Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/197178
Ted Baseler CEO, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates One won't find Ted Baseler wearing a lot of jewelry, but boy, is he fond of his string of pearls. That's what Baseler calls Ste. Michelle Wine Estates' (SMWE) portfolio of wineries/brands based in Washington, Oregon and California. Each one is a pearl, he says, with its own identity. When strung together, they form a diverse company that offers something for every wine consumer, and is ranked No. 3 in sales of premium wines in the United States. The mother pearl is Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, northeast of Seattle and Baseler's home base. SMWE, the world's leading producer of riesling at 1.2 million cases (2012 vintage) per year, spawned a daughter, Columbia Crest Winery in Eastern Washington, in 1982, when the facility previously used to process Chateau Ste. Michelle grapes became its own brand. Since becoming CEO of SMWE in 2000, Baseler has overseen the maintenance and/or acquisition of such brands as Erath in Oregon; Domaine Ste. Michelle "Just wanted to let you know that the Waukesha pump that I bought from Carlsen & Associates in August is working great." "Very happy cellar crew here at Kevin White Winery !! " Kevin White - Owner / Winemaker Kevin White Winery Woodinville, WA Carlsen & Associates 707-431-2000 40 V I N E YA R D & WIN E RY MANAGEM ENT | Nov - Dec 2013 (recently renamed "Michelle"), Northstar and Spring Valley Vineyard in Washington; and Conn Creek and Villa Mt. Eden in California. SMWE is also responsible for sales and marketing in the U.S. for Italy's Antinori, New Zealand's Villa Maria and France's Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte wines, and owns more than 3,700 acres in Washington and California. Basler was at the helm when SMWE partnered with Marchese Piero Antinori of Tuscany to found Col Solare, a winery on Red Mountain in Eastern Washington, in 1995. The two paired again in 2011, to acquire legendary Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa Valley from Warren Winiarski. With Dr. Ernst Loosen of Germany, Chateau Ste. Michelle makes the Eroica Riesling from Washington grapes. And he smoothed any rough waters when SMWE's owner, tobacco producer UST Inc., was sold to cigarette maker Altria Group in 2008. Baseler began his SMWE career in 1984 as marketing director. When Allen Shoup retired as president of Stimson Lane (SMWE's former name) in 2000, Baseler succeeded him. He has kept the company focused and forward-thinking, preferring collaboration over power plays. He is known for his support of the entire Washington wine industry, even selling SMWE grapes to Walla Walla Valley wineries hard-hit by winter freezes. Baseler is also a mover-shaker for Washington State University's Wine Science Center in Richland; ground was broken in September. Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, describes Baseler succinctly: "Ted runs the classiest winery in America in terms of product, people and industry collaboration." w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m