07/03/2025
Poignant thoughts from one of the people in this industry for whom we have the utmost respect. Sean has always been kind to our wines not because he likes us as people, not because we schmooze him or wine-and-dine him, but because he evaluates them objectively, blindly, carefully, and finds that they stand up quite sturdily in the broader context of the industry. We will always appreciate the integrity with which he has approached his work, and it’s why we asked him to “break” the news of Prospice Wines closing.
We still insist that we don’t want people to be too sad about the end of our time at Prospice, though of course there’s plenty of melancholy to be had. But we prefer to celebrate all that we did and achieved, and to celebrate that we’ve got wines that we made that we can enjoy for the next decade or two, easily.
Sean’s broader message is spot on — PLEASE continue to support the businesses you love, especially the small ones, whether it’s ours or someone else’s (or both). We can attest how hard it is, and we can attest how much it means when people appreciate all the work.
Cheers.
By its very nature, wine is ephemeral. It captures both a moment in time and the efforts of a group of people in the vineyard and in the winery to do so, encapsulated in a single bottle.
I love that one vintage of a wine will never taste exactly like another. That there are through lines, but there are differences as well. It always makes it bittersweet when you get down to your last bottle of a favorite wine and a favorite vintage from a producer you love. But it is something altogether different to get down to the last vintage of a wine that will ever be made.
As I wrote earlier this year, Prospice decided to close its doors next year after selling through the wine it has on hand. There will not be a 2025 vintage rosé. And that brings a feeling that is tinged with considerably more sadness, even though I know the people involved with this winery will go on to do great things, whatever they may do.
These are challenging times in the wine industry. Everyone needs your support, from producers to growers to retailers to, yes, even writers. Everyone should be clear-eyed that a winery or a wine-related business that you love today might not be here tomorrow.
The last 25 years will surely be looked back on as a Golden Age for Northwest wine. There was continuous growth and widespread prosperity across the industry. The times ahead now are guaranteed to be considerably more difficult. I do believe that the industry will come out better on the other side, but the process to get there will take a significant toll.
The best thing you can do as a consumer is to support the wineries and wine-related businesses that you cherish. I’m always reminded of a local Seattle restaurant that I liked. My brother’s question to me when it closed was, “When was the last time you were there?” Point taken.
I believe that you follow this page and my site because you love Northwest wine as much as I do. If so, I encourage you to double down on your support for the places you love in the industry. It truly is the only way that many of these places will continue to exist going forward.
