“Don’t be scared to be a little different.”

Gavin Shipman (GS): Can you please update me with some basic information: date of EV graduation, current employer and position, social media handles, and preferred contact details? 
Brad Binko (BB): Cool yeah, I graduated in 2016. I started Eternal and Drink Washington in 2014. All the handles are either Eternal Wines or Eternal_Wine. 

GS: How did you get into wine? 
BB: My dad got me into wine. He always had a huge wine cellar, you know. I started bartending at 18 and started selling wine. When I started bartending and fine dining, that’s really when I had to start learning more about wine and that’s kind of where I fell in love with wine too. So yeah, it’s like the more you learn, the more down the rabbit hole you go.  

GS: Is there someone in the EV world that you admire, including fellow EV alums? 
BB: Oh yeah, I mean there’s a lot, you know. I just think it’s cool when people follow their dreams. In my class, Jay and Matt, they started Prospice and that’s cool. Anyone who makes good Rhone Varietals, I will follow you. Even just being at the incubators the past seven years, all the people there were graduates of the program too and that was fun. I hope everything works out for them too, when they find their forever homes. 

GS: What’s special to you about working in the wine industry? 
BB: I like the freedom.  I like everything. I like the whole atmosphere of it. You can do so many things where it can be fun, it can be educational, it could be serious, but it could also be goofy. It is just really versatile and it’s a good industry. All those people in it are pretty awesome.  

GS: What is your favorite part of your job? 
BB: Mmmm…good question. I really love interacting with the customers, educating them about our wines and the wine industry. I really like harvests though, too. I mean if you don’t like harvest, it would be a bad job to have. 

GS: What are some of the challenges you faced in the industry? 
BB: Well, you know there’s financial Issues. And there are a lot of challenges, not just making the wine but you have to do the marketing and have to do the accounting and the legal. It’s just a lot more than people think.  

GS: What do you think differentiates and excites you about Washington wine? 
BB: Well, we are very diverse and can grow so many different varietals depending on our microclimate here, from Pinots to bold Cabs. Washington is so young, so we can really still kind of mold it and make it to what it should be.  

GS: How do you foresee climate change or social issues affecting the local industry in the next few years? 
BB: Well, there’s a lot of the social issues [that are] definitely going to affect [it]. There is a lot of stuff, a lot of turmoil, and there’s a war on alcohol lately, it seems like. We just have to weather the storm, I suppose. It does kind of feel like we’re getting attacked in the media a lot. 

GS: What are some up-and-coming trends in wine that you’re following? 
BB: People are having more fun with bubbles, and they are good for anything or anytime, morning, noon, night… brushing your teeth.   

GS: What advice can you share with future EV graduates? 
BB: I would say just follow your passion and if you like certain aspects of it, make it work for you. But don’t be scared to be a little different. I think when I first started, I thought I had to fit in this box in this mold and make certain wines because everyone else did. You don’t have to do that; do whatever you want. Don’t be afraid of being a little different. 

GS: How do you express yourself through your wine and tasting room 
BB: Overall, Eternal is based on my flavor profile and what I like. I like big bold wines and so I try to make those types of wines. That was different for me because before I was working at a place that did not make those big wines that ripped your face off. In [the tasting room] when you come in here with the kind of sports bar, music, atmosphere versus a “winery”. So, people who like that will gravitate to that. It’s just more of a party atmosphere for sure. 

GS: What is standout wine or vintage?  
BB: 2015 was a special vintage for me because that was much more of a commercial vintage where we made more than a couple of barrels. I remember each of those wines very distinctively. We don’t have too much of them left anymore, so it’s like they’re even more special to me. The “Rocket Man” is just a really fun line that I have had a fun time being part of its ride.