Washington State University will join forces with those leading the creation of the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center at Prosser to highlight the breadth, depth and quality of all aspects of Washington agriculture.

WA to WA
A Winemaker Exchange Program
March 10, 2008

The Wine Industry Association of Western Australia and the Washington Wine Commission announced today the first ever region-to-region winemaker exchange program. The Washington (WA) Wine Industry and the Wine Industry of Western Australia (WA) share more than the same acronym. Both are cool-climate regions dominated by boutique producers making ultra-premium wines. Both regions account for less than four percent of their nation's wine production. Washington State and the state of Western Australia also produce generally higher acid, more refined wines, and reciprocal harvests (one WA harvests in September/October and the other in February/March) create ideal circumstances for a winemaker exchange.

Seattle native and prominent wine writer Paul Gregutt, who toured Western Australia wine country last year, conceived of the WA to WA winemaker exchange concept.

"Touring Western Australia and tasting a remarkable range of crisply defined, beautifully structured wines -- dry rieslings and tangy sauv blancs, Chablis-like chardonnays and earthy cabernet sauvignons -- I was struck by the synergy between this emerging region and my own state of Washington," remarked Gregutt. "Both are making New World wines cut to the classic dimensions of the Old World, and each can profit from the pioneering efforts of the other. I am really excited about this program and quite confident it will enhance wine quality on both sides of the world."

Virginie Bourgue, winemaker for Walla Walla's new Cadaretta Winery, is the first to take part in the exchange. Bourgue will spend three weeks in Western Australia with winemaker Larry Cherubino from The Yard Winery/Cherubino Wines. Cherubino will return the free-labor favor when he joins Bourgue at Cadaretta in Walla Walla during the 2008 Washington harvest this fall. For both winemakers, this is their first visit to "The other WA."

(Both Cadaretta and Cherubino wines are marketed in the U.S. by Vintage New World.)

Robin Pollard, the Executive Director of the Washington Wine Commission said, "this program holds an obvious 'feel good' element, but the results will ultimately be increased wine quality because the participating winemakers will be able to work (and learn from) two harvests in one year."

Sue Vidovich, the Chief Executive Officer of the Wine Industry Association of Western Australia adds, "We are pleased to be the first in the world to formalize this kind of exchange and we look forward to sharing our winemaking expertise, as well as our viticultural innovations, with our visitors from Washington State."