Seattle Magazine
November 2017
The iconic Washington wineries look to the future of our state’s wine industry and wines that give a nod to their roots.
This is a year of milestones in Washington wine, and especially in Woodinville, the beating heart of west-side winemaking. Chateau Ste. Michelle, which essentially inaugurated Washington state as a serious winemaking region, is celebrating its 50th anniversary; DeLille Cellars, which helped kick off the boutique winery phenomenon in Woodinville that has yet to abate, is celebrating its 25th. Each winery is integral to the history of Washington wine; each well deserving of an anniversary toast.
While Ste. Michelle has chosen 1967 as its starting point, the winery’s roots actually stretch all the way back to the repeal of Prohibition, in December 1933. Very soon thereafter, two wine companies were launched: Pomerelle and National Wine Company, with both focused on fruit wines (think blackberries and currants) in the early days. Those companies merged (in 1954) to become a winery called American Wine Growers and shifted their focus to vinifera (wine grapes). In 1967, American Wine Growers launched Ste. Michelle Vintners, but it wasn’t until the actual chateau was built in 1976 that the winery switched to its current moniker.>>>Read the entire article on Seattle Magazine