Washington's Growing Wine Industry Pt 2

Washington's Growing Wine Industry Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. High quality, well priced wines. That’s what Washington’s 1,010 wineries take a lot of pride in creating.

And, according to Washington Wine Commission president Steve Warner, that’s why supporting these “locally” produced wines could be a win-win for everyone …

WARNER … “So, people can really help the industry, they can help the winemakers, the growers, the servers, the wine stores, the grocery, everybody by supporting Washington. It’s a win, win, win across the board and that would be my take-home message is, why not start with Washington. The quality is there, the price is there, and you’re supporting local.”

Warner says it’s the collaboration and comradery that allows our state’s wine industry to succeed …

WARNER … “And so, to your point, people do move from winery to winery getting different skills, different perspectives on different winemaking styles and often start their own winery. And, the great thing about it, and what makes me really, really proud, I served 23 years in the military, it brings me back to those military days where everybody’s supporting each other and it’s about the person next to you. And, they are more than happy to share what they’re doing, what they’ve tried, what worked, what hasn’t worked. The ultimate goal is that they want to see people in the industry succeed.”

Which, Warner says sets them apart …

WARNER … “It definitely differentiates us, yeah, we’re a family.”

The Washington wine industry now contributes more than $7-billion to the state’s economy and generates roughly $2.4-billion in revenue. The number of Washington wineries has grown from just 74 in 2000, to the more than 1,000 licensed today. Washington wine grape production has nearly quadrupled over the past 20 years.

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