Earlier this month, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE) submitted the first step of a site plan review for its Chateau Ste. Michelle property to the city of Woodinville. Here, in the first part of a two-part interview, David Bowman, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at SMWE, discusses potential changes to the property that might include a hotel, renovations to the chateau, the addition of restaurants and other retail, alternations to the concert venue, and the addition of residential housing on portions of the property already zoned for it. This plan would be subject to review and approval by the City of Woodinville and is currently in its earliest stages.

Bowman joined SMWE as President, California & Luxury in January of 2022. He was promoted to CCO in January of this year, reporting to CEO Shawn Conway. As CCO, Bowman oversees domestic and international sales, national accounts, brand management, shopper marketing, and direct-to-consumer organizations. Bowman brings to the company nearly 25 years of wine industry experience that includes executive experience at Gallo and Jackson Family.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

On August 6^th, Ste. Michelle submitted the first step in its Site Plan Review to the City of Woodinville. Tell us what that initial plan looks like.

One of the challenges when you submit plans like this is that you’re basically initiating a process, and there’s the starting point and the end point. I can tell you what we think, but the reality is, until we know, we don’t know if we’re going to be able to do all of these things.

What we’re trying to do is create a center for food, for wine, and for the community that I think is going to be really exciting and a respectful mix of entertainment, hospitality, certainly the history of Chateau Ste. Michelle, and some residential where there is already residential zoning for it.

The things I can tell you that are certain are we’re going to augment the experience in general. The property has always been an epicenter for a lot of activity in Woodville, but we think we can make it even more friendly and do so in a way that’s a lot easier for people to access and enjoy.

Parking is always a challenge for our concerts. We’re going to make that a lot easier. As for the concert experience itself, we want to make several enhancements to the amphitheater. We want to make that the premier outdoor concert venue [not only] in western Washington but, frankly, in the Pacific Northwest to see live music.

The chateau will remain the heart and center of the property. We’re going to continue to make that a focal point of wine experiences. It’s important to us and our identity. There will be some renovations though.

Part of the plan is to have a hotel on-site, correct?

This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Shawn Conway’s name. Image of Chateau Ste. Michelle by Richard Duval. 

Northwest Wine Report is wholly subscriber funded and is my primary source of income. Please subscribe to support continued independent content and reviews on this site.

To receive articles via email, click here.