Month: July 2019

Winery Wastewater General Permit Effective July 1st 2019

July 2, 2019 - WWI News

The Winery General Permit is now effective. Ecology issued the Winery General Permit on May 17th of last year, but delayed the effective date to give potential permittees extra time to prepare for the new regulation. The effective date was also delayed to coincide with the recent adoption of the revised Permit Fee Rule (Chapter 173-224 WAC).

Wineries that meet the applicability requirements outlined in Special Condition S1 of the Winery General Permit have 90 days (until September 30th) to apply for permit coverage using the online permit portal. Wineries under 7,500 cases/produced a year are exempt from permit. Also, wineries in urban areas that have their wastewater system connected to a delegated point-of-treatment system are exempt from permit.

The Washington Wine Institute worked with Ecology and wine industry wastewater experts for more then four years on developing the permit. While still complicated, the final version of the permit is a tremendous improvement from where it started in 2015. Finally, the permit fees are significantly lower then what Ecology originally proposed. We will continue pushing Ecology to lower these costs as they learn how much resource is needed to permit and regulate these new winery wastewater rules.

If you have any questions, please contact the Ecology staff listed on the permit webpage.

Ekos Winemaker – Goekos

July 22, 2019 - Featured Associate

Ekos Winemaker was built by Ekos, the industry leader in business management software for independent craft manufacturing companies. Ekos Winemaker helps streamline wineries inventory, production, sales, and accounting. With a few clicks of a mouse or swipes on a mobile device, they have made it easy for users to organize, manage, and integrate information from every area of their operation into one easily accessible location. Ekos Winemaker also populates fields in the Report of Wine Premises Operations. Learn more at goekos.com/ekos-winemaker.

Source Ekos Winemaker

Sagemoor Vineyards

July 22, 2019 - Featured Grower

When Sagemoor first purchased land for planting vineyards in 1968, nobody knew for sure which, if any, grape varietals would grow. Also, they didn’t know how to grow them. The founders plowed ahead with vision, grit, and not much else. A slew of stumbling blocks nearly killed the dream.

Today, over 40 years and 1,100 acres later, they have five full-production vineyards supplying grapes to northwest wineries both big and boutique. In those five vineyards—Sagemoor, Bacchus, Dionysus, Weinbau, and Gamache— they have a storied history of anecdotes, characters, more than a dozen grape varietals, plus variable soils, weather challenges, and a few, ehhh, quirks.

They know where and how grapes are grown will define the final product. From the founding fathers through today, they have staked their lives and land on the belief that great wine starts in the vineyard.

Source Sagemoor Vineyards

Lagana Cellars

July 22, 2019 - Featured Winery

THE WINERY

Founded in 2013, Lagana Cellars is a Walla Walla Valley boutique winery producing Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Their primary goal is to create terroir-driven wines with varietal character and elegance. While touring the heart of downtown Walla Walla, duck into their intimate tasting room and enjoy some of their luscious reds and crisp, clean whites.

THE PARTNERSHIP

Not always focused on wine, Jason and Todd come from backgrounds rooted in the fields of arts and sciences. Jason studied anthropology and astrophysics at Indiana University Bloomington before graduating from Walla Walla Community College’s Enology and Viticulture program. Todd majored in drawing and photography at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where he earned his BFA. Todd’s path toward wine began in 1997 when his father, Rich Bernave, was hired by Walla Walla Vintners as one of their first employees. Jason’s passion for wine was cultivated through his culinary experiences and love of food. Together, Jason and Todd formed a partnership anchored by four basic tenets: food, family, friends, and wine.

Source Lagana Cellars