Washington State Wine Commission organized the Wine Harvest Tour to invite the Grand Award winners and the First Runner Up winners of the Washington Wine Month Promotion and press to visit vineyards and wineries to experience a variety of Washington wines between the August 28th and September 4th, 2011 period. During the 6 day tour, the group visited over 20 wineries/vineyards and has learned characteristics of AVAs, various vineyards and wineries in Washington State. There were some lunch and dinner hosted at wineries where winemakers and winery representatives enjoy conversation with the Japanese buyers and press.
In Seattle, the group visited retailers to learn the wine market and various sales styles for wines. The participants have become more fascinated by Washington wines through the harvest tour.

Visited Wineries ･ Vineyards / Retailers
Bookwalter ･ Boushey Vineyard ･ Canyon Ranch Vineyard ･ Charles Smith Winery (K Vintners) ･ Chateau Ste Michelle ･ Ciel du Cheval ･ Col Solare ･ Columbia Crest ･ Columbia Winery ･ Covey Run ･ Desert Wind ･ EFESTE ･ Hedges Family Estate ･ L'Ecole No 41 ･ Long Shadows ･ Milbrandt Vineyards ･ Power ･ Seven Hills Vineyard ･ Terra Blanca ･ Vintners Village ･ Woodward Canyon Winery / Metropolitan Market ・ Pike Place Market ・ Quality Food Center ･ Wine World

The Washington Wine Month Promotion 2011 award ceremony was held together with the Taste Washington Event on May 24th 2011.  The top 3 award winners of the "Retail', "Hotel Restaurant', "50 + Seats Restaurant', "Less than 50 Seats Restaurant' and "Importer' categories, were announced and given an award.  An award was also given to the best seller of total restaurants.  The wineries who came to Japan to attend the ceremony gave out their 3 liter bottle signed by the wine maker, to the winner of their respective wineries.

Each award winner made a brief remark to introduce their shop, restaurant or importer and talked about their passion for Washington State Wine.

Washington Wine Month Promotion 2011

 

Promotion Period: 2011 / 3 / 1 – 2011 / 3 / 31

The number of participating restaurants / shops: 201

(Kanto: 120, Kinki: 36, Hokkaido/Tohoku: 15.  Chubu: 14, Kyushu/Okinawa: 12, Chugoku/Shikoku:4)

Sales Report Submitted: 174 / 201

Total Sales: 39,930,799 JPY

Total # of bottles: 17,717

 

The results are based on the sales reports submitted by the participants of the promotion.  All the bottle prices are calculated with the suggested retail prices given by importers.  The number of seats used for the restaurant is the actual number of seats existing in the restaurant regardless of their use of the seats.  

 

# of participants – 28

Sales Report Submission Ratio: 28 / 28

 

 

# of participants – 17

Sales Report Submission Ratio: 17 / 17

 

 

# of participants: 48

Sales Report Submission Ratio: 43 / 48

 

 

# of participants – 108

Sales Report Submission Ratio: 86 / 108

 

 

(Total Sales of 2,804,600 Yen)

 

The wineries whose representatives have come to Tokyo to attend the Award Ceremony wish to present an award to the restaurant who has sold their wines most during the promotion.