The Tasting Panel magazine

"W e were skeptical at first, so we planted Concord grapes!" laughs Mike Hogue, reminiscing 30 years later. "But I got caught up with how much fun people were having with these new grapes and drinking wine. Our first vintage of Riesling was 50 gallons of backyard wine made in my daughter's dollhouse. It was remarkably good!" The Hogue Cellars is celebrating 30 years of award-winning winemaking in in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington, and Mike and Gary Hogue are sharing a few laughs over stories for a documentary-style video produc- tion. The movie is as much a highlight reel of their wines as it is a look into a heritage of family pride and reputation. As young boys, Mike and Gary worked their family's farm, which produced a variety of crops includ- ing hops, Concord grapes, cherries, spearmint and, of course, apples. Quality was always first and foremost. "We'd produce hops and sell them to Anheuser-Busch and Miller," recalls Mike Hogue. "We'd grow spearmint and peppermint and sell it to Wrigley's. As soon as the crops left the farm, you'd loose your identity. With wine, you're able to keep your identity." Gary is quick to respond, "Dad felt we were a little bit crazy and he questioned the venture. After all, we knew nothing about it. He was very concerned about the Hogue family name and its reputation. Once you decide to have the family name on the bottle, then it becomes even more a matter of family pride, and quality has to be foremost." Right Place, Right Time The Hogue's surrounded themselves with a talented team, including close friend Mark Schwartzman, "a city boy who loved farming," remembers Mike. "We had a small six-acre piece of ground that wouldn't fit for hops, and the first vineyard became a reality. We planted Riesling and eventually named the vineyard the Schwartzman Vineyard. Mark was following the suc- cess of Robert Mondavi in California and encouraged us to continue planting wine grapes." At the same time, Washington State was becoming recognized as a future superior grape-growing region with The Hogue Cellars Director of Vineyard Operations Colin Morrell. the potential to produce world-class wines. As fortunes would continue, Dr. Walter Clore, "The Father of Washington Wines," had already set up shop in Prosser and had been experi- menting with different varieties for nearly 20 years. Early on, they learned from Dr. Clore that a bigger crop is not always a better crop, and they understood the region was unique; specific varieties needed to be planted in the right spot. "We were definitely in the right place at the right time," Mike reports with a smile. 44 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 The Hogue Cellars Today What started as backyard wine 30 years ago has developed into a winery producing 450,000 cases annually, the fourth largest producing winery in Washington. The Hogue Cellars features a range of 18 different wines among its three core lines: Hogue, Genesis and Reserve. The Hogue Cellars label showcases fresh, crisp, well- balanced wines at a premium value of $10.99. The Genesis wines celebrate the family's original vision of sourcing grapes from superior vine-

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