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p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d J U n e 2 0 1 4 71 M a r K e T i n g S T R A T E G I C D E S I G N S T U D I O A R C H I T E C T U R E B R A N D D E V E L O P M E N T A P www.STRATAap.com S T R A T A D E S I G N P L A N N I N G M A N A G E M E N T WINERY PRODUCTION HOSPITALITY ESTATES A R C H I T E C T U R E B R A N D D E V E L O P M E N T www.strataap.com S O N O M A, C A L I F O R N I A 7 0 7. 9 3 5. 7 9 4 4 Promote your wines to leading Zinfandel enthusiasts and extend your winery's relationship in the market. Join Us! We are champions of Zinfandel— America's Heritage Wine Become part of our proud legacy zinfandel.org • 530-274-4900 Zinfandel Advocates & Producers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. You know how good your Zinfandel is... Try to get the winery to vineyard-designate at least one wine in order to get your name on the bottle. Sometimes wineries are not set up that way, so do not take offense if they will not. When seeking winery clients, make vineyard-designate type wineries a priority. Discount grape prices in the first year to try and get more well-known wineries to try your grapes. Reputable wineries using your fruit will attract other reputa- ble wineries, which equals more vineyard recognition. See if your region is a good AVA candidate. Be careful that your region is fully deserving of one and it is not just a marketing ploy! If possible, start a small label using your own fruit. This is a lot of work, but it gives you full control. Rule No. 1: Make good wine. If you cannot make great wine, hire someone who can! Get involved! Join your local, regional and state associations. This increases your network pool and will keep you up to date on current industry events. Participate in events such as TASTE Washington through the vineyard table. Other associations have similar events and opportunities to showcase your vineyard. Do vineyard tours. People love to know where their wine comes from. Share your knowledge, vineyard challenges and experiences with others: 1. Start one-on-one casual conversations with other farmers/ industry folks. 2. Stay in good contact with educators and researchers at edu- cational institutions. They are there for you! 3. Attend seminars, workshops and conventions. Good luck! Building a brand takes time and patience! PWV Todd Newhouse is a fourth-generation Yakima Valley farmer. After working on the farm part-time since the age of 12 and graduating from Whitman College, Newhouse began full-time work on the family farm in 1996 and took a special interest in the wine grape portion of the diversified farm. He currently serves as Washington Association of Winegrape Growers (WAWGG) board chairman, WAWGG advocacy committee chair and sits on the board for Wine Yakima Valley. Vinifera grapevines were first planted at Upland Vineyards in 1917 by William B. Bridgman, making it the oldest commercial vine- yard in Washington state. Upland Winery was one of four wineries to open in 1934 when Prohibition ended. Upland Vineyards was the first in Washington to commercially produce and sell the kind of European- style wines we drink today. In 1971 the winery closed and both winery and vineyards were put up for sale. Alfred Newhouse (Todd's grandfather) bought the vine- yards. He had planted his first Chardonnay and Aligote grapevines in 1968. In 1973 he added Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. More plantings occurred in 1979, 1988, 1995 – 2001 and 2006 – present. Today Upland Vineyards has 900 acres planted to vinifera: 18 white cultivars and 17 red cultivars on Snipes Mountain, with north and south slopes in the central Yakima Valley, to accommodate grape varieties that need a cool and hot climate. Snipes Mountain has a hot climate and ancient, rocky soils from the unique Ellensburg geological formation with elevation ranging from 750 to 1,300 feet. In 2009, with help from Washington State University soil scientist Joan Davenport, Todd Newhouse co-authored an AVA petition for Snipes Mountain which gained approval in 2009 as Washington's 10th AVA. Upland also farms 250 acres of Concord grapes, cherries, apricots, nec- tarines, peaches, prunes, pears, and apples that total almost 2,000 acres alto- gether. Upland Vineyards is currently farmed and managed by owner Steve Newhouse and his sons Todd Newhouse, Keith Newhouse and Nic Newhouse. Practical Winery library.com Single-subject articles on a wide range of topics From the archives of Practical Winery & Vineyard PracticalWinerylibrary.com