As the risk of wildfire intensifies in California, the wine market is migrating to Washington County. Highly prized for the quality of its land, the county is attracting more and more investors.
With wildfires becoming increasingly frequent in California, the big names in Napa Valley are snapping up prized vineyards in Washington State.
Such is the case of Jackson Family Wines, which consolidated its position in the Pacific Northwest in April 2022. The winery acquired a 24-hectare parcel at Mill Creek in Washington’s Walla Walla Valley. It comes from a 47-hectare property that belonged to the Abeja estate.
Nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains on the eastern slope of the Walla Walla Valley, the vineyard site is cooler than the southern slope, providing ideal conditions for the production of grapes prized for their natural acidity and fruity aromas.
Strengthening our international presence
Today, other producers are moving in the same direction. Abeja winemaker Dan Wampfler sees Napa’s interest in Washington State as a golden opportunity to strengthen their international presence.
“We’ll follow in Napa’s footsteps until we’re in a position to impress on the international scene; we just have to elbow our way to the negotiating table,” says the producer.
“Napa now sees us as competitors, and the big names in Napa want a piece of the Washington pie, because our land is priced lower than theirs,” adds Wampfler. “Things are really starting to move here. The fact that estates like Jackson Family Wines and Cakebread Cellars are investing in Washington State sends a strong message about the quality of our wines.”
Increasing attractiveness
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However, if Washington State is to compete with Napa Valley in terms of wine tourism, Wampfler believes it is essential to improve the quality of its services in terms of hospitality.
“We’re seeing more and more private planes diverting from Napa to Walla Walla, and we have to be able to meet the expectations of these people, or we’ll lose them. There’s no Michelin guide in Washington yet, but we’re working on it.”
In 2012, Cakebread Cellars inaugurated its presence in the Washington State wine industry by launching Mullan Road Cellars in Walla Walla, with the aim of creating Cabernets that showcase the character of the terroir, renamed the AVA Royal Slope. In 2013, Duckhorn joined this trend by establishing a ten-hectare vineyard just above Antinori’s Col Solare site, in Washington’s prestigious Red Mountain AVA.
While the entry of Californian producers strengthens Washington State’s reputation as a renowned wine destination, it also intensifies competition for grape supplies. Andrew Latta, owner and head winemaker of Latta Wines, which produces 10,000 cases of wine a year at its urban winery in Seattle, expressed his fears on the subject.
“Relationships with producers are very important in Washington. Now that there’s more outside interest and international investment from companies like Jackson, Duckhorn and Cakebread, the need to secure our grape supply is greater than ever. I know my growers and trust them, but if someone else comes along and makes a better offer, it would be stupid for them not to accept it, so I feel the pressure is mounting on that front,” he said.
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