Washington state’s largest winery, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, has been purchased by the Wyckoff family.
The Wyckoffs own a variety of agricultural businesses across Washington state. Ste. Michelle has gone through several ownership changes over the past few years. Most recently, it’s been owned by Sycamore Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. Ste. Michelle’s Oregon brands were not part of the deal with the Wyckoffs, and will remain with Sycamore.
“Ste. Michelle has been the long-term driving force behind Washington’s wine industry,” Court Wyckoff, the CEO of Wyckoff Farms and Coventry Vale Winery, said in a press release. “As partners since the early 1980’s, we deeply believe in Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ outstanding portfolio of iconic Northwest wine brands. We look forward to working with the Ste. Michelle team to build on its leadership, invest in winemaking quality, and champion Washington’s wine grape growers and Washington wine to consumers across the country.”
Who are the Wyckoffs?
The Wyckoffs are known for large swaths of Northwest blueberries, hops and wine grapes.
The Wyckoff family businesses were founded in 1950, and produce agricultural products in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. For more than four decades, the Wyckoff family has partnered with Ste. Michelle as a winemaking collaborator.
The family’s Coventry Vale custom-crush winery works with wine growers to create wines under their labels across four AVAs, or American Viticulture Areas in Washington.
Anna Mosier, the co-CEO of Ste. Michelle said in a press release, “We look forward to continuing to work closely with our Washington grower partners across the state. Like them, we will now be a family-owned endeavor focused on making the right long-term decisions for Ste. Michelle and for the Washington wine and grape growing industry.”
The financial details of the deal between Ste. Michelle and the Wyckoff family were not released.
Trouble
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has seen its share of trouble over the past few years.
It’s dropped major fruit contracts, to the cries of growers who put in infrastructure, vines and irrigation to supply fruit for the massive winery.
It’s also a tough climate for wine right now. Experts say many baby boomers are aging out of their steady wine consumption, and some younger potential customers are reaching for other beverages or going dry.
Wine sales across the globe have suffered. Northwest winemakers have left tons of grapes on the vine to rot, or dropped them on the ground this year.
Prime ground
Ste. Michelle has roots in Washington back to 1933. The winery’s portfolio includes some prime properties, like Cold Creek Vineyard near Hanford. That’s one of the oldest vineyards in the state.
There’s also the nearly 600-acre Canoe Ridge Estate and the massive Columbia Crest winery and vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills.
