AWW Announces 2018 Honorees

On Monday, the Auction of Washington Wines announced its honorees who exemplify leadership in the industry and who’ve made significant contributions to the Washington wine community.  AWW is recognizing Charlie Hoppes of Fidélitas Wines as Honorary Vintner and Marshall Edwards of Quintessence Vineyards as Honorary Grower in 2018.  These honorary positions are peer-nominated and reserved for leaders who deeply invest in and positively impact the Washington wine community.

“Charlie and Marshall both reflect what makes the Washington wine community so special,” said Shelley Tomberg, Executive Director of AWW. “Their sincerity in building relationships is inspiring, and it results in top-notch, innovative, premium Washington wines that influence the industry on a global scale.”

Charlie Hoppes, 2018 Honorary Vintner 

Charlie Hoppes fell in love with winemaking while he was working as an engineer. After graduating from the Viticulture and Enology program at University of California Davis, he worked alongside leading winemakers at Chateau Ste. Michelle before launching his own label, Fidélitas, in 2000. Today, Charlie focuses the Fidélitas portfolio on the Red Mountain AVA and handcrafts a variety of Bordeaux-styled red and white wines. The diversity found in the 4,040 acres of the Red Mountain AVA gives Fidélitas all it needs to assemble the wines that reflect the entire region. As of last year, Charlie has completed thirty harvests in Washington and isn’t planning to slow down anytime soon.

Marshall Edwards, 2018 Honorary Grower 

Marshall Edwards worked at a wheat ranch and didn’t expect to end up in the wine industry, but his farming expertise led him to Chateau Ste. Michelle where he worked for seventeen years. Today, Marshall is the Vineyard Operations Manager at Shaw Vineyards as well as the Manager at Northwest Vineyard Management which oversees Quintessence Vineyards on Red Mountain and Obelisco, a 30-acre vineyard that produces grapes for Doug Long’s Obelisco Estate.

“There are certain people you come across in the industry over the span of your career who just get it,” said Charlie Hoppes, 2018 Honorary Vintner. “Marshall Edwards is one of those people.”

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com