Washington Wine Commission Funding Doubles
The Washington state wine industry has voted to increase grower and winery assessments for the first time since 1986, doubling funding for the Washington Wine Commission, with much of the funding expected to go toward promotional activities. The assessment increase was approved after the Washington agriculture department conducted a two-part referendum including a vote from wine producers and wine grape growers. Winery assessments will increase from $0.02 per gallon to a maximum of $0.04 per gallon while grower assessments will rise from $3 per ton to a ceiling of $6 per ton. The assessment rates are to be reviewed on an annual basis dependent upon the Washington Wine Commission's promotional programs. The commission budget will increase from about $565,000 to $825,000. The commission plans to increase its marketing activities nationally, including Taste Washington. Moreover, there are preliminary plans to develop a wine visitor center in Seattle.
Washington Wineries Agree to Stricter Label Definitions
Bypassing official channels, a group of Washington vintners has formed a voluntary organization to tighten definitions for terms such as "reserve" on the state's wine labels, the Washington Wine Commission announced. The commission, which promotes the state's wines, created the Washington Wine Quality Alliance to set higher quality goals for local wineries and clear up consumer confusion about terms used on wine labels. All of the state's major wine companies have agreed to participate, including Stimson Lane (whose brands include Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest), Corus Brands (which includes Columbia and Paul Thomas) and Hogue. The group's voluntary rules, which take effect with the 2000 vintage, limit wineries' use of "reserve" to no more than 10 percent of their production of a given variety or 3,000 cases, whichever is greater. All the grapes used to make a reserve wine must come from official Washington viticultural areas (including some that extend into northern Oregon). The wine must also be among a winery's higher-priced bottlings, a clear response to several large California wineries' use of the term on low-priced wines. The new rules also discontinue the use of European place names on generic wines, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne and Johannisberg (in front of Riesling). Any wineries that agree to abide by the new rules automatically become members of the Washington Wine Quality Alliance and can use a WWQA seal on their wine bottles. According to Steve Burns, director of the Washington Wine Commission, 55 of the state's 125 wineries have signed on already.
