Meet the Eater Young Guns Semi-Finalists: Henri Schock

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• [Photo: A. Garland]
• [Photo: A. Garland]
• [Photo: A. Garland]
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• [Photo: Baydra Rutledge]
• [Photo: A. Garland]

Not only is this the last year of semi-finalist Henri Schock's 20-somethings, chances are, it will be the last year he'll be able to take a deep breath. Because this old soul has some big expansion plans ahead. Within the next year or two, Schock and his wife Soni — the couple that owns wine bar Bottlehouse in Madrona — plan to open several spots around the city; specifically, places they see fit for wine education and appreciation.

Says Trey Busch, the winemaker and owner of Sleight of Hand Cellars, "I'm a fan of Henri because of his passion of the obscure, and of flying outside of the mainstream... He goes out of his way to find wines from small, passionate producers (some local, some not so local) who really give a shit about what they are putting in the bottle, not what they are putting on a label... As a winemaker, when I see young people come into my tasting room and are jazzed about drinking wine, I can thank people like Henri for sending them my way, because it takes passionate people to instill that passion into others." Adds Tom Douglas: "He's so creative. He starts trends instead of just following trends, and that's just kind of a fun place to be. People see it, recognize it, and jump on board."

Below, Schock talks wine trends, the success of Bottlehouse, and his plans for changing the Seattle wine scene.

On Seattle: "I think we're probably a little bit behind the cusp." >>>