After a quiet period of low activity following the pandemic, the Spokane Winery Association is reemerging with new programming, expanded membership, and renewed momentum, even as the broader wine industry faces uncertainty. 

In February, the association hosted its first major collective event since 2019, says Spokane Winery Association President Sarah Lathrop, owner of Liberty Lake Wine Cellars. 

Held at Chateau Rive, a riverfront event venue inside the Spokane Flour Mill at 621 W. Mallon, Sip Spokane brought together over 15 Spokane-area wineries and specialty wine shops under one roof for guests to explore a large selection of locally crafted wines, meet vintners, and connect with others in the industry. The association had hoped to sell 100 tickets but surpassed that goal and sold out all 250 spots a week early — an encouraging sign of interest even years after keeping a low profile, asserts Lathrop.

“We were so thrilled about (it),” Lathrop says. “We’ve got some momentum now, hopefully to continue to do something like that again next year.”

The last time the Journal caught up with the association was June 2022, when the women-led board was exploring ways to elevate awareness and appreciation of wine and highlight the community of small businesses that make up the local wine scene in a post-COVID landscape.

"We were just getting members back and involved and getting people thinking about us," Lathrop says.

Since then, the association has rebranded by shifting away from an identity tied to the Cork District — downtown Spokane’s wine district featuring a dozen wineries and tasting rooms — to a regional, inclusive organization that encompasses all of Spokane County's wineries and tasting rooms. Additionally, the group's membership has broadened to include specialty wine shops, such as Vino! A Wine Shop, Nectar Wine & Beer, Cellar & Scholar, Vine Wine, and The Tipsy Vine, Lathrop says.

The association also has four other programs that it has incorporated as part of its regular slate of events.

Last year, the association launched the Sip Spokane Passport program. Now in its second year, the program features over 16 Spokane-area wineries and specialty wine shops, each offering different experiences, tastings, or discounts for wine enthusiasts and novice drinkers alike to enjoy. The program, which includes a physical booklet, runs every year from March to February and offers passport holders $300 worth in savings. The booklet is available on the association's website for $50.

Mother’s Day is the organization’s spring release weekend, during which wineries will typically offer sales and new releases. Many wineries are expected to offer barrel tastings or special tasting flights, Lathrop says.

March and August are Washington state’s official wine months, as designated by the Washington State Wine Commission. The Spokane Winery Association participates in the statewide celebration in August, dubbed #WAugust, through a bingo card that offers the public a chance to explore member wineries and wine shops around the greater Spokane area.

The last major event of the year is the wine association’s Holiday Wine Fest, which takes place annually the weekend before Thanksgiving and features new releases and wine tastings at all member wineries, tasting rooms, and specialty wine shops.

The renewed activity coincides with a broader wine industry downturn, characterized by various reports of declining consumption and shifting preferences among younger consumers.

The 2025 State of the U.S. Wine Industry report suggests that while the industry has seen periodic declines due to economic downturns or overplanting, the steep drop is generational. As baby boomers transition into an increasingly smaller part of the customer base, younger generations tend to be teetotalers, abstaining from alcohol, the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business reported in June 2025. 

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the state’s largest wine producer, closed its tasting rooms and wine clubs for two of its brands at the end of 2024, according to Northwest Wine Report. That same year, the state had its lowest yield of wine grapes since 2011, according to the Washington State Wine Commission.

In Spokane, however, wineries may not be seeing the same level of slowdown.

The Spokane area differs from other wine regions and destinations across the state, which are often more tourist-driven, whereas Spokane is locally-driven, Lathrop explains. There is an industry slowdown — which appears to be amplified by news stories and reports — however, the wine industry here is well supported by the community, she contends.

“We’re trying to get there and tell people that Spokane can be a wine destination as well, but we’re really lucky in that the local community really supports us,” Lathrop says. “People are drinking less, but I can only speak for my winery and we haven’t seen that much of a slowdown. … It hasn’t been as dire as the news stories say.”

Another factor that may be helping sustain Spokane’s wine scene is its relatively accessible price point. While wines in regions such as Walla Walla often sell for $60 or more per bottle, Spokane wineries typically offer bottles in the $25 to $40 range, Lathrop says.

Despite the lower price point, Spokane wineries often source grapes from the same growing regions as producers across the state, including Red Mountain and the Columbia Valley.

“We’re making the same wine that people in Walla Walla are making,” Lathrop says. “We’re just a little cheaper. … We’re in Spokane and that’s what our community wants.”