Chateau Ste. Michelle

Chateau Ste. Michelle
Location Woodinville, Washington, USA
Coordinates 47°43′43.74″N 122°9′0.42″W / 47.7288167°N 122.1501167°WCoordinates: 47°43′43.74″N 122°9′0.42″W / 47.7288167°N 122.1501167°W
Appellation Columbia Valley AVA
Formerly American Wine Company
Founded 1954
Key people Bob Bertheau, Winemaker
Parent company Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (Altria)
Cases/yr > 2,000,000
Known for Eroica Riesling
Varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Gewurztraminer
Distribution International
Tasting Open to the public
Website http://www.ste-michelle.com/

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State's oldest winery, located near Seattle. It produces Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, and Riesling, and has winemaking partnerships with two vintners: Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen. Chateau Ste. Michelle was selected as "Wine Enthusiast" magazine's 2004 American Winery of the Year. It is owned by Altria (formerly known as Phillip Morris).

History

Chateau Ste. Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington state. It was founded as the American Wine Company, a 1954 merger of the National Wine Company (NAWICO), founded in 1934, and the Pomerelle Wine Company. (For years, there was a large neon sign advertising NAWICO in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.) The French-style chateau is located on 87 acres (35 ha) of land with mature trees that once belonged to lumber baron Frederick Stimson, who used it as a hunting retreat and rural working farm called the Hollywood Farm. Chateau Ste. Michelle and its parent company Stimson Lane were owned by US Tobacco until purchased by Altria in 2009.

Over the years, many Washington winemakers have gotten their start working for Chateau Ste. Michelle, these include Kay Simon of Chinook Wines which she co-founded with her husband Clay Mackey who also worked as a vineyard manager for Chateau Ste. Michelle.[1]

Wines

The grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville wine country.

With annual productions of over 2,000,000 cases a year, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the world leading producer of Riesling wine.[2] The winery owns several estate vineyards in Eastern Washington including the Canoe Ridge vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, the Cold Creek vineyard and Indian Wells vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA.[3]

Activities

On the grounds of the winery is an amphitheater where outdoor concerts are performed in the summer. Past entertainers have included John Fogerty, Mark Knopfler, Ringo Starr, Pink Martini, Amy Grant, Tori Amos, Counting Crows, Tony Bennett, Gipsy Kings, Anita Baker, Harry Connick, Jr., Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Steve Miller Band, the Dave Matthews Band, Amos Lee, Sarah McLachlan, Styx, B.B. King, Yes, OneRepublic, Sara Bareilles, Serena Ryder, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Vince Gill and Diana Krall.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Harvey Steiman "Washington An Open Secret" The Wine Spectator, Dec. 15th, 2010
  2. ↑ A. King "Bonny Doon has crush on Washington Riesling" pg 26 Wine Press Northwest Spring 2007
  3. ↑ S. Roberts "Wine Trails of Washington" pg 140, South Slope Productions 2007 ISBN 0-9792698-0-6

External links