The Costco Connection - September 2017

;;important to us, and it’s been part of our culture from the beginning.” Throughout our conversation, Baseler often refers to other state producers as neighbors and friends, rather than com- petitors. In ;;;;, he even offered his “friends” grapes when Washington experienced a terrible freeze that took out many smaller winemakers’ vineyards. “ Particularly in Washington, because it’s a fairly new industry, we don’t have enemies,” he says. “We have the bene;t of youth.”

String of pearls

Today, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
owns nine other wineries (some are in
Oregon and California) besides Chateau
Ste. Michelle: Columbia Crest, Conn
Creek, Patz & Hall, Erath, Spring Valley
Vineyard, Col Solare, Stags’ Leap Wine
Cellars, Northstar and ;; Hands (Col
Solare and Stags’ Leap are jointly owned).
It also imports wine from four others in
Europe: Antinori, Torres, Villa Maria and
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. The com-
pany refers to these acquisitions and
imports as its “string of pearls.”
Baseler says it was important to him
not to interfere with the quality of the
winemaking at any of the pearls, as their
original products are what made them
attractive partners from the beginning.
The pearls share many “back of the house”
functions with CSM, such as marketing,
human resources and accounting, but oth-
erwise operate independently.

The next 50 years

Baseler and CSM head winemaker, Bob Bertheau, say investing in education is critical to sustaining and growing the future of Washington’s wine industry. That’s why CSM is heavily invested in Washington State University’s (WSU) viticulture and enology program. The company often hires graduates of the program.

Similarly, proceeds from the winery’s acclaimed Summer Concert Series, which features acts such as Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and John Legend, support the Chateau Ste. Michelle Scholarship Fund, a four-year scholarship for underserved students in Washington, many of whom are the children of agricultural workers.

CSM is also investing in the quality of the land. Its Cold Creek and Canoe Ridge Estate vineyards in eastern Washington are Salmon-Safe, a certi;cation that ensures speci;c practices are followed to protect salmon in nearby water systems from potentially harmful vineyard runo;. They are also LIVE Certi;ed, meeting rigorous criteria that ensure the winery and its practices are as sustainable and cause as little environmental impact as possible.

These investments are crucial; Baseler projects that Washington is on its way to becoming the next Napa. He estimates the state could outgrow California in premi-um-grade grapes in about ;; years. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but potentially—based on the availability of land in eastern Washington, water, suitable sites—someday it could be bigger than California,” he says.

Even if your glass isn’t filled with a wine from Chateau Ste. Michelle or one of its pearls, Baseler wants you to ;ll it with something from Washington. “Every bottle of Washington wine is an ad for Washington state,” he says. “That’s why we need all Washington wines to be good, and that’s why the WSU Center is very important. That way, everybody can take pride in the wines of the region.” C

WELL-AGED WINERY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

;

WHAT GOES INTO A BOTTLE OF WINE?

BOB BERTHEAU, Chateau Ste. Michelle’s (CSM) head wine maker, was on his way to Washington’s historic Cold Creek Vineyard when he caught up with The Connection by phone.

The Costco Connection: What characteristics or standards do you look to accomplish in each bottle of CSM wine?

Bob Bertheau: Number one, we try to accomplish what I call mouthfeel. We can all smell violets and spices and things in the wine, but if you don’t enjoy the sensation of the wine in your mouth, on your palate, then everything else is secondary.

CC: Ted [Baseler, CEO and president] mentioned that you and the rest of the winemaking team are the best winemakers CSM has ever had. How has your approach changed from previous winemakers’?

BB: We have so much technical talent and skill in the company. What I look for first is a team-fitting personality and just positive energy. It’s probably my No. 1 trait I look for. We can all make wine together, and we can all decide on blends and all the hard work during harvest, but if you don’t enjoy who you’re with and have a positive attitude, to me it makes everything go uphill.

Then number two is a passion. We have to have a passion for wine, and I think if you interview anybody on our team, you’ll see that same level of energy and passion that we have for Washington state [is] No. 1, but then Chateau Ste. Michelle [is No. 2] in terms of a brand.

We know we have to sell our state. A bad bottle of Washington wine looks bad on all of us.

CC: What sorts of practices help you achieve consistency in taste and in your reputation?

BB: Really it’s about the relationships and communication we have with our growers, including our own estate teams, to make sure we have the right varieties planted in the right spots and that all the grapes are being well tended and [we are] as consistent and quality oriented as possible.

CC: What inspires you to innovate
under the Chateau Ste. Michelle brand?

BB: We have a saying in the winery, “A lot without an experiment is a lost opportunity.” We will always keep striving to try things differently, as I think that it's incumbent upon my team to keep learning about the fruit and the winemaking techniques.

It’s interesting, and it keeps people fresh.

As an example, we have found a totally different style of wine in concrete fermenters. And, honestly, I was a little skeptical, but I’m never one to not try something. As it turns out, the concrete makes the wine fruitier, with a lighter palate. We have all different styles of fermenters.

Continuing on the red innovation, we have a whole different style of destemmer that is much more gentle, and what’s called an optic sorter, where a computer optically sorts the fruit to make sure anything that’s not perfect is kicked out.

It’s a combination of tradition, yet not being afraid to look at technology, ideas and innovations that can make better wines first and possibly the job a little easier.

CC: Anything else you’d like to share?

BB: The biggest compliment I get
from consumers, especially regard-
ing wines bought at Costco, are
that people trust our wine and our
brand no matter what variety and
price point. They know they’re
going to get a good, solid bottle
that they can enjoy. And to me,
that’s the most important state-
ment of the brand. It’s the level
of trust that the consumer has.

Whether it be a riesling at $7
or our Artist Series at $60,
they know they’re going to
get a great bottle of wine at
that price. That’s still our
No. 1 story.—HM

K EVI N CR U FF

Bob Bertheau

We have so much technical talent trait I look for. We can all make work during harvest, but if you sion. We have to have a pas-ton wine looks bad on all of us.

have a whole different style of destemmer that is much more gentle, and what’s called an optic sorter, where a computer optically sorts the fruit to make sure anything that’s not perfect is kicked out.

It’s a combination of tradition, yet not being afraid to look at technology, ideas and innovations that can make better wines first and possibly the job a little easier.