Washington Winegrowers Association

What Washington Winegrowers Association does

Washington Winegrowers Association is a private nonprofit trade association incorporated under Washington State law and headquartered in Wenatchee, Washington, with a mailing address in Cashmere. Its stated purpose is to disseminate information relevant to the Washington winegrape growing and wine production industry, promote public and political awareness, support research, and provide connections between growers, wineries, laborers, marketers, supporting industries, higher educational institutions, and government agencies. The Association serves four member segments: Winegrape Growers, Vintners/Wineries, Allied Industry Members, and Students, with a horizontal segmentation approach spanning the full production value chain.

The Association's service portfolio is delivered through a member portal (InfoHub) built on the GrowthZone association management platform and comprises ten distinct offerings: the Sustainable WA winegrape certification program (the first statewide certified sustainability standard for Washington vineyards with third-party audit, launched in 2023, with tiered acreage-based pricing and a $500 onboarding fee); the WineVit annual industry convention; the LAEP viticulture education program (with Wenatchee Valley College since 2006); the Winery Cellar Leadership program (with Yakima Valley College); the Walter Clore Scholarship; the Grape & Wine Dating Service for buyer/seller matching; a Service & Supplier Directory; the Grape Post monthly newsletter; Cost-of-Production Calculators; and federal/state advocacy representation. Distribution is regional and member-gated, with public marketing via the Grape Post newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and the annual WineVit conference.

The Association has been managed by 501 Consultants for over 30 years. In August 2025, Sara Higgins was named Interim Executive Director following the departure of Colleen Frei; Dustin Tobin serves as Board President. The core technology is a Sustainable WA certification platform with web-based application portals for self-assessment and certification management, supplemented by third-party GrowthZone infrastructure. Strategic partnerships include the Washington State Wine Commission (brand and marketing for Sustainable WA), the Washington Wine Industry Foundation (fund processing and grants), the Washington Wine Institute (policy advocacy), and the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and the Association does not raise venture funding; Sustainable WA certification fees, membership dues, event revenue, and advertising are the principal monetization mechanisms.

Name

Washington Winegrowers Association

Legal name

Washington Winegrowers Association

Website

https://wawinegrowers.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Washington Winegrowers Association is a nonprofit trade association serving Washington State winegrape growers, vintners, allied industry, and students through membership, advocacy, sustainability certification (Sustainable WA), education programs, and the annual WineVit conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332), Wineries (312130)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ), Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Wine industry association
• Vineyard sustainability certification
• Viticulture education programs
• Wine industry advocacy
• Trade association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Wenatchee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Washington Winegrowers Association is a nonprofit trade association delivering membership-based services to the Washington wine industry. Its core offerings include membership subscriptions, the Sustainable WA statewide vineyard sustainability certification program, educational programs (LAEP viticulture training and the Winery Cellar Leadership program), the WineVit annual convention, the Grape & Wine Dating Service for buyer/seller matchmaking, the Service and Supplier Directory, the Grape Post newsletter, the Walter Clore Scholarship, and Cost-of-Production Calculators.

Product overview

The Washington Winegrowers Association is a non-profit trade association serving the Washington wine industry. Rather than a unified software product, the Association offers a portfolio of membership-based programs and services including: the Sustainable WA winegrape certification program for vineyards; education initiatives (LAEP viticulture training, Winery Cellar Leadership program); the WineVit annual industry convention; the Grape & Wine Dating Service for buyer/seller matching; a Service and Supplier Directory; the Grape Post monthly newsletter; the Walter Clore Scholarship; and Cost-of-Production Calculators. These offerings are delivered through a member portal (InfoHub) and serve growers, vintners, allied industry, and students across the Washington wine sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sustainable WA: The first statewide certified sustainability program for Washington vineyards, covering all pillars of sustainability: environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable.
• WineVit
• Winegrowers

Products and services

• Membership Annual association membership for Washington winegrape growers, vintners, allied industry members, and students, providing advocacy, education, networking, and member-only resources.
• Sustainable WA Certification Science-based statewide sustainability certification for Washington vineyards with acreage-tiered annual fees ($750 to $3,000 plus $10/acre, plus a $500 onboarding fee), delivered via online application portals and third-party audits.
• WineVit Annual Convention Annual industry convention and trade show bringing together Washington wine industry growers, vintners, and allied businesses for education, networking, and trade exhibition, with events held in different regions of the state.
• LAEP Program (Latino Agriculture Education for Viticulture) Workforce leadership program delivered with Wenatchee Valley College since 2006, providing technical viticulture training and communication/leadership development for vineyard workers and the broader wine industry workforce.
• Winery Cellar Leadership Program Professional development training delivered in partnership with Yakima Valley College for winery cellar production staff, covering leadership, winery math conversions, computer skills, and best cellar production practices.
• Grape & Wine Dating Service Online matchmaking service for Washington wine industry members to list and source winegrapes, bulk wine, and shiner products by product type, vintage, varietal, and appellation/AVA.
• Service and Supplier Directory Searchable online directory of industry suppliers and service providers for the Washington wine industry, organized by categories including accounting, equipment, insurance, legal, packaging, vineyard services, and winery services.
• Cost-of-Production Calculators Financial planning tool available to members for calculating and analyzing vineyard and winery production costs.
• Grape Post Newsletter Monthly member newsletter covering Washington wine industry news, legislative updates, event announcements, and member highlights.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 501 ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Management partner for Washington Winegrowers Association for over 30 years, handling critical operations including membership services, advocacy, budgets, marketing, education, webinars, and professional development programs. Sara Higgins served as CEO of 501 Consultants before becoming Interim Executive Director.
• Washington State Wine CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the brand and marketing for Sustainable WA certification program. Joint partner in the statewide sustainability initiative.
• Washington Wine Industry FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProcesses funds raised for Sustainable WA and seeks additional funding through grants and industry contributions.
• Washington Wine InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunicates industry commitment to sustainability with policymakers for the Sustainable WA initiative.
• Wenatchee Valley CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Washington Winegrowers on the LAEP (Latino Agriculture Education for Viticulture) program since 2006. Program led by college faculty Francisco Sarmiento and Francisco Sarmiento Jr.
• Yakima Valley CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Winery Cellar Leadership program providing training for cellar production personnel in leadership, math conversions, and computer skills.
• West Coast Smoke Exposure Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry collaboration addressing smoke exposure issues affecting vineyards and wineries across the West Coast.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sonoma County Winegrowers: County-level grower association with a strong sustainability positioning (100% certified sustainable initiative), comparable in mission and program mix to Washington Winegrowers' grower-facing education and certification work.
• California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance: Manages the California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing program, which is the most direct competitor to Sustainable WA in statewide vineyard sustainability certification with third-party audits.
• Oregon Winegrowers Association: Pacific Northwest state winegrower trade association with the same combined grower-vintner membership, advocacy, and education model as Washington Winegrowers. Direct peer in scale and structure.
• California Association of Winegrape Growers: State-level winegrape grower trade association that performs the same advocacy, education, and grower-representation function for California as Washington Winegrowers does for Washington. Most analogous functional peer at the state grower-association level.
• Washington State Wine Commission: State commission that is both a strategic partner and a functional peer; jointly promotes the Sustainable WA program and runs marketing/research for Washington wine, partially overlapping with Washington Winegrowers' mission.

Broad incumbents

• WineAmerica: National wine industry trade association providing federal advocacy, research, and education for wineries and growers across the U.S., encompassing the broader mission of Washington Winegrowers at a national scale.
• Wine Institute: California-wide public policy advocacy association for winemakers; serves as the broader West Coast analog of Washington Winegrowers' advocacy function but covers a much larger and more established wine industry.
• Oregon Wine Board: State wine promotion, research, and education body for Oregon, partially overlapping with Washington Winegrowers' research and education programs alongside the Oregon Winegrowers Association.

Regional players

• Lodi Winegrape Commission: Regional winegrape commission operating the Lodi Rules sustainability certification, a direct competitor to Sustainable WA but at a more local California scale.
• Napa Valley Vintners: Regional wine trade association representing Napa Valley vintners with advocacy, education, and marketing programs. Comparable in structure but higher budget and narrower geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wawinegrowers
• Instagraminstagram.com/wawinegrowers
• Xx.com/WaWinegrowers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-winegrowers-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington Winegrowers Association