Ray's Part Troix

Northwest Totem Cellars pouring their Qo-nē.


John Bell from Willis Hall Winery drinks wine double-fisted.


Queen Anne Winery just released 07 Sangiovese.


Stomani Cellars and their awesome Chard.


SYZYGY displaying their 2007 Syrah which was a Wine Spectator 93!


Paul Beveridge and his better half Lysle serving 2 new wines from their new vineyard, a white blend and a port. Oh yeah, he's the prez of FWWS!

Posted using BlogPress from the traveling FWWS iPhone.

Location:Seaview Ave NW,Seattle,United States

Ray's Continued

Tim Narby pouring his excellent Una Notte red.


Masquerade Wine Company and their superlative Effervescent Elephant!


Medicine Creek Winery and their award winning Stage Coach Bordeaux blend.


Dana Madsen from Madsen Family Cellars proudly displaying his Cab Franc and Cab Sauv. Delicious!


Matt from ANIMALE exhibiting his extraordinary 2008 Cab Franc.


Lost River Winery pouring excellent Pinot Gris.

Posted using BlogPress from the traveling FWWS iPhone.

Location:Seaview Ave NW,Seattle,United States

FWWS at Ray's Boathouse!

The FWWS summer tasting event at Ray's is underway! The sky is blue with nary a cloud. The location and view are superb and a wonderful ocean breeze is keeping our guests cool. And of course the wine is excellent and matched by outstanding food.

Let's take a tour of the facility and the FWWS wineries that are pouring this evening...


Bob Delf from Northwest Cellars pouring his super wine.


Edmonds Winery out of Woodinville pouring a Sauvignon and a red.


Jim from Lowden Hills Winery showing off his new super Tuscan.


Paradisos del Sol and their superlative rosé.

Posted using BlogPress from the traveling FWWS iPhone.

Location:Seaview Ave NW,Seattle,United States

FWWS on Facebook and Now Blogging Mobile!

Once again your web-ninja Alex Sloley is deploying cool new technology for FWWS!

We already have these awesome publishing features:

Blog posting capability

Blog RSS and feed on home page

Simul-post on Twitter

Simul-email of blog posts

Now we also have:

A Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Wineries-of-Washington-State/140633052631865 where all blog posts are simul-posted

The ability to multimedia blog post via iPhone

In fact, this post was created on the mobile FWWS iPhone!

Enjoy the new features and go to our new Facebook page today...

Posted using BlogPress from the traveling FWWS iPhone.

Wineries Rate Their Distributors

Check out this article on Wines & Vines about a new website that allows vintners to vent about no-pay, slow-pay.

http://bit.ly/bY5YMM

Welcome New Industry Member Vintners Global Resource, LLC

I am pleased to welcome our newest industry member, Vintners Global Resource, LLC, to the FWWS. Here is some information on them:

Vintners Global Resource, LLC was founded with the vision of becoming the preferred supplier of imported wine bottles and packaging to the Pacific Northwest Wine Industry. This singular commitment to the wine industry keeps our energies solely focused on your success.

We are a family owned and operated company with offices in Tacoma, Yakima and Grandview, Washington. Our decisions are made locally, promptly and by people who care about your success. Our local industry knowledge and world-class service ensure that your orders will arrive as expected.

Our founders and company team members have many years of experience in the U.S. wine and perishable food industries. We understand your concerns and will meet your requirements with integrity, quality products, fair value and high service levels that you can count on.

Our sourcing, quality control, supply-chain management, inventory management and high standards for customer service levels have been market proven with the many years of success of our affiliated company, SGS Hardware.

We supply and deliver to you the right product at the right time so you can focus on your winery business. At Vintners Global Resource, we are fanatical about reliability and obsessive about high-quality customer service.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

http://www.vintnersglobal.com

Welcome to the org!

Family Wineries Respond to Mega-Distributor Arguments about Initiative 1100

Giant beer distributors have been circulating ugly and false rumors about the impact of Initiative 1100 on small wineries. The following red rebuttals respond to the mega-distributor arguments:

When liquor goes private via 1100, wineries that are small will get squished like bugs.

No, we will nimbly step out of the way as we always have. Small wineries will rarely be successful competing directly with the big boys. With 1100, we will be free to compete in many new ways and win the way we always have, by being local and providing better, more interesting products, service and convenience.

Distributors will be beholden to large spirit companies that sell wine and spirits. Say Gallo, Diageo and constellation.

The Washington State Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association is dominated by huge out of state distributors. Small wineries do not operate on the same level as larger spirit companies or giant distributors. Small to medium size distributors and wineries (and breweries and distilleries) will gain many competitive advantages due to the freedom and increased market offered by 1100.

The big local players will have money to buy the wine lists and cut exclusive deals.

Not if it results in any real damage (exclusion). These sorts of hard-core business practices are already illegal under other state and federal laws (e.g. the antitrust laws). And who cares if national mega-restaurant chains make exclusive deals with commodity wine producers? That’s not where small wineries sell their products anyhow. Small restaurants and retailers will benefit from the freedom to compete provided by 1100, which means there will be more places to sell Washington wine.

The shelf space in stores for wine will decrease as liquor will take 25 percent of the space.

Only at stores with poor selection that are willing to lose wine consumers as customers. Under 1100, demand for wine will increase because wine will be less expensive due to removal of unnecessary economic regulation (law of supply and demand) more than making up for any potential loss due to spirits becoming more convenient.

The selection of wine will decline as grocery stores buy from a central warehouse in full cases and the pack out means less selection.

Maybe for some commodity wines, but no way for small wineries. When Alberta privatized it’s provincial liquor stores, selection quadrupled throughout the province. Free market forces maximize selection. The existing regulations greatly limit selection.

Fly down to southern California and take a look.

Southern California is a relative fine wine desert for a number of reasons, none of which have to do with California’s liquor laws. We prefer to look at northern California where the same free market laws apply and wine flourishes along with great small restaurants and small retail shops. The customer base for small Washington wineries is much more sophisticated than the customer base in southern California and will continue to demand more and better wines than do Hollywood starlets. The biggest reason we support 1100 is that it will be great for wine consumers (price and selection will improve) and small wineries always win when they put their customers ahead of narrow special interests.

Deregulation squeezes small players. That’s why in London all the pubs have the same beer selection, they are paid by brewers.

You go to the wrong pubs. London is full of great pubs with great beer selections, just like France. Spain, Italy, and other free nations are full of great wineries, wine shops and restaurants. Plus, tied houses will remain illegal under federal law. 1100 is not going to get rid of vapid sports bars where brainwashed soccer louts swill the most heavily advertised national yellow beers. But 1100 will make it easier for good pubs and restaurants in Washington state to sell more wine and stay in business. Deregulation frees small players to compete with all their skills and inherent advantages of size while enlarging the overall wine market for everyone. Let’s give Washington state the perfect legal climate for wine!

Protect your family winery and check this out.

Embrace freedom and promote the common good over special interests by voting yes on 1100 (and no on 1105).

Your friend Dan from a mega-distributor

Your friends of small wineries and the public at Family Wineries of Washington State

Benefit shows set up for injured Bellingham business owner

Dear FWWS Member,

The following article appeared in a Bellingham Herald article on July 20th and concerns a serious injury suffered by one of our fellow wine makers. Please forward this posting to any in the industry you may know who would be interested in helping John and his family.

Benefit shows set up for injured Bellingham business owner

Sincerely,

The FWWS Board