Meet the Family!
Photo by Felix Eaton
Penelope Eaton- Owner | Manager | Events Presenter
Penelope Eaton holds a BA, and WSET I, II, (and III Pending 2024). Penny is the Wine Steward at Yoke’s in South Richland, where she offers her expert product recommendations, handles special requests from her costumers, manages inventory, and communicates with a wide variety of vendors to find the perfect products. Her work in both the front-of-shop and behind the scenes has curated one of the best to-go spots in the Tri-Cities for everyone’s wine, beer, and spirit needs.
She is a member of the Wine Scholars Guild, Society of Wine Educators, Napa Valley Wine Academy, and American Wine Society. Penny holds a membership with eight different wine clubs in Washington State. She has been awarded certificates in Wine Tasting, Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis from UC Davis (expected 2023) and Wine and Food Pairing from Fine Vintage-James Cluer MW, (expected 2023) as well as holding her Mast 12 License and Food Handlers Permit. Her passions in life are art, wine, cooking, music, education, and hospitality.
Penny is the Owner and Event Presenter here at EWES. She was born and raised in the stunning Finger Lakes region of Central New York State. Penny’s father laid the foundation for her love and deep knowledge of wine; he was a European wine enthusiast, as well as a strong supporter of his local wineries. After graduating from Alfred University, Penny and her husband, Will, moved all around the country before settling in Richland, WA where they chose to raise their two children, Arielle and Felix, surrounded by grape vines and horses.
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Straight out of college, Penny worked hard creating and managing programs at her University as well as in local non-profits; later creating her own business as a certified technical writer. Penny served as Coordinator to several adult and children’s educational programs, an International Education Program Director, an Assistant Director for the Summer Institute in Science and Engineering, and as Manager of her own business Champion Resume, Technical Services. For years, Penny also served as Manager, Announcer, Treasurer, President, Secretary, and Fundraising Chairperson for several local non-profit boards. Through those experiences she gained extensive knowledge in conceptualizing and managing programs and events from few to hundreds.
When she arrived in the Central Washington area, Penny fell in love with unique wines. She soon made the choice to switch careers and dove head-first into the industry she truly loved. Her winery experience began when she met the owner of Tefft Cellars and helped in the tasting room of his newly built Black Heron Spirits in West Richland. Penny then worked for Mercer Estates in Prosser for 4 years where she received the Mercer Estates Outstanding Service Award and went on to work for Col Solare Winery in Benton City, where she received two promotions and became a Wine Educator. After that, Penny worked as the Winery Manager for the startup of a small winery on Red Mountain, as well as teaming up with industry professionals to author a business proposal submitted to the Port of Benton for the Walter Clore Center. More recently, Penny formed Eaton Winery Event Services as the family business she conceptualized for several years. EWES works to combine her industry experience, her passion for hospitality, and the thing she loves the most, her talented family.
Photo by Brook Eberg
Felix Eaton- Creative Arts and Social Media Director | Project Guide | Pourer
Felix Eaton was born and raised in Tri-Cities, Washington. From a young age, he was deeply involved in the arts. Over the course of his life, he has participated in choirs, orchestras, and several theater productions. Felix grew up excelling in equitation events, winning his division’s Overall High Point several years in a row. He later went on to work administratively with his parents in the announcer’s booth and represented Central Washington Pony Club on their Rodeo Court. Felix was a member of the top choral ensembles at Hanford High, and was Captain of the Color Guard. During his time in college, he was a member of Tau Beta Sigma, and was a student leader and coach of the Division 1 Collegiate Color Guard. In 2022, Felix graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Washington State University (Go Cougs!).
In 2020 Felix’s love of wine expanded after spending years listening to his parents describe and compliment a glass over dinner. As his family got more involved with WSET, he tasted alongside them and developed his own palette. Felix is a design expert, and social media pro with several years of teaching experience. He holds his WSET 1 Certification, MAST 12 License, and Food Handlers Permit.
Photo by Brook Eberg
Arielle Eaton- Science and Education Director | Project Guide | Pourer
Arielle grew up in Tri Cities, Washington, and is currently a published biologist who holds a BS from the University of Idaho (Go Vandals!). As a child, Arielle took art classes at the Allied Arts Gallery and enjoyed horseback riding, singing in choir, playing several instruments, and above all, learning about plants and animals. Arielle has a deep passion for learning that is marked by her receiving the President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and membership in the National Junior Honor Society. She developed a deep love for science and biology in high school, and took that love forward when she interned at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. Upon her high school graduation, Arielle received the Washington State Honors Award for placing in the top 10% of all students. In college, Arielle continued to grow her love for biology, as she worked in a lab on campus during the school year and spent her summers at PNNL. After college, Arielle worked on a Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry System at a lab and then in AI development.
Like her grandparents before her, Arielle is a gifted teacher who is particularly skilled at logical explanation. For many years spanning high school, college, and adulthood, Arielle has volunteered as a Counselor at Tall Timbers 5th grade camp. From her parents, Arielle inherited a love of wine and cooking and enjoys introducing new friends to wine tasting whenever she gets the chance. To further her interest in the science behind wine, Arielle earned her WSET I in 2022. Arielle also holds a MAST 12 License and Food Handlers Permit.
Photo by Andrea Star
Will Eaton- Business and Technology Advisor | Pourer
William grew up outside of New York City and attended a Waldorf School where he received classical training in music and traditional art mediums. Outside of work, William dedicates his time to downhill skiing, mountain biking, and motorcycling. Shortly after moving to Washington, William learned horseback riding with his two children. He values quality family time and has a passion for wine tasting.
William received his BS in Ceramic Engineering and his MS in Glass Science from Alfred University (Go Saxons!). Early in his career, William served as a co-op student for West Valley Nuclear Services Company, an Instructor for the National Science Foundation's Young Scholars Program, a Research Assistant for Alfred University and an Intern for Owens-Corning Fiberglass. His first position in Washington State was as a Vitrification Engineer for Westinghouse Hanford Company, where he went on to become the Technical Liaison between the Hanford and Savannah River sites. In 2016, William accepted the position of Technical Advisor at the Principal level at Pacific Northwest Nuclear Labs operated by Battelle. He currently manages a large budget and group working on vitrification and melter testing for Hanford. William holds his WSET 1 Certification and MAST 12 License.
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