A “perfect” ripening season with full crop yields, and restrained sugar levels led to outstanding wines from Washington state’s Columbia Valley in 2008.

Delayed slightly by cool spring weather and a moderate summer, harvest began 10 days later than normal.

Warm weather in August provided ideal ripening conditions for grapes across all varietals and harvest was quickly ramped up in order to obtain fruit at the optimum ripeness.

Built on the 1912 estate owned by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson, the winery’s roots date back to the Repeal of Prohibition, when the Pommerelle Wine Company and the National Wine Company were formed. They merged in 1954 to form American Wine Growers. In 1967, American Wine Growers began a new line of premium vinifera wines called “Ste. Michelle Vintners” under the direction of legendary California winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff.

Ste. Michelle Vintners planted its first vines at Cold Creek Vineyard in Eastern Washington in 1972. Cold Creek remains one of the oldest and most renowned vineyards in the state. We now own more than 3,500 prime vineyard acres in the Columbia Valley.

In 1976, Ste. Michelle Vintners built a French style Chateau in Woodinville, and changed its name to Chateau Ste. Michelle.

As the winery grew, so did recognition for the increasingly top quality wines being produced in Washington State. In 1984, Chateau Ste. Michelle led the way in obtaining federal recognition of the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington as a unique wine growing region or American Viticulture Area (AVA). Today, Chateau Ste. Michelle receives some of the highest accolades in the industry, including “Wine Brand of the Year 2008,“ by Market Watch Magazine, “American Winery of the Year 2004” from Wine Enthusiast and “2005 Winery of the Year” by Restaurant Wine.

The winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation and is best known for its award-winning Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Our portfolio includes Columbia Valley wines styled to bring out the regions’ varietal character; Indian Wells wines celebrating the New World opulent style; Single Vineyard wines that epitomize the terroir of our estate vineyards; Ethos wines, our pinnacle tier that melds Old World complexity and elegance with concentrated Washington fruit; and the Artist Series, a Meritage blend crafted for power and longevity.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two state-of-the-art wineries, one devoted to whites and another to reds. This dedicated approach to winemaking allows winemaker, Bob Bertheau, to build programs to the unique specifications of red and white wines. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains where the climate is dry and sunny, Bertheau makes the award winning white wines in Woodinville, near Seattle. The red wines are made at our Canoe Ridge Estate winery in Eastern Washington.