Avenue Vine

Riesling Rendezvous kicks off with a welcome reception and concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle on June 24. June 25 & 26 are dedicated to in-depth tastings and seminars moderated by eminent Riesling authority and noted author Stuart Pigott and guided by distinguished producers to explore Riesling styles, from powerful dry wines of Austria, Alsace and Australia to the elegant German variations and the flavorful, spicy interpretations of the New World. Panelists scheduled to participate include German winegrowers Ernst Loosen, Katharina Prüm, Philipp Wittmann, Nik Weis, Wilhelm Haag and Fritz Hasselbach, Alsatian winegrower Maruice Barthelme, Australian producers Jeffrey Grosset and Judi Cullam, Oregon winemaker Harry Peterson Nedry, Washington winemaker Nicolas Quille, New York producer Frederick Frank, Michigan producer Sean O’Keefe, Ontario winemakers Tom Pennachetti and Angelo Pavan, Chateau Ste. Michelle’s winemaker Bob Bertheau, Australian author/journalist James Halliday, New Zealand author/journalist Bob Campbell, MW, New York journalist Howard Goldberg, Northwest author/wine writer Paul Gregutt, along with many others.

The Rendezvous will culminate with a gala tasting of producers’ top wines on the evening of Tuesday, June 26th at the new Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park. An optional day to tour distinctive Riesling vineyards of Washington’s Columbia Valley is offered on June 27th. Throughout the event, meals will feature Rieslings paired with Pacific Northwest cuisine, Asian fusion dishes, seafood and other menu items to illustrate the tremendous food-affinity of Riesling.

Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a champion of Riesling for more than 40 years and was among the first to plant Riesling in Washington state. Ste. Michelle was catapulted into the national spotlight when its 1972 Johannisberg Riesling won the now-famous blind tasting of nineteen White Rieslings sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. Today, Chateau Ste. Michelle offers up to seven different Riesling styles designed to showcase the versatility of Riesling and the regional styles within Washington’s Columbia Valley, which produces more Riesling than any other American wine region.

“We felt it was a natural for us to team up with our valued partner on Eroica Riesling, Ernst Loosen, to bring together winemakers, wine professionals and wine enthusiasts to celebrate the great qualities and versatility of this noble white grape,” says Ted Baseler, president of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

Ernst Loosen is the owner of the Dr. Loosen estate, which has a 200-year tradition of producing Riesling in Germany’s Mosel region. He has been collaborating with Chateau Ste. Michelle on Eroica Riesling, an ultra-premium Riesling made from Washington grapes, since 1999.

"I am thrilled to be working with Chateau Ste. Michelle to present the first-ever Riesling Rendezvous,” says Ernst Loosen. “I've been running around the world for 20 years now, preaching the gospel of Riesling, and it's so gratifying that we can now seriously think about putting on such an event! Riesling has definitely made a comeback and I firmly believe that it's up to us, the producers, to continually work for top quality so that its reputation does not get ruined again.”

“The Riesling Rendezvous will be a fantastic opportunity for producers to meet and share ideas, as well as a great chance to show the true genius of Riesling to the trade, and the wine loving world,” adds Loosen. “There really is no other grape variety that is so flexible and can be made in so many different styles. And it's still astonishing to me how well Riesling captures the taste -- the terroir -- of where it's grown.”

About Chateau Ste. Michelle:
This year marks Chateau Ste. Michelle’s 40th year of Washington winemaking. Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle pioneered vinifera grape growing in Washington state and has been producing classic European varietal wines under the Chateau Ste. Michelle label since 1967. The winery combines an ongoing dedication to research with a commitment to classic winemaking traditions. The winery owns 3,400 acres of vineyards in the Columbia Valley of eastern Washington, including Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek. Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with two of the world’s most distinguished vintners. Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel’s Ernst Loosen.

About Dr. Loosen Estate:
The Dr. Loosen estate has a 200-year tradition of producing Riesling in Germany’s Mosel region. With his modern world view and his traditional approach to winemaking, Ernst Loosen strives to produce wines that unmistakably express the character of Riesling and of the vineyards where they are grown. Decanter magazine named Ernst Loosen 2005 “Man of the Year” for his perseverance in promoting and producing great Rieslings around the world.

For further information and registration fees, visit www.rieslingrendezvous.com or email at info@Rieslingrendezvous.com or call 425-415-3271. Space is limited.

WOODINVILLE, Wash.–April 10, 2007