Chateau Ste. Michelle's New Visitor Center Offers Innovative Wine Experiences, Tastings for Guests
Woodinville, Wash. - Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington’s founding winery’ is excited to present unique new wine experiences in its recently renovated Visitor Center at its Woodinville Chateau, located outside Seattle. Visitors can enjoy food and wine pairings, blind tastings and hands on estate vineyard winemaking.
The new Visitor’s Center is 22,731 square feet — twice the size of the winery’s original tasting room. The BCRA Seattle architecture firm designed it to evoke a sense of elegance and modernism.
“We created a dynamic setting ideally suited for tasting, touring, and exploring,” says Director of Education Linda Chauncey. “We have so many different experiences to choose from and you, the visitor, are in charge! Learn a little, learn a lot — it’s your call. Here’s what we know for sure: when you enter our door, you will feel that time is suspended and the chaos of your life has been put on hold. We’re here to support your journey.”
The building features a contemporary 75-seat theater with tasting tables, an interactive blending room, private tasting salons, as well as a Vintage Reserve Club space dedicated for wine club members.
The new interactive blending room allows guests to become a winemaker for a day. This experience walks participants through a hands-on journey of blending five different wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle’s award-winning vineyards and creating a custom label for the blend.
Experience a Single Vineyard and Limited Release Salon Tasting in one of the four private tasting rooms located in the Visitor Center. Three of the salons feature a different single vineyard owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle and educates guests on the unique terroir of the region. The fourth salon focuses on the international partnership with world-renowned Mosel Riesling winemaker, Ernst Loosen and displays a series of ancient wine artifacts from Germany.
Furthermore, the wine shop features the Bottega, a designated spot for Col Solare, Chateau Ste. Michelle’s partnership with Tuscany’s legendary Marchesi Antinori Family. Col Solare specializes in super bold, Tuscan-style Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain AVA.
Each wine experience will allow participants to learn useful wine knowledge from experts in the field, while enjoying the Chateau’s relaxing and modern ambiance. Experiences include, Cabernet Enthusiast: A Wine & Food Pairing Experience, Champagne and Sparkling Literacy, and Sensory Sojourn.
Additionally, food orders may be purchased from the winery’s restaurant-style kitchen. Executive Chef Janet Hedstrom created a menu with a food and wine pairing mindset to enhance the harmonious flavors and textures from the wines on the tasting flights.
Over fifty years ago, a small winery called Ste. Michelle Vintners introduced its first vintage of a European-style premium wine — a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yakima Valley. It was this release that marked the beginning of today’s thriving Washington wine industry. It wasn’t until 1967 that the winery built a French-style Chateau in Woodinville and changed its name to Chateau Ste. Michelle.
The winery grounds are the location of the former estate of Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson. The Manor House, Stimson’s former home, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Chateau Ste. Michelle sources all of its grapes from eastern Washington, where the winery owns 3,500 acres of estate vineyards in the Columbia Valley. The climate is dry and sunny making the conditions for growing world-class wine grapes ideal.
The winery has become the No. 2 premium domestic wine brand in the United States by case volume, with wines available in 50 states and more than 100 countries. Chateau Ste. Michelle hosts more than 300,000 visitors annually.
Last year, Chateau Ste. Michelle celebrated its 50th Anniversary year with the Visitor Center expansion, commemorative Cabernet and Chardonnay bottlings, specialty glassware, library wine releases, its famous Summer Concert Series and other programs and events.
More information is available at ste-michelle.com for event information and updates. Follow Chateau Ste. Michelle on Instagram: @chateaustemichelle, Facebook: Ste. Michelle, Twitter: @stemichelle. Additional resources for the media are available upon request including a video, visual timeline, historical images, and a media kit.
About Chateau Ste. Michelle
In 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington state and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The winery combines an ongoing dedication to research with a commitment to classic winemaking traditions. The winery owns 3,900 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek, which are LIVE and Salmon Safe certified. Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with some of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori, Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen and Tenet is a collaboration with Michel Gassier and Philippe Cambie of France. Chateau Ste. Michelle has received a long list of awards, including 22 “Top 100 Wineries of The Year” honors (Wine & Spirits) and 18 “Top 100 Wines” designations (Wine Spectator). Chateau Ste. Michelle also has a long history of supporting the wine industry and community. The net proceeds from its popular Summer Concert Series helps fund its charitable giving program, which supports some 400 non-profit organizations annually, has provided more than $3 million for scholarships for high-achieving, low-income students at Washington universities, and supports the Viticulture & Enology Program at Washington State University.
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For further information:
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