Wine Science Center Dedication

Wine Science Center Dedication. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

WSU’s Wine Science Center has taken a giant leap forward. Wine industry leaders recently gathered at the future home of the center to dedicate the site. To date some $17 million dollars have been raised with a $4 million dollar shortfall. WSU President Elson S. Floyd joined Governor Christine Gregoire and approximately 150 others at the dedication.

FLOYD: If we are to be one of the economic drivers we have to make sure that there is that appropriate alignment. The Wine Science Center is precisely that. It will have a transformative effect not only on what we do as an institution but also in terms of this region and the presence that we have in the context of the wine industry.

Currently the wine industry in the state has an $8.6 billion dollar impact on the economy and research done at the new Wine Science Center will help to triple that. Governor Christine Gregoire discussed the need for the center.

GREGOIRE: We need to do the kind of research and development that’s opportunity for us to continue to be number one in the world in terms of quality. So this is a tremendous investment in our industry.

Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, a WSU Regent and chair of the WSU Campaign for Wine said the goal is to raise the additional $4 million over the next nine months so that they can break ground a year from now and complete the full vision.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.