Washington Wine Board Meeting

Join the Washington State Wine Commission for this board meeting, one of several throughout the year. The Washington Wine board and staff will discuss current issues relevant to the state’s wine industry, ongoing events and campaigns, and the organization’s broader strategies.

Per the Open Public Meetings Act, anyone is welcome to join this meeting. Washington wineries and vineyards are encouraged to join, and board meetings are a great way to stay abreast of current programs and ways that they can benefit from Washington Wine’s marketing, communication, and research & efforts. The agenda will be posted here one week prior to the meeting.

Location: Novelty Hill – Januik Winery, Woodinville, WA
Date: August 14, 2026
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

• Opening – Becca De Kleine (15 minutes)
  • Welcome Guests and Introductions
  • Public Comments
  • Approval of the minutes of the June 12th Board meeting and Special Board Meeting
  • Introductions by current Board members
    • Welcome Chris Luke, Senior Vice President, Winebow
    • Welcome Melanie Baker, Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE)

• Guest Presentations
  • Katie Maltais, Executive Director Auction for WA Wines (20 mins.)
    • Overview of Auction Vision and Strategy
  • Jean Dodson Peterson, Founding Chair, WSU Wine and Science Center (20 mins. and Q&A)
    • Update on WSU Wine and Science Center
  • Tom Collins, WSU (10 mins.) will join virtually
    • Regional Smoke Update
  • Committee Reports
    • Research Committee – Kade Casciato and Julie Tarara (15 mins.)
      • Public yeast germplasm project
      • Outreach activities, summer 2026
      • General update (since June Board meeting)
      • Research Portal
    • Marketing Committee – Devyani Gupta, David Flaherty and Mac Pedersen, (15 mins.)
      • Road Trip (Immersive Wine Education)
      • WAugust

• • • Sip & Sea
  • Export Committee – Thomas Vogele, Kate Salisbury and Chris Stone (5 mins.)

• 2026/2027 International Calendar

• Communications Committee – Taylor Monson Jackson, Heather Bradshaw, Averyl Mooney (20 mins.)
  • Update on programming
    • Washington Agriculture Tour
    • Allen Shoup Fellowship
    • FY26 Year End Media results

• • • • Social Media Strategy and Engagement

• Finance Committee – Tom Dugan, Kristina Kelley, Chris Stone, Renee Meadors, Paul Capelle (15 mins.)
  • Finance Balance Sheet
  • FY’26 Year End Detail
  • FY’27 Plan Detail
  • Grape Assessment timeline
• All Other Business – Becca De Kleine (15 mins.)
  • Grape acreage survey and Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) discussion
  • Committee Review
  • Next Board Meeting
    • November 6th, Walter Clore Center, Prosser
  • Select Board Dates for 2027
    • January
    • April
    • June

If you would like to attend virtually, please reach out to info@washingtonwine.org for the meeting link. For the full list of board meeting dates, check out this page on our website.