Allen Shoup casts a long shadow, not only in Washington state but through the wine business.
Shoup was the chairman of Ste. Michelle Wines Estates, which produces Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest wines, some of America’s best wine values, sparkling domaine Ste. Michelle, and upscale Northstar Merlot.
While at Ste. Michelle, then called Stimson Lane, Shoup also partnered with two leading international vintners to make wines in Washington.
One was the Rhine’s famed Dr. Ernst Loosen, and together they made Eroica Riesling, one of America’s most successful versions of that grape. In another venture, Ste. Michelle makes the Col Solare Bordeaux Blend with Tuscany’s Antinori family.
Shoup found the joint ventures so successful – and so much fun – that after retiring from Ste. Michelle, he built on this experience to create long Shadows, an unusual set of wine alliances.
Each individual wine venture in long Shadows is headed by a world-famous vintner who is partnering individually with Shoup in a distinct winery and winemaking program aimed at producing a unique ultra-premium wine from grapes grown in Washington State’s Columbia Valley.
long Shadows was established in 2002 and its first wine, 2003 Poet’s Leap Riesling, was released in July 2004.
Shoup couldn’t work with Loosen, of course, so he partnered with Armin Diel of Schlossgut Diel in Germany’s Nahe River Valley to create the wine. It’s luscious and illustrates why Washington has become a prime supplier of Riesling.
The other partners are equally illustrious:
Feather, a Cabernet Sauvignon made by Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards, Napa Valley
Pedestal Merlot from famed international wine consultant Michel Rolland from Bordeaux
Chester Kidder, a red blend from Allen Shoup and resident winemaker Gilles Nicault from France
Pirouette, a different red blend from Agustin Huneeus of Quintessa and cult winemaker Philippe Melka from Napa Valley
Sequel, a Syrah from John Duval, formerly winemaker of Grange at Penfolds in Australia
Saggi, a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Barbera made with Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, from Tuscany
Allen Shoup is widely credited for helping create Washington state’s thriving wine industry. While CEO of Stimson Lane, he built fame for the state’s wines by combining modern technology with respect for traditional viticulture and enology to create excellent wines at reasonable prices.
He created fine reds and whites from the Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington, an appellation he helped develop. During his tenure, the region of 4,000 acres of little-known vineyards grew into 30,000 acres of well-known vineyards producing celebrated wines.
Those wines are widely recognized by wine critics in lists of “best values.” With long Shadows, he hopes his wines will move onto comparable lists of “best wines.”
Allen began his career in California working for industry legend Ernest Gallo. In 1979, he joined Chateau Ste. Michelle, then a small, little-known winery in Woodinville, Wash. He developed that property into Stimson Lane Wineries and Estates, purchasing and building wineries and vineyards in the Columbia Valley and even elsewhere.
Concluded that it took 17 years for a wine to achieve national acceptability, Shoup felt he could shortcut the process by partnering with known winemakers and vintners. “After all, I was approaching 60!” he admits.
To create the new wineries, he chose to focus on the Yakima Valley.
The fruit for the wines come from 20 vineyards that Shoup identified in his years with Stimson Lane. “The grapes are high priced [for Washington], costing as much as $2000 per acre with yields limited to 3 tons per acre,” he says.
“We found that there were lots of vineyards in Yakima Valley that could produce excellent grapes if their yields were controlled,” he adds. “We chose to work with vineyard owners willing to follow the instructions of the winemakers with regard to yield and vineyard management.”
The wines are now made at a leased incubator facility in Walla Walla, but Shoup envisions that each winery will build or acquire its own facility and hire a local winemaker as they become self-sufficient. He anticipates that will happen as they reach about 3000 cases of production.
The partners have invested their time in the project in lieu of money. Shoup put up half the capital; other investors provided the rest.
Published with permission by the author.
Shoup was the chairman of Ste. Michelle Wines Estates, which produces Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest wines, some of America’s best wine values, sparkling domaine Ste. Michelle, and upscale Northstar Merlot.
While at Ste. Michelle, then called Stimson Lane, Shoup also partnered with two leading international vintners to make wines in Washington.
One was the Rhine’s famed Dr. Ernst Loosen, and together they made Eroica Riesling, one of America’s most successful versions of that grape. In another venture, Ste. Michelle makes the Col Solare Bordeaux Blend with Tuscany’s Antinori family.
Shoup found the joint ventures so successful – and so much fun – that after retiring from Ste. Michelle, he built on this experience to create long Shadows, an unusual set of wine alliances.
Each individual wine venture in long Shadows is headed by a world-famous vintner who is partnering individually with Shoup in a distinct winery and winemaking program aimed at producing a unique ultra-premium wine from grapes grown in Washington State’s Columbia Valley.
long Shadows was established in 2002 and its first wine, 2003 Poet’s Leap Riesling, was released in July 2004.
Shoup couldn’t work with Loosen, of course, so he partnered with Armin Diel of Schlossgut Diel in Germany’s Nahe River Valley to create the wine. It’s luscious and illustrates why Washington has become a prime supplier of Riesling.
The other partners are equally illustrious:
Feather, a Cabernet Sauvignon made by Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards, Napa Valley
Pedestal Merlot from famed international wine consultant Michel Rolland from Bordeaux
Chester Kidder, a red blend from Allen Shoup and resident winemaker Gilles Nicault from France
Pirouette, a different red blend from Agustin Huneeus of Quintessa and cult winemaker Philippe Melka from Napa Valley
Sequel, a Syrah from John Duval, formerly winemaker of Grange at Penfolds in Australia
Saggi, a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Barbera made with Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, from Tuscany
Allen Shoup is widely credited for helping create Washington state’s thriving wine industry. While CEO of Stimson Lane, he built fame for the state’s wines by combining modern technology with respect for traditional viticulture and enology to create excellent wines at reasonable prices.
He created fine reds and whites from the Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington, an appellation he helped develop. During his tenure, the region of 4,000 acres of little-known vineyards grew into 30,000 acres of well-known vineyards producing celebrated wines.
Those wines are widely recognized by wine critics in lists of “best values.” With long Shadows, he hopes his wines will move onto comparable lists of “best wines.”
Allen began his career in California working for industry legend Ernest Gallo. In 1979, he joined Chateau Ste. Michelle, then a small, little-known winery in Woodinville, Wash. He developed that property into Stimson Lane Wineries and Estates, purchasing and building wineries and vineyards in the Columbia Valley and even elsewhere.
Concluded that it took 17 years for a wine to achieve national acceptability, Shoup felt he could shortcut the process by partnering with known winemakers and vintners. “After all, I was approaching 60!” he admits.
To create the new wineries, he chose to focus on the Yakima Valley.
The fruit for the wines come from 20 vineyards that Shoup identified in his years with Stimson Lane. “The grapes are high priced [for Washington], costing as much as $2000 per acre with yields limited to 3 tons per acre,” he says.
“We found that there were lots of vineyards in Yakima Valley that could produce excellent grapes if their yields were controlled,” he adds. “We chose to work with vineyard owners willing to follow the instructions of the winemakers with regard to yield and vineyard management.”
The wines are now made at a leased incubator facility in Walla Walla, but Shoup envisions that each winery will build or acquire its own facility and hire a local winemaker as they become self-sufficient. He anticipates that will happen as they reach about 3000 cases of production.
The partners have invested their time in the project in lieu of money. Shoup put up half the capital; other investors provided the rest.
Published with permission by the author.