Chateau Ste. Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington state. It was founded as the
American Wine Company, a 1954
merger of the National Wine Company (NAWICO), founded in 1934, and the Pomerelle Wine Company. (For years, there was a large neon sign advertising NAWICO in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.) The
French-style
chateau is located on of land with mature trees that once belonged to
lumber baron Frederick Stimson, who used it as a
hunting retreat and rural working
farm called the
Hollywood Farm. Chateau Ste. Michelle acquired the property in 1976; Over the years, many Washington winemakers have gotten their start working for Chateau Ste. Michelle, these include
Kay Simon of Chinook Wines, which she co-founded with her husband Clay Mackey who also worked as a vineyard manager for Chateau Ste. Michelle. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates was sold to
Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, in 2021 for $1.2 billion. Under their new ownership, the company moved its wine production out of the Woodinville property, which it briefly put up for sale in 2022 before cancelling plans. In 2024, Chateau Ste. Michelle proposed a redevelopment of its Woodinville property that would include 90
single-family homes, a 120-room hotel, a new music venue, and stores. The redevelopment would require a revised zoning designation, which remains industrial use, from the city government. The music venue is planned to accommodate up to 5,800 total spectators, including 4,300 in seats, and would require an additional 1,322 parking stalls. ==Wines==