Ste. Michelle Plans Col Solare Winery

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Washington state and the Antinori family of Tuscany, Italy recently  broke ground for state-of-the-art winery for the Col Solare red wine. The winery will be on Red Mountain near Prosser, Washington. The joint venture partnership between the two winemakers began with the 1995 vintage. Red Mountain is known as a growing area for red varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. They hope to open the winery in time for harvest in 2006. The Col Solare winery on Red Mountain will be built at 1,000 feet above sea level, with views to the Columbia River and the Yakima River Valley. There will be wine caves built into the mountain, a tasting room for visitors, and a European-style barrel room.