14 Hands Winery Exceeds 2 Million Cases in 2016

Prosser, WA, February 6, 2017 – 14 Hands Winery reached an important milestone in 2016 ? exceeding 2 million cases shipped for the first time since the brand’s inception just 12 years ago. The success comes on the heels of several recent product milestones, including the national launch of the 14 Hands Brut, 14 Hands Brut Rosé and the 14 Hands Stampede Red Wine Blend from the Columbia Valley AVA.

“14 Hands has become a Washington powerhouse and consumer demand has grown larger than our wildest expectations in a short period of time,” said Cary Kloster, Vice President of Marketing at 14 Hands. “We have watched 14 Hands evolve from a restaurant-only brand with a few offerings to now producing more than 25 wines ranging in price from approximately $10 all the way up to $60. Our fan-favorite, the Hot to Trot Red Wine Blend, has become the third best-selling premium red blend in the nation.”

14 Hands is Washington’s second-largest winery and among the top 10 premium U.S. wine brands sold nationwide. The 14 Hands “Hot To Trot” Red Wine Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay are all top 5 best-sellers within their respective premium varietal categories according to recent Nielsen data. ¹

The Evolution of 14 Hands:
14 Hands Winery launched in 2005 as a restaurant-only brand with three wines: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

As the brand continued to grow, more wines were added to the portfolio including the uber-popular Hot to Trot Red and White Blends. The lineup today looks vastly different, with a sparkling wine collection that launched in late 2016, new red blends, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a broad array of premium and ultra-premium offerings including highly-acclaimed wines from ‘The Reserve’ tier and the winery-only Vintage Series Red Wine Blend. Brand growth is expected to continue in 2017.

The Heart of Prosser: The Winery
In 2015, 14 Hands opened a dedicated winery and tasting room at the gateway to the Horse Heaven Hills in Prosser, Washington, just miles away from the 14 Hands vineyards. Today, the 14 Hands tasting room has become one of the most popular destinations in the area, having received over 16,500 visitors in 2016. A key draw of the tasting room is the availability of specialty and small batch reserve and limited release wines sourced from premier Washington State vineyards crafted by Head Winemaker Keith Kenison. The top three wines sold in the tasting room in 2016 were the 2013 Reserve Cabernet, 2013 Limited Release Kentucky Derby® Red Wine Blend and 2014 Reserve Chardonnay. The brand’s Cellar 14 Wine Club, created in 2014, saw a 46% increase in membership from 2015 with over 1,600 members as of January 2017.

About 14 Hands Winery
14 Hands wines are inspired by the spirit of the wild horses that once roamed the arid landscape of eastern Washington. It was here that these special horses – measuring a scant "14 hands" tall – developed their legendary endurance, strength, and tenacious spirit. Like these wild horses, the vineyards struggle in the same harsh conditions of eastern Washington. It is their ability to thrive in this environment that produces the world-class quality fruit that goes into each bottle of 14 Hands. Learn more at 14Hands.com.

About Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, located in Woodinville, Washington, has a long and distinguished history that dates back to 1934. Wines under the Ste. Michelle label were first introduced in 1967, and since that time the company has expanded its winery and vineyard holdings to more than 3,700 acres in Washington, Oregon and California. The company is also the exclusive U.S. importer for acclaimed wine portfolios produced in Italy, France and New Zealand. Learn more at smwe.com.

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For further information:
Renae Kochel
Renae.Kochel@smwe.com