It's officially the very first day of Oregon Wine Month.

"Pat's record demonstrates an understanding of how to improve performance, negotiate fair deals and provide top-quality service to the customers and taxpayers of Washington," Inslee said in a statement.

Officially, it's known as Spring Release Weekend, a moniker it has carried for more than a decade. For most longtime wine lovers and collectors, it's called Leonetti Weekend because this is the one time each year that legendary Leonetti Cellar is open for its customers.

Winerywise is continuing their work to ensure a bright future for the Washington wine industry, by providing education about sustainable management and winemaking practices with a focus on making winery sustainability work.

Here's the situation: You're a PR/Marketing company and you want to make the "case" to wine writers and influencers that Oregon pinot noir styles-including those from a client or two-are moving to a more elegant expression of the heartbreak grape. What's a marketing firm to do?

The Tri-Cities and the Yakima Valley were flooded with wine lovers this weekend. It was all for the 30th Annual Spring Barrel wine tasting event.

Ron Bitner, an Idaho native and internationally known bee biologist, purchased sagebrush-covered property near Caldwell 32 years ago for the view.

Polk County has had some multi-million dollar real estate deals in recent months, but it's not housing subdivisions or commercial property.

When Rob Griffin graduated from the UofC Davis wine program in 1977, he ignored the advice of his instructors to stay in California. Instead, he headed to the Pacific Northwest with a dream of crafting fine artisan wine in Washington state.

Applications for the Washington Wine Industry Foundation scholarships are due on June 1. WWIF is offering scholarships for students interested in studying and pursuing a career in viticulture or enology for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Here's the situation: You're a PR/Marketing company and you want to make the "case" to wine writers and influencers that Oregon pinot noir styles-including those from a client or two-are moving to a more elegant expression of the heartbreak grape. What's a marketing firm to do?

A bill regulating winery activity on farm ground is now in the Oregon House after clearing the Senate by unanimous vote April 25.

The bulk of Spring Barrel Tasting customers come from the population centers in Western Washington, and this year is shaping up to be a big one. Wine Yakima Valley sold its first allotment of 1,500 "premier passes" early this year.

Many subscribe to principles, and are certified, via the Low Input Viticulture and Enology process that sanctions sustainable producers. The Oregon Environmental Council also validated that some of them met the group's Carbon Neutral Challenge for Oregon Wineries standards.

The growing season has arrived, so Oregon is getting ready for another winegrape season.

A bill regulating winery activity on farm ground is now in the Oregon House after clearing the Senate by unanimous vote April 25. Senate Bill 841 scales back the number of events wineries in exclusive farm use zones can conduct from the existing 25 days to 18.

The center is the size of 11 football fields and already is storing about 2.2 million cases of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates wine at a cool 55 degrees, said Jim Kleist, senior vice president of West Coast operations for Railex

"We put up a good battle, and I think we won," said Paul Champoux, owner of famed Champoux Vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills

He has developed a thriving side business as a terroir finder.

Applications for the Washington Wine Industry Foundation scholarships are due on June 1. WWIF is offering scholarships for students interested in studying and pursuing a career in viticulture or enology for the 2013-2014 academic year.