WeatherEye Vineyards will change the way Washington makes wine

Back in 2018 I wrote in Wine Enthusiast about a new project from Cam Myhrvold and Ryan Johnson atop Red Mountain called WeatherEye Vineyards. The idea for the project is simple.

Put hand selected clones in nano-planted blocks at higher elevation on Red Mountain, often at high density and sometimes with northern aspects. Use this and a variety of trellising techniques to achieve longer hang times and wines with more intensity, freshness, and non-fruit characteristics. Farm it all with a maniacal level of attention and try and make wines that elevate the notion of what is possible in Washington.

The earliest look at wines from this property came from Liminal Wines, a project from Marty Taucher and Chris Peterson (Avennia) that I wrote about back in 2020. For their inaugural releases, Liminal was my 2020 Winery of the Year.

Now comes a series of 2019 estate red wines from WeatherEye that were just offered last week. These wines were crafted by Todd Alexander (Force Majeure, The Walls, Páxša, and Holocene). They are quite simply some of the best wines I’ve ever had from Washington.

“We started with a really interesting piece of property and a belief that we could try and make something great,” says Cam Myhrvold, who began purchasing land for what is now WeatherEye Vineyards back in 2004. “The plan was always to start as a vineyard, and if the fruit was really great and unique, then we’d follow that up with an estate wine project.”

It is hard to describe the extreme level of effort and detail that has gone into this vineyard without seeing it. There are currently 33 acres planted, with about 29.5 of them in production. None of the blocks could have been easy to plant. Some of them are on quite steep terrain. The soil often has a significant amount of fractured basalt. The vines must be hand tended and harvested. Most of the blocks are minute in size, tightly matched to the terrain.

“We feel like what we're doing on the vineyard side is some pretty innovative stuff,” says vineyard manager Ryan Johnson, who designed and planted the site.

Johnson, who has more than 20 years of experience on Red Mountain, spent six months just walking the ground before planting to try and fully understand the aspects, soils, and wind patterns. In the end, he attempted to match clone and variety to trellising technique and location with an intensive level of detail.

“So much of this was kind of an experiment,” Johnson says. “It's a confirmation that terroir is important, viticulture is important, and so is the clonal material that we use.”

WeatherEye currently works with 10 hand-selected wineries, with many more clamoring to access the fruit. The choice of Alexander to craft the estate wines was both inspired and an easy one. Johnson had been working on the nearby Force Majeure project but was ending his tenure right as Alexander was starting at that winery.

“He's a top tier winemaker, making wines at the highest level,” Johnson says of Alexander. “I think there was this mutual drive to be able to work together at some point.”

Meanwhile Alexander’s interest in working with WeatherEye fruit only increased as he saw the vineyard come to fruition. “It's an incredible amount of work, and a lot of thought has gone into it,” he says of the site.

The first WeatherEye estate wines were made in 2018, with a Syrah and Grenache at a mere 140 total cases. That expanded to a still-meager 400 cases in 2019. The 2020 production will be double that, with white wines added to the program.

Below is a description of the 2019 releases from the eyes of the people who helped create them. My scores for these wines from my time at Wine Enthusiast are at the bottom of the article.

WeatherEye Estate Grenache Red Mountain 2019

“This is really a unique mesoclimate,” Johnson says of the spot these vines are planted. “It's a little, sandy basalt outcrop. The way that outcropping works is it almost acts as its own wind shelter. You have these screaming winds hit the upper slopes of Red Mountain, and it'll go right over the top of this block.”

The entire block, which is called ‘La Mesita,’ is 0.3 acres, planted at a high density of 3,200 vines per acre. The vines are planted using a goblet training system.

“The soils really thin out just to the north of [the block],” Johnson says. “That's why it's 0.3 acres. We certainly use every last little square foot.”

WeatherEye Estate Syrah Red Mountain 2019

The 2019 Syrah is a blend of two different blocks. One is composed of the highest vines planted on Red Mountain at an elevation of 1,230 feet. The other block is planted meter by meter sur echalas – on stakes.

“It's got the highest elevation vines but also the highest vine density,” Johnson says. “It’s just a match made in heaven.”

One of the blocks is on the northeast side, which is unusual for Washington. The other is southwest facing. The blocks are 0.5 and 0.4 acres in size.

“Those are picked separately and vinified separately, and then we put a blend together at the end,” Alexander says.

WeatherEye Estate Mourvèdre Red Mountain 2019

Mourvèdre is only planted in miniscule amounts on Red Mountain – eight total acres as of the 2017 state acreage survey, the most recent that was conducted. The block this wine came from won’t tip the scales, as it is only 0.9 acres.

The block is located along the ridgeline of Red Mountain at an elevation of 1,200 feet, where the soils are fractured basalt. The vines are planted as bush vines.

“The Mourvèdre has been a real eye opener,” Johnson says. “Our approach to viticulture is we want to express the savory notes, the non-fruit elements, and I think we hit it with [this wine].”

WeatherEye Estate Tempranillo Red Mountain 2019

The 2019 Tempranillo also comes from vines planted on the north side of the mountain. Johnson says he treats the Tempranillo viticulturally like he does Syrah.

“It’s sur echalas training, high density,” he says. Johnson gives a descriptive take on the inaugural vintage.

“The Tempranillo is like sucking on the Grim Reaper's cloak. It's dark, it's slightly dangerous, and it's mysterious. I opened that the other night, and it just grabbed hold of my psyche. It was really one of those intellectually stimulating wines because it's not what you think it would be.”

The final red wine from 2019 is the Hillfighter, a blend made from declassified barrels that will change from year to year. It’s one of those “If this is what the declassified stuff tastes like, I’ve got to try the other wines” bottles. Of note, all of the label images were taken by Ryan Johnson.

* * *

In addition to these just-released red wines, WeatherEye will offer a set of 2020 estate white wines later this fall. This will include a Marsanne, a Roussanne, and a white Rhône-style blend.

Red Mountain has long been dominated by red grape varieties, which make up 96% of the appellation’s acreage. Alexander, however, is bullish on the prospects for whites at WeatherEye, which includes acreage that spans beyond the appellation’s boundaries.

“I think the potential for Rhône whites is really, really high,” he says. “You get nice juicy grapes without a lot of phenolics. You get just the right amount of texture. The acid stays gorgeous. The sugars are in check. They’re just really, really beautifully balanced.”

We will see what the future holds for white wines at this vineyard. However, the 2019 WeatherEye red wines and those that come after them will surely change the calculus of Washington wine. These are wines that will capture the imagination of consumers and critics alike. (See a recent writeup on the vineyard from Alder Yarrow at Vinography for an example of the attention this site and its wines are already receiving.) They show the heights that are possible with an extreme focus on site selection and farming.

Is what Myhrvold and Johnson are doing at WeatherEye easily extendable to other areas of the state? Extendable, perhaps. Easily? Certainly not. A project like this takes an extraordinary amount of time and a truly fanatical level of dedication.

“Ryan's probably the most obsessive farmer I've known,” Alexander says. “His attention to detail is really, really high.”

That type of commitment is surely not for everyone. A project like this is also quite capital intensive. However, these WeatherEye wines will just as surely inspire others to explore the boundaries of what is possible in the state.

“It's exhausting. It’s exciting,” Johnson says of the vineyard. “It’s all I think about honestly in my spare time, searching out new information, rethinking different blocks. I mean, it might border on a sickness really, right? But I wouldn't want to do anything else.”

An additional part of what makes the initial releases from WeatherEye, Liminal, and others from this site so remarkable is that these wines are coming from young vine fruit, albeit from very strong vintages. It’s hard to imagine how high the potential is as the vines age, the site stretches its legs, and vintners fully learn how to work with the fruit.

“Right now, it’s a young vineyard where you're pulling stuff that no one's ever worked with before,” Alexander says. “There's really no track record on anything.”

To give a sense of the overall commitment, Myhrvold is now 18 years into this project. It’s only in the last few that he’s started to see the first fruits of his investment. Still, for all the time and money, he says it’s been a rewarding journey.

“Everything takes a long time,” Myhrvold says of the wine industry. “But if I stand back and look at it objectively, I have to be pretty pleased at where we are and what I think we can do in the future.”

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Grenache Red Mountain $85 96 points 

This young vineyard, in its second vintage, has already proven itself to be a special spot for Grenache. The dark raspberry, lavender and dried-herb aromas show crystalline purity. The ripe dark fruit and white-pepper flavors are completely enveloping. Firm tannins back it all up. It needs some time to tame the tannins but will be more than worth the wait. Best after 2026. Cellar Selection — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Syrah Red Mountain $85 96 points 

WeatherEye is a new site established on the top of Red Mountain, farmed by legendary grower Ryan Johnson, with this wine made by esteemed winemaker Todd Alexander. The aromas are brooding, with notes of huckleberry, flower, crushed rock and barrel spice. Full bodied, ripe intense dark fruit flavors follow. It’s a full-on flavor and textural assault, taking no prisoners. Hedonism in a glass. Best after 2026. Cellar Selection — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Mourvèdre Red Mountain $85 95 points 

Fruit for this wine comes from a new site on the top of Red Mountain. The aromas are arresting, with notes of black peppercorn, sauvage, citrus rind, fractured basalt and herb, showing delineation and detail. The flavors are intense and layered, while still retaining deftness. There’s a whole lot of firm tannic structure behind it. It hangs on the finish. It’s tight as a drum right now. Drink after 2026. Cellar Selection — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Tempranillo Red Mountain $85 92 points 

The aromas bring notes of pencil eraser, red cherry, herb and crushed rock. A full flavored, flower-filled palate follows. There’s plenty of structure backing it all up. It’s equal promise and delivery. — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Hillfighter Red Blend Red Mountain $55 92 points 

Hillfighter is a second label for WeatherEye, a new site located on the top of Red Mountain made from declassified lots. A blend of 53% Tempranillo, 30% Syrah and 17% Mourvèdre, the aromas are brooding, with notes of dark chocolate, wood spice and cherry. Firm tannins back it up. It’s a whole lot of wine. Give it a short decant. — SS, Wine Enthusiast

Images courtesy of WeatherEye Vineyards. 

Bledsoe Wine Estates is creating a Northwest vinous empire

Former NFL quarterback purchases new Walla Walla vineyard and winery, will open two new tasting rooms in 2023

This week Bledsoe Wine Estates, founded in 2007 by former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his wife Maura, announced the purchase of àMaurice Vineyard and its adjacent winery facility in Walla Walla Valley.

“It’s a really special piece of property,” says Josh McDaniels, general manager and director of winemaking. “We’re thrilled.”

The 2,000-square foot winery building and 20-acre vineyard are located in the Upper Mill Creek area of the valley. With plantings first established by the Figgins family (Leonetti Cellar, FIGGINS, Toil Oregon) in 1997 at their Upper Mill Creek Vineyard, the area has become renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and, to a lesser extent, Syrah.

At the site, Bledsoe Wine Estates will open a tasting room for its Bledsoe | McDaniels label, a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Walla Walla Valley Syrah project that launched in 2019. The facility has a targeted opening date of Spring Release Weekend 2023. The winery also plans to open a Bledsoe | McDaniels tasting room in Willamette Valley in 2023 at the 80-acre Eola-Amity Hills property purchased last year.

McDaniels says the purchase of the àMaurice property is the realization of a long-held goal to own land in this region of the valley. “The whole time I've been [at Bledsoe Wine Estates], I’ve been looking for a piece of property in Mill Creek. I've tried forever.”

The reason is not just the top quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that comes from this area. For McDaniels, who grew up in this part of the valley, it’s much more personal.

“I've always loved that area,” he says. “It’s quintessential Walla Walla to me. It's the reservoir up there, it's the Mill Creek River, it's the mountains - the Blues, it's the trees, and the wheat fields.”

Indeed, the area is outrageously scenic. It also creates some of the best wines in the valley and will likely one day get its own appellation designation if local wineries so desire.

Upper Mill Creek is currently home to Walla Walla Vintners, àMaurice, and Abeja, in addition to numerous vineyards. Figgins is establishing a wine cave in the area with plans to build a winery. The area has become increasingly popular of late, with Echolands purchasing 340 acres in 2020 and Jackson Family purchasing its first Washington vineyard there earlier this year.

McDaniels says the purchase of the site played out over time. In 2019, he was approached to see if he was interested in purchasing fruit from àMaurice Vineyard.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” McDaniels says. Eventually, he was introduced to the Schafer family and inquired about the availability of the property.

“I knew I was interested, but I could tell it was very emotional for [Tom Schafer],” McDaniels says. “It was very personal to me too.”

Currently, the new Bledsoe | McDaniels property is 12.5 acres planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Additional plantings next year will raise the acreage to 15. The winery has received fruit from this property since 2020. The Cabernet and Merlot from the vineyard will be used for the winery’s Doubleback label, dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon. The Syrah will go to Bledsoe | McDaniels.

With the purchase, Bledsoe Wine Estates now owns an astonishing 370 acres of land in Walla Walla Valley. The winery also owns 80 acres in Willamette Valley, creating a Northwest vinous empire. Approximately 115 of the combined acreage is currently planted. In addition to its Doubleback and Bledsoe | McDaniels labels, the winery also has Bledsoe Family Wines. With this sale, each winery will have tasting rooms in Walla Walla Valley. Bledsoe Wine Estates also has a tasting room in Bend, Oregon.

“The number one objective for me [when I became general manager] was estate vineyard development,” says McDaniels, who joined the winery in 2014. The goal for Doubleback has been to include different pieces of terroir from across Walla Walla Valley. “This was kind of the missing piece,” McDaniels says.

Despite the large amount of new acreage, McDaniels says production will not expand dramatically. Rather, estate fruit will be used to replace existing contracts. Production will increase slowly over time. Doubleback is well on its way to being completely estate focused.

“To be able to be really, truly an estate grown Cabernet now with Doubleback and have completely different terroirs to go into that wine has been just really rewarding and gratifying and exciting,” McDaniels says.

With its increased property, the winery also now has its own dedicated vineyard crew. The crew is employed year-round, has full health insurance, and has full retirement benefits.

“I can't talk enough about how positive that's been for all of us, that cultural shift with our crew and our employees,” McDaniels says. “Our business is to create genuine happiness for ourselves and our customers. That's it. All of our employees are part of that. Wine happens to be the medium that we get to give that experience to people.”

The Schafer family established àMaurice Cellars in 2004. Over the years, guided by winemaker Anna Schafer Cohen, the winery became known in large part for its Viognier, Malbec, and Bordeaux-style blends. The àMaurice 2010 Boushey Vineyard Grenache remains one of the finest examples of this variety I’ve ever had from Washington.

àMaurice stopped making wine in the 2019 vintage. The Schafer family will retain the name àMaurice Cellars and current inventory. The family will continue to sell the wine it has.

“We are elated to be passing all our hard work and vision, which has been intensely emotional and personal, to another true family enterprise,” the family said in an email to its customers. “We will miss our sweet vineyard, yet we are grateful that the Bledsoe and McDaniels families will carry on our legacy.”

Image by Richard Duval. 

Why Ste Michelle bought A to Z and Rex Hill, how it happened, and what it means for Northwest wine (plus what’s up with the Woodinville property)

With the acquisition, Ste Michelle is now the largest winery in both Washington and Oregon

Earlier this week Ste Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE) announced it had purchased Oregon’s A to Z Wine Works and Rex Hill Winery. The reasons why the winery did so are simple says CEO David Dearie.

“Like everyone else, we're looking for growth and saying, ‘Where is the growth likely to come from?’”

For many in the wine business lately, the answer has been from Oregon.

Oregon wine has two clear things going for it in the market at present. The first is an abundance of high quality Pinot Noir, a variety that has been on a long run of success with consumers. The second is the higher cost associated with those wines. This puts the offerings in a sweet spot.

In Silicon Valley Bank’s 2022 report, they noted that last year premium wine sales reached growth highs not seen for over a decade (though they noted some concerns as well). Northern Oregon wineries at the same time reported the second highest revenue growth in the nation last year. (Washington was first.) As a result of these trends, the mergers and acquisitions market has been more active than ever, with Willamette Valley wineries often at the center of activity.

“Looking at the numbers, Oregon is a growth category,” says A to Z and Rex Hill CEO Amy Prosenjak. “So at all price points, when you have Oregon in your portfolio, it's a profitable business for you, and it's a growing category.”

Two of a kind

On paper, the pairing of SMWE and A to Z/Rex Hill makes immediate sense. Ste Michelle has a portfolio of premium wines with a consistent focus on quality. A to Z has made its mark by offering premium, high quality whites, reds, and sparkling wines. Ste Michelle also has a number of luxury brands in its portfolio, where Rex Hill fits in nicely.

Still, for the obvious compatibilities, the acquisition was equal parts fortuitous and opportunistic for both parties. On the Ste Michelle side, the company was looking for growth.

“Our focus for the future is on premiumization, like everyone else at the moment,” Dearie explains. “[When we looked at where to get growth from], we had a list of potential acquisitions that may or may not be available that fit into the profile, and A to Z/Rex Hill were right at the top of the list.”

A to Z/Rex Hill might have topped Ste Michelle’s wish list. However, they were not necessarily available.

“We were never interested in selling,” states Prosenjak. “We were interested in finding good partners.”

While Ste Michelle was looking for growth opportunities and A to Z/Rex Hill for a partner, the acquisition was ultimately kindled by one simple spark. Both companies have a relationship with lender Bank of the West.

“Our banker brought the two parties together and said, ‘You know, maybe something could happen here,’” Prosenjak recalls. “When we sat down and had the first conversation with David and the team, we could just see the synergies.”

Ste Michelle’s expansion in Oregon

Ste Michelle made its first foray into Oregon in 2006 when it purchased Erath, one of the state’s founding wineries. The company has since grown that brand from approximately 70,000 cases to 300,000 cases annually. While Dearie says Erath continues to have growth potential, A to Z – one of the largest wineries in the Oregon – gives the company much more. Additionally, the Erath and A to Z wines taste different.

“They're both from Oregon, but they're very different in the look and feel and their flavor profile,” Dearie says. “So we see them as complimentary even though they compete on the shelf.”

At an annual production of 7.3M cases across all its brands, SMWE has long been the largest winery in Washington, headlined by Chateau Ste Michelle, 14 Hands, and Columbia Crest. With the acquisition of A to Z and Rex Hill, SMWE now becomes the largest winery in Oregon as well according to the company. The combined production of Erath, A to Z, and Rex Hill will be 700,000 cases. Moreover, Dearie believes that wineries in both states are positioned to grow – and Ste Michelle along with that.

“We see tremendous growth opportunities from Washington, and we're very well positioned to be able to take advantage of those growth opportunities at various price points,” he says. “We see the growth of Oregon. We think there's a long-term potential. This acquisition gives us the opportunity to grow both.”

A year of change at Ste Michelle

The acquisition comes after a year of transition for SMWE. The company itself was purchased by Sycamore Partners, a New York based private equity firm, last year for $1.3B, with the deal completed in October.

At the time, some feared that Washington’s founding winery might be sold for parts and quick profit. However, Sycamore’s investment in Ste Michelle with the purchase of A to Z and Rex Hill would seem to indicate both companies are playing the long game.

“Obviously Sycamore is coming in as a private equity group. They will be looking to get growth,” Dearie says. “They're prepared to invest behind the portfolio and the brands to achieve that.”

Sycamore’s belief in the potential of the winery is due to the long-term strategy that Ste Michelle presented when it was looking for a buyer.

“We put a very simple strategy in place, which is fix, build, buy,” Dearie says. “Fix some of the challenges we’ve had; build on the core brands that we've got; buy where we see opportunities. Our intent is to grow and grow at the premium end. [The purchase of A to Z and Rex Hill] is just an extension of that strategy.”

Prior to Sycamore purchasing the company, Ste Michelle had made a number of acquisitions over the years. Most recently, the company purchased Sonoma’s Patz & Hall in 2016.

However, this is the company’s first acquisition since the Sycamore purchase and since Dearie became CEO in October of 2020. It is also the first since the winery hit a rough patch, with a decrease in production of 1.2M cases per year between 2016 and 2020. In 2020, former owner Altria announced a $292 million inventory write-off and $100 million in losses on non-cancellable grape purchases.

Since the purchase by Sycamore, Ste Michelle has made a number of changes. Some of those have come on the corporate personnel side, such as recently appointing Andy Feuerstein as senior vice president of national accounts on/off sale. Others have come in distribution, such as announcing a strategic partnership with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. The company also made several changes to its winemaking team last year and this year.

“Sycamore bought the business less than a year ago. We've done quite a bit in that year,” says Dearie. “We managed to close down Woodinville [wine production], and then we've got a distribution contract with Southern. We've now bought A to Z. So it's been a busy 12 months. Hopefully the intent is people see that we're in this for the growth and for the good of the Pacific Northwest wine region in general.”

Plans for the Woodinville property

While Ste Michelle’s purchase by Sycamore initially caused trepidation in some corners, those concerns were heightened when Ste Michelle put its Woodinville property up for sale in whole or part earlier this year. However, Dearie says any potential changes to the property would be both pragmatic and in the best interest of growing the brand.

“We're not in any need to move anywhere,” Dearie explains. “We're just looking to see what have we got and what can it be worth, and the intent is for us to invest behind our brand building efforts.”

Ste Michelle made the decision to list all or part of the property for sale after moving its white wine production to eastern Washington starting this vintage. Red wine production has long taken place there.

“We have got to be good stewards of the land, and we're focused on that,” Dearie says. “When we started to look at the amount of diesel that we were using to bring grapes backwards and forwards, it made much more sense to have those wines processed in eastern Washington where the grapes are grown.”

The exploration of whether it could sell part or all of its Woodinville property was a natural follow on to that decision.

“Like anything else, we’ll explore all of the options, but if we don't like any of the options for the site here in Woodinville, we won't take any of the options,” Dearie says. “You've got to look at where the best places to deploy capital are. We've got some assets, like part of the Woodinville site here, that is excess to our needs, and if we can redeploy the capital in there, we should.”

Dearie says he doesn’t expect moving production and potentially selling parts of the property that were used for that purpose to negatively impact consumer experience at the winery.

“The consumer is coming to the Woodinville site not to see the winemaking production facilities. They’re coming here for the consumer experience of tasting wine, sitting on the lawn, watching the concerts. What we want to do is give more wonderful experiences to consumers who come into the site.”

What’s next for the A to Z/Rex Hill team

While some recent winery acquisitions in Oregon have been influenced by the 2020 vintage where wildfire smoke drastically reduced production at many wineries, A to Z/Rex Hill’s Amy Prosenjak says that was not the case here.

“It was really about the future rather than anything that had happened in the past,” she says.

Prosenjak will join the Ste Michelle team as President of Oregon Brands. “When you take Erath and A to Z and Rex Hill, you have these three great brands that you can provide distinct flavor profiles, distinct wines, distinct price points, [and] distinct brand stories,” she says. “It gives you a lot of options out there to our great consumers.”

Founding partners Deb Hatcher, Cheryl Francis, and Sam Tannahill will join Ste. Michelle as consultants. Michael Davies will continue as executive winemaker. Bill Hatcher, another founding partner, is retiring as chairman of the board for A to Z. Otherwise, consumers should expect more of the same. All in a newly renovated tasting room. 

“A to Z’s premise has always been ‘Try Oregon for $20. Try it tonight. And if you like it, maybe you'll buy the next great $50 bottle that you come across from Oregon,’” Prosenjak says. “That’s what it was from the beginning and still is today.”

The power of Oregon Pinot

The acquisition of A to Z/Rex Hill makes SMWE the largest producer in Oregon. This also sets the winery up well for what many expect to be the two biggest growth categories of the next decade – Oregon and Washington. It also clearly shows the power of Pinot Noir in general at present, and Oregon Pinot Noir in particular.

“Pinot is a hot varietal right now,” Dearie says. “And we've got two core brands with A to Z and Erath which are very different styles and then a more premium one with Rex Hill. So we think we've got to the best of all worlds where we can we can speak Oregon from multiple different styles in flavor, profile, and processes. I think that's really quite exciting.”

As the company continues to grow these brands, it’s a message Ste Michelle can take not just around the country. With an international sales team, it’s a message that Ste Michelle can take around the world.

“I think Oregon is renowned for making fantastic quality, particularly Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and sparkling [wines],” Dearie says. “And the consumer recognizes the quality that comes out of Oregon, and we see that as well.

“We’re hoping to be able to continue with that legacy and to make Oregon stronger, to take Oregon not only across the US but then ultimately into some selective international markets so folks can taste these great Oregon wines.”

Image of Chateau Ste Michelle by Richard Duval. Image of Amy Prosenjak, David Dearie, and schematic of A to Z Winery courtesy of Ste Michelle Wine Estates.