it was difficult to imagine in that moment that the winemakers around me on all sides might be consumed by existential anxiety for their businesses or livelihoods. We were, after all, inundated with wine geeks and aficionados from all over the world, rabid supporters of small and independent vineyards, the kinds of passionate consumers that help instill dreams of making your own wine in the first place.
While attending the festival I was able to sit down with Bledsoe, joined by Mazda CMO Brad Audet, for a conversation on the current state of the wine industry,and how his companies have managed to persevere for almost two decades while also growing the oenophile profile of Walla Walla and beyond. Paste: You’ve been in the game long enough to see the maturation of the American wine scene, and its plateauing in the last couple of years. In that time, how do you feel people’s perception of the Walla Walla region has evolved?We’re still young, honestly. Awareness outside of the northwest of what’s happening in Walla Walla is still low, which we view as blue sky for us. We really feel like, setting price aside, the quality is on par with any great wine region in the world.