People Behind the Pour: The Vibrant Vision of Saanj Winery

It all started with a first date. Nine years ago, Shahron Chaudhry took his now-wife, Kye, to a tasting room in Woodinville, Washington, looking for an elevated, luxurious date that was within budget. 

“I had just recently graduated from college,” Shahron remembers. “And immediately, we resonated with the art involved in the winemaking process. There were a lot of celebrations happening there, and many people were coming together and using wine as a medium to share that celebration with folks around the table.”

While wine tasting, Shahron and Kye noticed three significant gaps that became gateways to a new opportunity. First, they saw only a few people in their age group were in the wine-tasting room. Second, there was a lack of representation of diverse backgrounds. Third, there was a sense that you had to know everything about the wine to truly enjoy it. These observations stuck with Shahron and Kye, and from there, they knew they wanted to start something special with wine, and the dream of Saanj began.

For Shahron, as he and Kye explored and learned more about the world of wine, the winemaking process took him back to his familial roots. His parents immigrated to the United States from Northern India and Northern Pakistan, a region known as Punjab. 

"My parents were farmers, my grandparents were farmers, and my great-grandparents were farmers,” said Shahron. “I heard the farming aspects of growing grapes and then producing wine. I had a lot of familial connection, and that resonated in my soul.”

Before Saanj was created, it was more of a vision, a dream that Shahron and Kye had to be able to create a space where people can be themselves, a space where everyone could just be fun and vibrant, and one doesn’t need to have all the knowledge attributes toward wine to enjoy it. 

With this vision, Shahron and Kye felt a huge sense of community-driven purpose. After three months of brainstorming and thinking through what to call their new winery, Shahron and Kye settled on a Punjabi word: Saanj, which means uplifting the community towards a common goal. Saanj Winery focuses on bringing wines to the table that evoke a specific feeling and lifestyle to break through a world of wine that may feel stodgy and inaccessible. 

When bringing the idea of Saanj to life, Shahron and Kye had two main goals: stay intentional and methodical. The pair embarked on a detailed vetting process, reaching out to 35 different wineries to understand the business perspective of wine and winemaking, like the cost of capital, funding needed, and expenses. 

“We focus on how to uplift this ecosystem of wine drinkers, whether new or intermediary,” said Shahron. “We really highlight our Southeast Asian culture. My wife is half Black and half Laotian, and my background is from India and Pakistan. So we try to meld our culture together to make Saanj relatable and approachable.” 

“An important aspect of our winery is to think of a memory or the type of lifestyle in which this specific wine can be enjoyed,” said Shahron. “For example, if you look at our Rosé, we pair it with the lifestyle of a rooftop party because that reminds me of a nice sunny day chilling with a cold glass of Rosé.” Their philosophy is to curate very easy-to-drink, easy-to-pick-up notes for a wine that any level of wine consumer can enjoy.

Outside of the winemaking process, Shahron reflects that branding was the most humbling moment of building a new company.  They were very thoughtful in bringing the mix of their personalities into the brand and label. They went through 40 different concepts and worked across three different artists. For Shahron and Kye, the journey was not just about creating a visually appealing label; it was about having Saanj Winery resonate with the original mission and its values. Through this extensive and thoughtful process, they believe we have developed a brand that truly represents who we are and the community we aim to build.

At the end of June, Saanj Winery hosted its official launch party in Woodinville, a watershed moment for the company, the brand, and the community.  The launch party had representation from people of various diverse backgrounds, showcasing the Saanj vision.

Shahron and Kye are looking forward to continuing the party. Saanj Winery's future is bright, with plans to open a physical location and a tasting room in Seattle within the next six to eight months, ship wines outside of Washington state to other areas like Atlanta, Washington D.C., and more, and attend more pop-up events around the area to showcase their wines. 

As Saanj Winery continues its journey, we are thrilled to share it with you. We can’t wait to share this wine with you through our new bottle shop, now open! To learn more about Shahron and Kye and Saanj Winery, check out their website and sign up for the WeRise newsletter so you’re the first to know about the grand opening of our wine bar, coming soon.