ROAD TRIP: Chateau Ste. Michelle Celebrates Opening Of Newly Renovated Visitor Center September 2 & 3

WOODINVILLE, Wash., Aug. 24, 2017 -- Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington State's founding winery, will celebrate its new, state-of-the-art visitor center over Labor Day Weekend (Sept 2 and 3) in Woodinville, WA, 30 minutes outside of Seattle. In a year when the company is celebrating many milestones over its past 50 years, the new visitor center represents a significant investment for the company, totaling $7 million, and a look towards the next 50 years of continued innovation.

"The opening of the new visitor center represents the next chapter in Chateau Ste. Michelle's growth and will dramatically enhance our ability to offer world-class wine experiences for decades to come," said Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. "The center offers new wine experiences for visitors, whether they want to enjoy a flight in our private tasting salons, take a guided tour of the winery, blend their own bottle of wine or attend special programs in our theater."

At 22,731 sq. ft., the renovated site is double the size of the winery's previous tasting room. The winery –which is open to the public daily from 10a.m. to 5p.m. – will allow guests to enhance their wine knowledge as they learn about Chateau Ste. Michelle's rich heritage, get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of winemaking, and see what makes Washington's Columbia Valley such a premier grape growing region.

The new visitor center will feature:

Interactive Blending Room
Be a winemaker for a day! Guests will be able to create their own red wine blend while discovering different varietals and their attributes! Whether a connoisseur or a novice, this unique, hands-on journey starts with exploring and mixing five different wines from the award-winning vineyards. Taste, blend, then do it all again, until it's just right. Complete the experience by creating a custom label for the bottle, then take it home to share with family and friends. Accommodates up to 20 guests. Approximately 90 minutes. Prices begin at $125 per person.

Washington's Best Tasting Room
Taste select wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle's vast portfolio, including wines only available at the winery. Also choose from a selection of gourmet cheeses and other supplies as the perfect accompaniments for a picnic at the Chateau. Tasting bar flights begin at $10 per person.

Col Solare Bottega – A Taste of Red Mountain
During each 45-minute appointment, guests will learn about the past, present, and future of Col Solare, featuring Chateau Ste. Michelle's partnership with Tuscany's Marchesi Antinori. Prices begin at $20 per person.

Four private tasting salons, a modern 80-seat theater and a restaurant style kitchen
Within the newly designed private tasting salons and modern 80-seat theater, Chateau Ste Michelle will host a variety of wine tastings, wine and culinary classes, and guest speakers – complete with a restaurant style kitchen for a fully immersive culinary and wine experience. A sampling of events in September and October include:

50th Anniversary Experience
How to Blind Taste Like a Master Sommelier
Single Vineyard & Limited Release: Private Experience
Cabernet Enthusiast: A Wine & Food Pairing Experience
Champagne & Sparkling Literacy
Sensory Sojourn

On an ongoing basis, guests can expect a full curriculum of fun and informative classes, designed by Chateau Ste. Michelle's wine educator Linda Chauncey. For more details on the above programs and additional activities, pricing information, and booking please visit: ste-michelle.com

A Vintage Reserve Club lounge dedicated for the winery's wine club members

An Eroica-themed tasting salon featuring ancient wine artifacts from the collection of German winemaker and Eroica partner Ernst Loosen

A Grand Opening Celebration for the winery's new visitor center will take place over Labor Day weekend on Sept. 2 and 3, 2017 from 10 am to 9 pm. The weekend will be full of fun happenings, including:

The Vintage Reserve Brunch, where visitors will enjoy mimosas and culinary delights from executive chef Janet Hedstrom and her team
Public tours of the winery, including its new Visitor Center
A dozen food trucks of all varieties throughout the day
Live music on the Front Lawn and Main Stage
A meet-and-greet with the award-winning team of winemakers, who will be onsite to showcase the BLEND Room and sign bottles in the new theater

The new visitor center was designed by the architecture firm BCRA Seattle and built by Wilcox Construction Inc. of Edmonds, Washington.

Chateau Ste. Michelle's 50^th Anniversary
Fifty years ago—in 1967—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. In 1976, Ste. Michelle Vintners built a French-style Chateau in Woodinville, outside of Seattle, and changed its name to Chateau Ste. Michelle. Today, the winery has become the number one premium domestic wine brand in the U.S by case volume, with wines available in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Chateau Ste. Michelle hosts more than 300,000 visitors annually.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary year with commemorative Cabernet and Chardonnay bottlings, special events, library wine releases, the visitor center expansion, its famous Summer Concert Series and other programs throughout 2017.

About Chateau Ste. Michelle
Founded 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 giving back to the 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.