Court Wyckoff was one of the friendliest people I met at Whitman College. I had a great time getting to know Court and his brother, Tygh during my four years at Whitman. Tygh was also a tennis player and we had a lot in common. Court and Tygh’s family business, Wyckoff Farms has recently purchased Washington’s largest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle. It is quite a full-circle feeling being able to interview Court.
Court and his family have deep roots in the Washington wine industry, selling grapes to Ste. Michelle for decades and planting their own vineyard in the late 1970s. For years Ste. Michelle also made a single vineyard Chardonnay from the Wyckoff Vineyard. It is very exciting that this winery is once again family owned by a Washington family. Court is a great guy to interview as he talks wine with me. I think you will very much enjoy hearing his story in wine. Here is my exclusive interview with Court Wyckoff, CEO of Wykoff Farms.
OB: Can you talk about your first involvement in Washington wine?
CW: I’ve been connected to the Washington wine industry from a very young age. My father planted his first wine grapes in 1978, just a year after I was born, and started making wine in the early 1980s. Growing up, I spent many summers working in our vineyards, doing just about every job you can imagine during the summer season. I also had the privilege of meeting and learning from many great winemakers who worked with Coventry Vale.
I have fond memories of traveling with my father to Chateau Ste. Michelle for meetings with Allen Shoup and later Ted Baseler. I have been fortunate to have been involved in the Washington wine industry all of my life.
OB: How does your background as a lawyer help you with running Washington’s largest winery?
CW: Thanks for the question. As a fellow Whitman alumni, we were both fortunate to attend a smaller liberal arts undergraduate college that taught us to think critically and expansively. My going to law school at Seattle University was a natural extension of this undergraduate experience. Certainly the skill sets gained from a legal education are particularly helpful in many facets of business, but as it pertains to the practice of law I leave that to the great legal professionals whom I have had the privilege of working with, including Scott MacCormick, Managing Partner of Holland & Knight, who represented us on our purchase of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.
OB: What has it been like working with Chateau Ste. Michelle over the years?
CW: While the last several years have been challenging for Ste. Michelle and the communities that it supports, including growers, I think it is important to remember the decades of success we all experienced with Ste. Michelle and the bright future ahead. Many families, including mine, have benefited from a tremendously positive relationship with Ste. Michelle and we look forward to a promising future being a part of the largest and most iconic winery in Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Ste. Michelle has an impressive executive and leadership team and we are committed to supporting the growth initiatives that are in place.
OB: I was in the Qatar First Lounge in Doha and saw the 2015 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon on their wine list. It was amazing to see Washington wine on an international scale. Do you think Chateau Ste. Michelle has great potential for global expansion?
CW: Absolutely. Ste. Michelle is already well-known nationally and internationally as one of the leading wineries in the U.S., offering exceptional quality and value. Our goal is to build on that reputation and elevate the brand’s prestige with innovative brand strategies like the recent refresh of the Chateau Ste. Michelle label, as well as focusing on enhancing the luxury portfolio. At the same time, we’re doubling down on the Chateau experience itself, investing in campaigns to raise awareness of the winery, and capitalizing on plans to make the amazing property an even greater destination.
OB: What is your cellar like, and what are some of your favorite wines in the world?
CW: I’m a passionate supporter of Washington wines. While I enjoy a luxury bottle of Washington Cabernet now and then, my everyday go-to is Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay and Cabernet from the Columbia Valley. The combination of exceptional quality and price is hard to beat.