard, Wahluke Slope AVA
Stone Valley Vinyard, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA
Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley AVA
The Dwelley Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley AVA
Roxboro Vineyard, Yakima Valley