The Wine Knows

Apparently, our report last week that Ste. Michelle Wine Estates was planning to discontinue its Stimson Estate Cellars line struck a chord with wine lovers.

So much so that the Washington wine giant is reconsidering the move after an outpouring of calls and emails from consumers and retailers alike.

Stimson Estate Cellars (SEC) is a line of Washington wines bottle in the 1.5 liter format and is sold primarily through the state liquor store and groceries and tends to be inexpensive (around $10, which equates to $5 per regular bottle of wine) and delicious (regularly earning our "Excellent" and "Outstanding" ratings).

Lynda Eller of Ste. Michelle told us that since our report last week, the Woodinville, Wash., company has received several requests from the public to keep the brand. This has the Ste. Michelle team trying to figure out if there is enough quality wine available to continue SEC. If the juice isn't there, however, then SEC most likely will go into hibernation, as planned.

Ste. Michelle has long carried wines that fit into the 1.5 liter "value" market. For years, it had the Saddle Mountain and Farron Ridge labels, and Columbia Crest has had a 1.5 liter format for many years - and continues to under its Two Vines label. The latter will remain on the market regardless of what happens with SEC, Eller said.