Washington’s wine industry awarded Ryan Flanagan, director of vineyard operations for Ancient Lake Wine Co., as the Erick Hanson Memorial Grower of the Year on Feb. 10 at the Washington Wine Industry Foundation awards banquet and auction.
The celebration capped Day 1 of WineVit, the annual meeting of the Washington Winegrowers Association, at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.
Raised on the state’s west side, Flanagan was exposed to agriculture visiting family near Quincy. After earning a business degree from Gonzaga University, he began his viticulture career at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ Cold Creek Vineyard in the Columbia Basin. Flanagan is also a partner at Central Wine Grape Management, a custom farming and vineyard management company, and is a Washington State Wine Commission board member.
Victor Palencia, winemaker and CEO of Monarcha Winery, took the Grand Vin Award. Mike Means, longtime director of vineyard operations for Ste. Michelle, and Melissa Hansen, former research program director for the wine commission, were named Industry Service Award winners. The Industry Achievement Award went to Marty Clubb, co-owner and managing winemaker of L’Ecole No. 41. Clubb is also a partner in Seven Hills Vineyard and Ferguson Vineyard. •
