MikeL's Guide to WA Wineries

Tours: yes (large groups by appt) Tasting room: Daily 10AM to 4:30PM Official website: http://www.ste-michelle.com/ email: click to email (winery) BW-WA-8 Click here for map/directions. Page last updated: 10-Oct-2004, Page generated: 11-Sep-2005

Stimson Estate drawing	Oak Tanks	Oak Barrels	Canoe Ridge label

1989 Merlot label	1980 Cold Creek Cab. label	Whidbeys Liqueur label

In 1972, a group of investors headed up by Wally Opdyke bought out AWG in it's entirety, and formed a new company under the name of Ste. Michelle Vintners -- it was very successful. Within a year, they were looking for an infusion of capital to expand, and in 1974 was bought by the U. S. Tobacco Co. (Interestingly, the second runner up was Labatt's). At this writing, it is still a subsidiary of Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates, which is owned by the U. S. Tobacco Co.

The current Woodinville winery was dedicated in 1976. It was built on the 1912 estate originally known as the Hollywood Farm owned by lumber baron Frederick Stimson and his wife Nellie. (This little area of the valley is still known as Hollywood to this day, although the historic Hollywood schoolhouse building is now used as a hall for weddings, meetings, etc.) The address of the farmhouse was on Stimson Lane, hence the name of the holding company.

Mike Grgich, a protege of Andre (now known by his own business, Grich Hills Winery in Napa CA) was to become CSM's first winemaker. At the last minute, they mutually agreed not to after all, and instead hired Joel Klein.

In 1983, an additional winery was built in Paterson, WA. I believe its was orignally intended to be simply the eastern WA facility of CSM, it has since become the entirely independent winery Columbia Crest Winery, with it's own winemaker. It is still a subsidiary of Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates, and facilities are and expertise are shared between the two.

The Grandview facility was opened in 1934(?) as NaWiCo(?) at W. 5th & Ave. B. In 1998 CSM closed this satelite tasting room, and dropped their membership in the Yakima Valley Winegrowers Associaton. The building is still in use by the winery, it is simply no longer staffed as a public tasting room.

In the early 1980's CSM opened a satellite tasting room in Greenbank, on Whidbey Island. The facility was on a lovely old logenberry farm, where they began producing Whidbey's Loganberry Liqueur (44% alcohol) a wonderful apertif. The tasting room had wonderful historic photos of turn of the century Whidbey Island, and they sold the Whidbey's Liqueur as well as the CSM line of wines. However they could not sample the Whidbey's liqueur there, only the CSM wines.

This anomaly is due to WA state law which requires that to serve liquor (greater than 18% alcohol) requires a liquor license. A liquor license requires the business be a bar or restaurant by requiring that a notable portion (I think 50%) of the business' income must come from food sales. (For more info, visit my Federal/Tax page and visit the WA Tax code and BATF pages.) (For more details, click on the Whidbeys Liqueur label above.)

In 1988(?) Stimson Lane also bought the troubled Snoqualmie Winery (see that page for details).

In 1990 they built a new facility for red wines about 10 miles west of the Columbia Crest facility -- at Canoe Ridge -- causing much confusion with their neighboring Canoe Ridge Winery of Walla Walla which is not part of Stimson Lane. In 1999, to help clear this up, the facility was renamed to River Ridge. Mike Haddox was a research winemaker at this facility 2001-2003, when he left to join Silver Lake as the winemaker at their new Roza facility.

In 1999 this facility was about to begin a major expansion to house a new barrel room, case goods storage and bottling line. It includes a tasting room/visitor facilities, which would dovetail nicely with a possible planned expansion of the neighboring Canoe Ridge facility. Although it's not expected to be open to the general public due to staffing requirements, it will be available for tour groups. The new head wine maker at this facility is Ron Bunnell, from Kendall Jackson (CA).
Sources: [TW-Purser]

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