Washington wine pioneer and visionary Allen Shoup, 79, passes away
Allen Shoup, former president and CEO of Stimson Lane (now Ste Michelle Wine Estates) and founder of Walla Walla Valley’s Long Shadows winery, passed away November 7th at his home in Shoreline, Washington. He was 79 and died Read more...
An interview with Decanter’s new US editor Clive Pursehouse
On September 30th, Clive Pursehouse joined Decanter as its US editor. Pursehouse brings to the position a diverse background, from working for almost 20 years on a college campus to cyclocross racing to wine blogging to writing Read more...
Making dreams come true in Walla Walla Valley
Since I first travelled to Walla Walla Valley in 2004, the area has been in constant motion. New wineries are constantly starting up, new wineries are being constructed, and new tasting rooms are turning on Read more...
Devison Vintners Fall 2022 Releases
2020 was a vintage that looked near perfect in Washington going into the second week of September. In fact, it looked like it might be among the best vintages the state had seen in the Read more...
An interview with Lynn Penner-Ash, co-founder of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars: Part II
Lynn Penner-Ash spent over 40 years in the wine industry, most of it in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. In Part II of my interview, I talk with Penner-Ash about starting Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, her experiences winegrowing in Read more...
An interview with Lynn Penner-Ash, co-founder of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars: Part I
Lynn Penner-Ash spent over 40 years making wine, most of it in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. After working eight years in California, she moved to the valley in 1988, when the Oregon wine industry was still Read more...
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 Read more...
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 OregonEarlier 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 Read more...
Rocky Reach: an in-depth look at Washington’s newest appellation
Today the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved Washington’s newest appellation, Rocky Reach. The approval comes on the heels of three appellations last year, bringing the state’s total number of viticultural regions to 20. Here Read more...
A look back at Washington’s 2021 growing season
Year marked by high heat, low yields, good quality 2021 was an unusual growing season in Washington, marked by a record heat event in late June, an overall hot growing season, and in many cases Read more...
Why Ste Michelle was sold and what it means for Washington wine
This article appeared in Beverage Industry Enthusiast on Monday July 12, 2021.On Friday, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE), the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest and third-largest premium winery in the country, was sold to Read more...
Meet Washington’s newest AVAs Part 3: The Burn of Columbia Valley
This is the third in a three-part series on newly approved appellations in Washington. Read part one on White Bluffs and part two on Goose Gap. Washington is the wild west, with growers and vintners constantly exploring new Read more...
