PROSSER, Wash. – Washington State University will join forces with those leading the creation of the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center at Prosser to highlight the breadth, depth and quality of all aspects of Washington agriculture.
Dan Bernardo, dean of the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, announced formalization of the partnership here today at the annual meeting of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers.
“Washington desperately needs an icon that can represent the diversity and quality of its agricultural enterprise,” Bernardo said. “The science behind the food is a critical, compelling story to tell. With the completion of the Clore Center, we will have a world-class stage, in eastern Washington, on which to present our heritage as well as the evolving research that will improve our future.”
Bernardo said WSU is “very excited to join with the Clore Center’s Board of Directors and the entire state’s food, wine, agriculture and tourism industries in making this visionary project a reality. The center is a natural extension of the foundational work Dr. Walter Clore did to help found the Washington wine industry, and it provides many opportunities to highlight the science and education behind the entire agriculture and food system within the state.”
Mike Hogue, a director on the Clore Center Board, said, “The partnership with Washington State University provides a critical component to the center’s success as an exciting and informative agritourism destination. Simply put, it allows us to put a face on the farmer, the chef and the wine maker, to personalize what they do, who they are and the quality of their products.”
Under the terms of the partnership, WSU researchers at Pullman, the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension center in Prosser, and WSU-Tri Cities will develop and sustain educational programming for the center, including workshops, lectures and exhibits. WSU Extension viticulturist Mercy Olmstead and horticulturist Markus Keller currently lead the center’s exhibits committee.
The late Walter Clore, who was a WSU faculty member for nearly 40 years, was named the “Father of the Washington Wine Industry” by an act of the Washington State Legislature in 2001, in recognition of his efforts proving that premium wine grapes could be grown in Washington state. Members of the viticulture and enology community from across the state began plans in 2002 to develop a center named for him to highlight the burgeoning Washington wine industry.
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For radio:
WSU-Clore Center Partnership.mp3 – 1-minute radio news spot.