2003 Harvest Resembles Banner Year '98 for Stimson Lane.

Business Editors

WOODINVILLE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 2003

Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates, the Northwest's leading producer of premium wines, believes that the 2003 harvest will be comparable to the outstanding 1998 vintage because of the unusually high number of hot days this summer.

And that is good for the company's wineries, including Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest, because the 1998 wines garnered more acclaim and high ratings than any vintage in history.

"Our Merlot, Chardonnay and Syrah grapes especially love the hot weather," said Doug Gore, senior vice president for Winemaking at Stimson Lane. "There is a terrific ripeness this year that we're excited about. We like what's happening with our Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, too, and the Cabernet will ripen fast in areas where it often lags."

But that means the picking will have to move fast, said Gore, who as the winemaker for Columbia Crest for many years made some of the company's most acclaimed wines.

Kevin Corliss, chief viticulturist for Stimson Lane, said, "This will be the most condensed harvest in a long time. We plan to do it fast so that we can preserve these awesome expressions of fruit we are tasting out there."

Picking begins this week (September 4), one of the earliest starts on record, but will end early, around mid-October. That means pickers will be busy because it is a compressed harvest time.

The company owns about 3,500 acres of grapes -- among the best vines on the West Coast -- and contracts for another 12,000 acres. Contracts specify growing conditions at ever stage, from budbreak to harvest to dormancy in order to ensure top quality, said Rich Wheeler, vice president for Vineyards and Grower Contracts.

Corliss, who along with Wheeler, spends 12-hour days roaming the Columbia Valley vineyards each summer, added, "The tannins for this year's Merlots are smooth; that is going to be great wine. The Chardonnay fruit is the best we've seen in a while."

Stimson Lane expects to harvest 69,000 tons of grapes this year, down from 71,000 tons last year.

More than 3,000 acres of grapes sampled over 20 degrees Brix (sugar level) by the end of August. They will be picked between 22 degrees Brix and 25 degrees Brix, depending on the varietal and the site.

Warmer sites, such as Cold Creek and Indian Wells, will probably be the first into crush.

Some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes have begun to come in for Domaine Ste. Michelle, Stimson-Lane's award-winning sparkling wine, which is made in the style of classic French Champagne.

The hallmark of the 1998 vintage, Gore said, was an "immediacy" upon release. That is, those wines were ready to be enjoyed upon purchase, even with the complexity that is the hallmark of the best fine wines.

All of the grapes for Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Northstar, Snoqualmie and Domaine Ste. Michelle are grown in eastern Washington, where they benefit from long hot days and cool evenings.

After harvest in eastern Washington, all white wines for Chateau Ste. Michelle are made at the historic Chateau facility in Woodinville, 25 minutes east of Seattle. All of the winery's red wines are made at the Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard site above the Columbia River on Highway 14.

All of the sparkling wine and all of the white and red table wines for Columbia Crest and Snoqualmie are also made in eastern Washington.

Northstar, the limited-production ultra-premium Merlot, is made at a new winery in Walla Walla from grapes harvested in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valleys.

Snoqualmie will cut the ribbon on a brand new winery and tasting room in Prosser, near Interstate 82, on September 10 of this year.

Ted Baseler, president and CEO of Stimson Lane and chairman of the national Wine Market Council, noted, "In the last two years, Washington State has broken through and is now recognized as one of the world's top wine-growing regions. Now we need to ensure that wine lovers and other tourists see and experience our wine country. That is why Northstar in Walla Walla and Snoqualmie in Prosser are so important. They are the 'bookends' on any tour of Washington Wine Country."