It may seem like a very small drop in an otherwise large market but it says a lot that it was shovel ready. The Northwest Viticulture Center at Chemeketa Community College may not seem like the typical infrastructure project that many would have assumed stimulus money will be spent on but it is important to the continued quality and growth of the northwest wine industry.

The $1.4 million dollar project ($700K comes from the stimulus funds for Oregon state) will improve facilities and deliver a more complete educational program for the program's students.  This is especially important for the program that was originally started in 1999 to provide a better trained workforce to Oregon's wine industry.  For an industry that has seen incredible growth in the last 10 years, this is nothing but very good news.

While there is always new winemaking talent turning to the NW for employment and experience, it is important that we continue to grow our own winemakers here; experienced in the soil and climate of the northwest; if for no other reason than to ensure that the terroir that makes NW wines unique is fully understood, exploited and cared for in the production of our region’s fine wines.

NW Winos – Locally Grown and Educated