Who We Are

Glenda Downs (left) & Denice Ingalls (right) grew up in Woodinville, Washington – a quiet rural town at the time – in a family that was all about family. Every holiday and weekend revolved around time with parents, sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles- most of whom lived close by. Denice attended college at Pepperdine University in California where she earned a Bachelors of Arts in Economics. Glenda attended Western Washington University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Non-Profit Administration and Fine Arts.

Denice came by wine-making by a circuitous route – first working with honey as an ingredient for craftsman breads, and microbreweries and eventually calling on her memories of Mead, or honeywine, in English literature. Inception to fruition was a long journey – the winery being bonded in 1997, debuting its first bottle in 1999, and continuing to stretch its wings through today. Denice has been involved in every step of Sky Rivery. She selects the honeys used in the meads, works with the wines as they ferment, collaborates on packaging, oversees the mountains of paperwork, and enjoys working with customers and teaching them about Mead.

Outside the winery, Denice is blessed to spend her time with her two beautiful children and a friendly dog. Theirs is a happily chaotic life of hockey, soccer, , fly-fishing, great books, hiking, gardens, good friends and always a good bottle of wine.

Glenda came to Sky River Mead after years of self-employment in the floral and restaurant industries and then marketing in the Seattle tourism industry. Glenda was introduced to mead by her sister, Denice. Since coming to Sky River Glenda has been responsible for sales & marketing, social media, the tasting room and gardens, label art and design, and the Sky River website.  Glenda is learning the mysteries of winemaking and loves sharing her knowledge with customers as she learns.

Outside the winery, Glenda loves nothing more than spending time with her two amazing kids and wacky pup. Glenda is also an artist working in watercolor, paper collage, beads, and sometimes wood and leather. She also loves fishing, gardening, and, when she has the opportunity, sailing.