A press release from the venerable Washington winery boasted an “outstanding start to Washington’s 2008 wine-grape harvest and ‘stunning’ fruit at top vineyard sites including the inaugural vintage at Col Solare.” The release went on to describe a “perfect” ripening season, full crop yields, and restrained sugar levels.

“We are starting off with a bang, not a whimper, and everything looks great,” said Doug Gore, Senior Vice President of Winemaking and Vineyards at Ste. Michelle, which began harvesting Chardonnay from the Columbia Crest estate vineyard on September 10th. “Although we started picking about 10 days later than past vintages, we are quickly ramping up and the fruit is ripening with great flavors. If the weather holds, it’s a harbinger for a really great year, especially for red varietals.”

Red Mountain is home to Col Solare, Ste. Michelle’s joint venture winery with Marchesi Antinori of Italy. 2008 marks the first harvest at the 28-acre Col Solare estate vineyard, planted in 2007. An inaugural half ton of Merlot was picked on September 16th, to be followed by limited quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, and Petit Verdot.  The vineyard is scheduled to come into full production in 2010.