I got this from the Wenatchee world blog had to pass it on here:
WENATCHEE — While most industries have had to tighten their belts to survive the current economic slowdown, there's been one that keeps wining and dining with seemingly little concern for terms like recession.
Washington's wine industry just keeps on growing, adding another 65 wineries in the past two years. As it turns out, what's good for winemakers is also good for local economies around them.
Wine grapes are intrinsically connected to a value-added product — wine — that creates tourism and tourist dollars, said Vicky Scharlau, president of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers.
"Everyone appreciates standing in a vineyard and drinking a glass of wine that was made from the grapes that grew around them," she said. "They can taste what we're about."
Not all wineries are making money, Scharlau concedes, but the economic slowdown hasn't affected the wine industry in the same way it has many others. When times are tough, people like their wine.
"Flat is the new up," she said, quoting the philosophy of the Washington Wine Commission.
Strong wine sales are not only good for wine producers, they're good for the local economy. People who stop in at wineries to taste and buy wine are usually tourists. And industry statistics show wine tourists spend 2.5 times more money on their visits than other tourists, Scharlau said.
Central Washington is capitalizing on something it has always had: great growing conditions. NCW wineries have something going for them besides great grapes, however. Marketers have a simple word for it: location.
Even before the wineries emerged, tourists were flocking to the Wenatchee and Chelan valleys for the region's abundant recreation opportunities and beauty.
"We have built-in traffic. Other areas have to work to get people to come there," said Scharlau, who lives in Monitor and has her office in Cashmere. Much of NCW is already on the tourist map, and the growing number of wineries only gives them more reason to come and spend money, she said.
The number of Washington wineries has increased 30 times in the past 30 years. The number has doubled — from 300 to more than 600 — in the past five years. Wine production has increased from 2 million gallons in 1981 to more than 20 million gallons last year. Wine grape acreage has grown from 11,000 acres in 1993 to 33,000 acres in 2008.
The boom that started in the southern part of the state has spread northward. In 1984, the first North Central Washington winery was licensed. Today, there are close to 60 wineries in NCW. The region is part of the Columbia Basin American Viticulture Area (AVA), which covers the entire central part of the state and part of Oregon. Most, but not all, NCW wineries produce wines from grapes grown in the central and southern parts of the state.
The Lake Chelan area, however, recently won federal certification as its own AVA. The prestigious certification — one of 11 in the state — means Lake Chelan vintners have proven that wines produced from grapes grown in their soil and climate are unique from those using grapes from other growing areas. The Lake Chelan area has 15 wineries and about 300 acres of grapes.
The Lake Chelan AVA is a marketing tool that will be good for the entire area, said Ray Sandidge, winemaker for Lake Chelan Winery, KarMa Winery and his own C.R. Sandidge Wines. Sandidge was instrumental in applying for the AVA when he was president of the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association in 2006.
"A new AVA is international news. People who know wine throughout the world will take note. It's a worldwide phenomenon to market wines made from grapes grown in the area," he said.
Sandidge said the wineries have already expanded the Lake Chelan tourist season from summer to now include spring and fall.
"Our hotels and motels show there's been a significant increase in tourist traffic in the shoulder seasons," he said. "It will bring people to our area."
Washington's wine industry just keeps on growing, adding another 65 wineries in the past two years. As it turns out, what's good for winemakers is also good for local economies around them.
Wine grapes are intrinsically connected to a value-added product — wine — that creates tourism and tourist dollars, said Vicky Scharlau, president of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers.
"Everyone appreciates standing in a vineyard and drinking a glass of wine that was made from the grapes that grew around them," she said. "They can taste what we're about."
Not all wineries are making money, Scharlau concedes, but the economic slowdown hasn't affected the wine industry in the same way it has many others. When times are tough, people like their wine.
"Flat is the new up," she said, quoting the philosophy of the Washington Wine Commission.
Strong wine sales are not only good for wine producers, they're good for the local economy. People who stop in at wineries to taste and buy wine are usually tourists. And industry statistics show wine tourists spend 2.5 times more money on their visits than other tourists, Scharlau said.
Central Washington is capitalizing on something it has always had: great growing conditions. NCW wineries have something going for them besides great grapes, however. Marketers have a simple word for it: location.
Even before the wineries emerged, tourists were flocking to the Wenatchee and Chelan valleys for the region's abundant recreation opportunities and beauty.
"We have built-in traffic. Other areas have to work to get people to come there," said Scharlau, who lives in Monitor and has her office in Cashmere. Much of NCW is already on the tourist map, and the growing number of wineries only gives them more reason to come and spend money, she said.
The number of Washington wineries has increased 30 times in the past 30 years. The number has doubled — from 300 to more than 600 — in the past five years. Wine production has increased from 2 million gallons in 1981 to more than 20 million gallons last year. Wine grape acreage has grown from 11,000 acres in 1993 to 33,000 acres in 2008.
The boom that started in the southern part of the state has spread northward. In 1984, the first North Central Washington winery was licensed. Today, there are close to 60 wineries in NCW. The region is part of the Columbia Basin American Viticulture Area (AVA), which covers the entire central part of the state and part of Oregon. Most, but not all, NCW wineries produce wines from grapes grown in the central and southern parts of the state.
The Lake Chelan area, however, recently won federal certification as its own AVA. The prestigious certification — one of 11 in the state — means Lake Chelan vintners have proven that wines produced from grapes grown in their soil and climate are unique from those using grapes from other growing areas. The Lake Chelan area has 15 wineries and about 300 acres of grapes.
The Lake Chelan AVA is a marketing tool that will be good for the entire area, said Ray Sandidge, winemaker for Lake Chelan Winery, KarMa Winery and his own C.R. Sandidge Wines. Sandidge was instrumental in applying for the AVA when he was president of the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association in 2006.
"A new AVA is international news. People who know wine throughout the world will take note. It's a worldwide phenomenon to market wines made from grapes grown in the area," he said.
Sandidge said the wineries have already expanded the Lake Chelan tourist season from summer to now include spring and fall.
"Our hotels and motels show there's been a significant increase in tourist traffic in the shoulder seasons," he said. "It will bring people to our area."
You can also see this winery
and check out this blog on great gifts
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