In an exclusive interview, Sarah Neish learns how the decision taken by Washington wine giant St. Michelle to buy 40% fewer grapes from growers may have a surprising silver lining for smaller producers. In August last year, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (which is responsible for 50-60% of Washington’s total wine production) confirmed it would be buying 40% fewer grapes from growers to “ensure the health of its business”. “We are currently working with our grower partners to adjust our grape supply to better align with demand and enable us to focus on crafting the highest quality premium wines from Washington,” Lynda Eller, SMWE senior director of communications, said at the time. Speaking to the drinks business last week, Kristina Kelley, executive director of Washington State Wine Commission, hinted that while the news had shocked many growers it was not necessarily all bad. It means that smaller producers can “get access to vineyards and fruit sourcing that they may not have had the chance to otherwise because growers were under contract to Ste. Michelle,” Kelly said. She sees the shift as an opportunity for smaller growers to get in on the action and increase their profile in the Washington wine community and at export. While exports currently make up less than 5% of Washington’s wine business, according to Kelley “wineries which may not have thought about export before because they didn’t have the capacity to make enough wine might now start to look at exporting as an option.” “We’re still a
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
