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2 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m lic development authority to over- see the funding and building of the center. "That gave us a structure to bring together funds that the uni- versity would not have been able to bring together in its traditional ways," said Henick-Kling. Ultimately, $7.4 million came from assessments on growers and wineries, $4.95 million from the state for economic development, and $2.06 million from a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Port of Benton donated 3.5 acres for the project at an estimated cost of $350,000. The rest of the money came from pri- vate donations. Ted Baseler, president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, served as chairman of the WSU campaign to fund the project. "I thought raising that kind of money during a recession was going to be impossible," Baseler said. "Fortu- nately, I was wrong." Ste. Michelle alone provided an estimated $9 million in direct and indirect contributions. This included a $500,000 donation to complete fundraising for construction of the building. As a result of this and the company's leadership in the indus- try over the decades, the facility was named the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Cen- ter. "We have always recognized the importance of a vibrant wine industry in the Pacific Northwest," Baseler said. The center had its grand open- ing on June 4, 2015, with faculty and staff moving in. The winery is expected to be fully functioning in time for the 2015 harvest. HANDS-ON LEARNING Located next to WSU's Tri-Cities campus in Richland, the Wine Sci- ence Center is 40,000 square feet in size. The center has several class- rooms, as well as analytics, molec- ular biology, plant physiology and " T h a t r e a l l y j u m p - s t a r t e d things," said Kent Waliser, general manager at Sagemoor Vineyards in Pasco, Wash. At the time, Waliser served as chairman of the board at the Washington Wine Commission and subsequently served on the board that oversaw the develop- ment of the center. "Once places like the Port of Benton and the city of Richland saw that the industry was going to put that much money behind it, they knew we were seri- ous and got involved." While the wine industry had demonstrated its commitment to the project, given the estimated cost of $23 million, there was con- siderable additional money to raise. "It looked pretty daunting at first," admitted Henick-Kling. "We started this around 2010 – not a good time to ask for money. The university didn't have the money. The state didn't have the money. Those are the traditional routes." Instead, Richland set up a pub- SERVING THE WINE INDUSTRY FOR 30 YEARS! Carlsen & Associates 707-431-2000 "Carlsen & Associates has all the information you need, superior equipment at the right price and the best service." "I can call Carlsen knowing that I won't' have to spend time shopping around for better equipment and a better price." "They are pros at trouble shooting and always equipped to repair when needed, there is no waiting around for parts or service." Cameron Frey- VP of Winemaking Ramey Wine Cellars Healdsburg, CA " NORTHWEST WATCH SEAN P. SULLIVAN