Wine drinkers of Washington State are well familiar with the quality of the state’s wines: An estimated one of every four bottles consumed in the state is local. But as the state’s wine industry celebrates a number of anniversaries—this year, 150 years since the founding of the state’s first winery, and next year, 200 years since the first vineyard was planted—its winery members increasingly wonder how to connect with wine drinkers beyond the state’s borders, to build a sustainable clientele, and to grow.
That last question is particularly vexing, because last summer the state’s largest producer, Ste Michelle Estates, announced that it would be reducing its grape purchases by 40% over the next five years. The decision directly affects about 10,000 acres (4,000ha) of vines—almost 17% of the state’s 60,300 acres (24,400ha) of vineyard land—and will likely have a dramatic impact on prices for anyone selling wine grapes in the state.
Chateau Ste Michelle’s roots reach back to the post-Prohibition 1930s and the creation of National Wine Company and Pommerrelle. In 1954, the two merged to form American Wine Growers. Aside from the merger, the new company would also make the first steps toward what we would call premiumization today. Both had focused on cheap wine and worked mostly with native American and hybrid varieties, though National had begun planting vinifera varieties, starting with Grenache, in the Columbia Valley as early as 1951. In 1965, it planted its first Riesling vines in the Yakima Valley, and the grape variety
This Article was originally published on World of Fine Wine
