| New vineyard has a touch of Tuscany |
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April 13, 2007 Here lies Col Solare, a new winery and vineyard forged by a 12-year partnership between a long-established Washington wine producer and an even longer- established Tuscan family that has been making red wines for more than 600 years. Like the natural beauty that surrounds Col Solare, the tradition and experience of the Antinori family and the assertiveness and marketing savvy of the more youthful Chateau Ste. Michelle wine company have proven to be a natural combination. The site itself is new, but the partnership developed its first vintage in 1995. Subsequent vintages of Col Solare's signature cabernet sauvignon blend have received much industry acclaim. The development of the Col Solare estate winery and vineyard is an expansion of what has been a successful partnership between these two European and American wine producers, the first of its kind in this state. More than 100 government officials, wine writers, distributors and retailers gathered Thursday to commemorate Col Solare's opening. "It says that this is not a marketing idea," said Ted Baseler, president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the parent company of Chateau Ste. Michelle. "It's a vineyard. It takes it to a new level of seriousness and commitment from the partners." The two partners invested more than $8 million developing the site, which includes an 18,650-square-foot winery and a 28-acre-vineyard, whose grapes will be the primary source of Col Solare's wines in 2010. Many already see the benefit of international investment. The investment from the Antinori family, one of the first families in Italian winemaking, will surge Washington wine into worldwide prominence, said Angelo Tavernaro, an Italian native and master sommelier who lives in Prosser. In return, the Italian winemakers will receive creative freedom they can't get under the strict standards of the Italian government. "For the American market, it's a marriage made in heaven," he said. The winery, which is open to the public by appointment, is a visual representation of this Euro-American partnership. The orange and brown colors, courtyard areas and stone overlooks are reminiscent of Tuscany while structural elements, such as the tasting room's ceiling, emulate the basalt cliffs and other natural elements of the Red Mountain area. But there's more to Col Solare than its aesthetics. The climate and soil of the area, the fan-shaped vineyard and the naturally cooled cellars of the winery converge to produce a full-bodied, high-quality cabernet sauvignon blend. The 2003 Col Solare, its latest vintage, is already sold out. Previous vintages have cost as much as $80 per bottle. "We want to be able to control our destiny, and the only way to do that is to have our own vineyard and winery," said Marchese Piero Antinori, the 68-year-old who has led the family wine business since 1966. Antinori is known for the development of Super Tuscan wines, a varietal that blends traditional Italian red wine grapes with those from other regions. Although these wines did not meet rigid Italian government regulations, connoisseurs praised Antinori for breaking tradition to produce high quality wine. Now Antinori wants to make his mark in the Washington wine region, which he believes is the industry's new frontier. Although Washington's bonded wineries have increased from 19 in 1981 to more than 450 today, the Italian wine mogul knows there's a lot more room for growth. "There is potential because we are sure the wine industry in Washington is at the beginning, and will develop," he said. And Antinori expressed this confidence during the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday when he spoke to the crowd and saw nature's elements merge together once more. "This beautiful territory is going to give us lots of possibilities and opportunities," he said. "We'll be able to make Red Mountain a great tourism destination." By MAI HOANG
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