the Freehand Team
We are wine-loving architects & artists. We founded Freehand Cellars in 2018 seeking a venue to expand upon our artistic expression. Winemaking, as with architecture, are our art forms. Whether we are selecting grapes or sketching a new concept everything starts with our hands. Our inspirations are hand drawn and poured into every bottle we produce.
Our crafting begins in the Vineyard, where the valley offers a long 190 day growing season, which allows for slow, steady fruit maturation. The warm days and the cool nights provided by the high desert environment allow the vines to produce exceptional balance with ripe fruit flavors and plenty of natural acidity. We carefully select the best blocks our vineyard can produce. From there, starting in the chilly winter, we begin our pruning with goals to achieve a very small crop load. Having a small crop load lets the plants growth focus on concentrating flavors, optimal ripeness and perfectly balanced tannins. When the grapes were ready for harvest, all grapes were harvested by hand, ensuring we only select the best possible grapes to ferment. Grapes are then hand sorted again at our production facility before we de-stem and send to fermenters for the magic to begin.
James Desarno, Co-owner
James is a principal at D3 Architects. He has been in the design/build and construction industry for the past 15 years, working closely with firms such as Donnally Architects and Vandeventer + Carlander Architects to develop successful projects. At the core of his work is a belief that good design is at the intersections of beauty and economy. James is a D.C. native, a graduate of George Washington University's International Affairs program.
Eduardo Oliveira, Co-owner
Eduardo has been in love with the Yakima Valley ever since he and his family first visited many years ago. They keep coming back, always discovering more of Yakima’s beauty, and meeting fantastic people along the way. He has always wondered why the area still feels like a secret sunny paradise. As a technologist and real estate entrepreneur, he is keen on further investing in the development of the area and spreading the word about all the great places to visit in Yakima Valley. Professionally, Eduardo is a co-founder of Faira.com, D3 Design/Build, and previously a software engineering manager at eBay and Microsoft.
Tyra Bleek, General Manager
Tyra has lived in Yakima for six years, was born and raised in Washington. Tyra took this job after working from home and managing her own photography business for ten years. She loves people and her job. Hospitality is the core of who she is and taking care of people is what drives her. “I want to make a person’s experience at Freehand Cellars as memorable as possible.” Besides her love for wine, she loves gardening. Her flowers and veggies can usually be found displayed or plated at Freehand.