Tourism Roundtable 
Chris Stone, Vice President, Marketing & Communications 
www.washingtonwine.org 



@WineCommission                         July 22, 2014

Mission Statement 
On Behalf of the State of Washington
and its wineries and growers, the
mission of the Washington State Wine
Commission is to raise awareness and
demand for Washington State Wine
through MARKETING and
EDUCATION while supporting
viticulture and enology RESEARCH to
drive industry growth. 
Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Second Largest Wine Producer in U.S. 




Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Brief History with Explosive Growth 
Licensed Wineries  as of June 1, 2014 
Average 10 new wineries per month 
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1981 1986 1993 1999 2002 2003 2004 2006 2008 2009 2012 2013 2014

Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Brief History with Explosive Growth 

Total Impact: $8.6 billion 
Total Jobs: 27,000 
Wages: $1.2 billion 
Taxes: $238 million 

The Economic Impact of Washington State Wine and Grapes, April 2012        Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Wine Tourism is Booming! 

More than 1 billion in winerelated
tourism expenditures
annually 
More than 2 million people visit
Washington wineries annually 
More than 3,000 wine tourism
related jobs in Washington State 
Nearly $100 million in wine
tourism-related wages 

The Economic Impact of Washington State Wine and Grapes, April 2012        Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Significant Growth in Tourism Visits 
Millions of Winery Visits Per Year 
3.0
2.4 
2.5
2.0                            1.7 
1.5
1.0
0.35 
0.5
0.0
1999             2006             2012

The Economic Impact of Washington State Wine and Grapes, April 2012        Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

What is driving the tremendous growth 
of Washington State Wine & Wine Tourism? 





Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Superior Quality: Wine Spectator 
Percent of 90+ Scores 
60%
47% 
44% 
42%                        49%             50% 50% 
50%                                           48% 
46%                             46%                 47% 
32%                                                 44%       44% 
40%            41% 41%   42%          32%                    41% 
40%              38%                       37% 
35%                        34% 35%   35% 
32% 
30%                                          32% 
29% 
30%          28% 

20%

10%

0%
California       France         Italy         Oregon      Washington
2009   2010   2011   2012   2013   Average

n = 14,000 to 20,000 per year 
Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Superior Quality: Wine Spectator 
Price, USD 
$120
$92 
$100 
$100                   $96     $94 
$90 
$72 
$80         $76 $77         $78            $67 
$74 
$71                                        $72 
$69          $71 
$67 
$64 
$49 
$60                                 $55 
$50                       $43 
$48 $48 $49 $48 
$42    $44 
$41    $43 $43 
$40

$20

$0
California        France          Italy         Oregon       Washington
2009   2010   2011   2012   2013   Average

n = 14,000 to 20,000 per year 
Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Superior Quality: Wine Advocate 
June 27, 2014, Issue TBD 

39% 
33%            65% 
26% 

2% 
0% 
70-79  80-84  85-89  90-94  95-100
n = 851 
Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Opportunities for Continued Growth in Tourism 
Leverage existing programs  e.g. Taste & Tote 
Active engagement with WTA, Visit Seattle, and other DMOs 
Build and maintain strong partnerships with large tourism entities 
Continue strong implementation of the strategic marketing plan for
Washington State Wine 
25"  35" 
20"  30" 

6"  8" 



Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Successful Taste & Tote Program 
A collaboration of Yakima Valley Tourism, the
Tri-Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau and
Tourism Walla Walla  Alaska Airlines and
Hertz Rent-A-Car. 







www.tasteandtote.com                                   Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Taste & Tote Extended through 2016 
FAQ available at tasteandtote.com 
Key Metrics (cases checked/month) 
Yakima Air Terminal: 50 
Tri-Cities Airport: 50 
Walla Walla Airport: 100 
Annual combined total of 2,400
cases per year 




www.tasteandtote.com                                   Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014

Support Local Winemakers & Growers  
Enjoy Washington State Wine - Cheers! 

25"  35" 
20"  30" 

6"  8" 



Port of Seattle  Tourism Roundtable - July 2014