Hogue Cellars
Back in 1982, when brothers, Gary and Mike Hogue, started Hogue Cellars in Washington’s YakimaValley, it was the state’s 19th bonded winery. Today Washington is home to over 650 wineries and produces a collective 20 million gallons of wine per year. As time would tell, the Hogue Cellar's adventure, that began over 25 years ago, exploded into one of Washington’s most influential and quality-driven wine companies.
The innate quality of Washington's fruit is the key to the success of Hogue Cellars. That, combined with limiting the amount of blending grapes which would dilute the wine’s quality, has paid off with Hogue Cellars now producing 650,000 cases per year and claiming almost 8% of Washington’s wine market volume.
Hogue has further differentiated itself by offering three tiers or price points within their product line. The Hogue line is their entry-level wine tier with prices running about $10 per bottle. The Genesis series makes up their mid-range offerings and priced at about $16 per bottle. These have increased intensity and structure compared to the Hogue line. Then there’s the Hogue Reserve tier, showcasing the upper-end wines, and priced in the $22-$30 range. Only grapes from the finest quality grapes are used to create their Reserve wines.
But what is most surprising (and beneficial to consumers) is how broad their offering is with this quality. Hogue offers Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay as their flagship white wines. Their red wine offerings include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and A delicious Syrah. Hogue Cellars also has a very limited production Terroir line, enjoyed predominately by wine club members or visitors that stop into their tasting room in Prosser. Releases under this label include a Viognier, Lemberger and Sangiovese, one of my favorites. The Hogue and Hogue Genesis labels are available across the country and in many wine stores. |
