About

Bill and Tiki Spell founded Spell Estate in 2006, and produced their first vintage that next year. Inspired by their love of Pinot Noir, the Spell’s are committed to delivering the highest expression of Pinot Noir without forfeiting the integrity and beauty of the varietal. Each bottling showcases the nuances of the individual vineyard – from soil type to coastal and mountain influence – The Spell’s focus on the vineyards themselves, not just the end-product.

Natives of Minnesota, Bill and Tiki are avid wine collectors of wines from all over the world, but are most passionate about Pinot Noir. The aromatic and fruit-forward style of California Pinot Noir, brought them out West. “Pinot is one of the most finicky grapes there is,” he says. “That poses a challenge, but also has a big reward to it.”

Pinot Noir is an ancient variety of grape with beautiful, black, pinecone-shaped clusters of fruit that produces some of the finest wines in the world. It’s difficult to grow and even more difficult to transform into extraordinary wine. But in the masterful hands of winemaker Andrew Berge, Pinot Noir becomes art.

Born in Germany, Andrew grew up immersed in the European lifestyle. Food and wine are simply a part of his DNA. He comes to Spell with a pocketful of degrees in food science, deep experience in winemaking and a farmer’s love of the land. For Andrew, work is not simply a profession, it’s a lifestyle. And for Spell it results in an extraordinary Pinot Noir that is dependably enjoyable every season.

Allisun found her way into the wine industry when she began working with the boutique Minnesota-based distributor World Class Wines in 2002. With experience in many facets of the wine industry, from administration to brand management to sales, she loves working with wine because, “Wine builds such wonderful connections… and what else do you do with a degree in History, Economics and French?”

Meeting the Spell’s as a neighbor in the 1990s, Allisun began working for the Spell’s in her high school years and returned to manage Spell Estate in 2013 after re-connecting at another Minnesota-owned winery event. Allisun oversees the daily management of the winery along with direct and national sales.