Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
The Hogue Cellars Wine Quality through Information Technology
Story by Amy Mumma
Most people think of Washington State as Seattle, rain and coffee, but in
reality it is a land of contrasts. The Cascade Mountain Range geographically
divides the state down the middle. On the west side, the weather is mild with
ample rainfall. It accounts for 80% the population base and has a strong
diverse economy based on technology, manufacturing, tourism and trade.
The eastern part of the state lies in the rain shadow of the Cascades, with a
look and feel much different from its west side sister. Eastern Washington is
a land of high desert vineyards, with only eight inches rain annually, long
summers and harsh, cold winters. The Washington wine industry is a
symbiosis of both sides of the state, combining rugged beauty, the spirit of
innovation and a respect for the earth.
The true nature of Washington State is embraced by The Hogue Cellars
through the people, their innovative use of technology and the regionally
typical wines they create featuring vibrant acidity and fresh fruit flavors.
Hogue History
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
As often happens with fine wine, it all started at Hogue with beer. Eastern Washington is one of the
main hop growing regions in the United States, so in 1944 Wayne and Shyla Hogue bought 80 acres
of hops. Their son, Mike Hogue, planted six acres of Riesling in 1974, and this is where the Hogue
wine story began.
In 1982, the Hogues' sons, Gary and Mike, entered the Prosser Wine & Food Fair and, with Shyla
using a shoebox as a cash register, sold $800 worth of wine. The modern Washington wine industry
began in the early 1980s, so Hogue Cellars was one of the early pioneers.
After extensive searching for a suitable name, they reluctantly chose to use Hogue Cellars, a
fortunate decision. The name Hogue Cellars provided a sense of continuity of years in the farming
industry and a story concerning the people behind the brand.
But what put Washington and Hogue on the map? Château Ste. Michelle, Washington's largest wine
producer, had strong brand equity which brought greater recognition to all Washington wineries in the
1980s and to Washington State as a high quality wine producing area.
In 1982, with production at 2,000 cases, Hogue envisioned reaching 20,000 cases within 10 years. In
1983, a vacant building in Prosser, Washington was converted into The Hogue Cellars Winery and
Tasting Room. The natural beauty of the Northwest and the potential of Hogue called to David
Forsyth, a Washington native and UC Davis graduate with a Master's in Enology. Forsyth left Napa's
Vose Winery in 1984 to join Hogue's winemaking staff and was soon promoted to Director of
Winemaking.
By 1985, production reached 20,000 cases, seven years ahead of the goal. States Gary Hogue,
“Then the work began. At around 60,000- 80,000 cases, it became a real business, not a hobby or
ego trip.” The first key lay in designing an appealing package and label. Then the Hogue team
canvassed the marketplace by establishing a distributor, visiting customers and embracing the value
and importance of media contact. In 1994 the Los Angeles Times selected Forsyth as Winemaker of
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the Year and by 1996, a one million dollar expansion project boosted production to over 400,000
cases.
Recognizing Hogue's quality wines, staff and production facilities, Vincor International purchased the
company in 2001. Vincor, based in Toronto, also owns Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin wineries in
Canada and R.H. Phillips in California.
A Continuous Feedback Loop:
Communication For Quality
Hogue Cellars' goals include producing high-quality products to compete
in a larger, more competitive market while still controlling costs. They
strive to be flexible enough to adjust to trends and changes in the
market, but not cut corners at the expense of quality. Information
technology is the means of achieving those goals.
The Hogue Cellars believes in a continuous feedback system that
incorporates the growers, vineyard practices, winemaking, sensory
evaluation, product profiling, and sales and marketing. Data is collected
at all stages and is input into a sophisticated central database system
that Hogue winemakers utilize to constantly monitor and improve their
wines.
“We collect and manage the information so we can make the best use of it. We look at the trends, but
we also look at what we can do best here. We focus on our core strengths and develop a strategy
around them,” states David Forsyth, General Manager and Director of Winemaking.
Rick Hamman believes that
communication is the key to
high-quality grapes.
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Gary Hogue attributes much of the winery's success to their continuous feedback loop. This unique
system assures that growers, winemakers, tasters, and sales and marketing teams are all working
together toward the goal of producing the highest quality wine possible.
Long-range planning is what led to the creation of a proprietary Data Warehousing System.
Electronically bringing all the data from viticulture, winemaking, and sensory analysis together into
one place, it is a tool that winemakers at Hogue use to improve wine quality. This information system
gives access to current and historical data. It compiles up-to-the-minute information and generates
predictive models, giving Hogue a clear view of their products and
processes over time, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The information collected from previous and current vintages allows the
growers, viticulturists, winemakers, and sales and marketing staff to
make “real-time decisions” that affect wine quality on many levels.
Grape Communication And Crop Estimation Long-range planning is part of Hogue's plan to manage contracted fruit to meet projected sales
figures five to seven years out. This is done in a quality context to meet the desired profile. Gary
Hogue states, “In order to be successful in the wine business, the viticulture and production is the
ante in the poker game. You can't play unless you ante up!”
Hogue employs three full-time viticulturists. Rick Hamman, lead viticulturist, has 22 years in the grape
growing industry. In the early 1980s he initiated and managed vineyard research trials at Colorado
State University while earning a Master's degree in Horticulture, and by 1989 he became the first
state viticulturist for the embryonic Colorado wine industry. Four years with the Peace Corps in
Guatemala developing basic farming techniques underscored the value of communication with the
people and the land.
Grapes from Washington
are intensely flavored and
vibrant with good acidity.
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During the growing season, the Hogue viticulture team visits each block in individual vineyards every
two weeks, and winemakers visit once a month to collect data on the conditions of the vines and
grapes. This data, including physiological and phenolic ripeness, is recorded on a palm pilot. Data is
then downloaded into Hogue's database. Hogue has been using this technology for six years, so has
a good track record for comparison. From this data, reports are generated for each grower that
include observations and recommendations including leaf removal, cluster thinning and irrigation
practices to improve quality and crop adjustment for desired yields.
Crop estimation is a valuable tool. Not only is it critical to a balanced vine and wine quality, but it also
allows the winemakers to prepare for harvest logistically by knowing ton yield from each block,
amount of tank space needed, types and amounts of yeasts to purchase and many other parameters.
Crop estimation begins July 5th and continues for three weeks. A number of individual vines are
harvested, clusters counted and weighed. Using an algorithm developed from past years of data
collection, an anticipated cluster weight at harvest is determined and with cluster number and vine
density an anticipated crop load can be determined. The Hogue team sends recommendations to the
growers prior to veraison. The typical crop load for the Reserve and Genesis lines is between three to
four tons per acre and for the Hogue line, wines that retail for under ten dollars, the yield may be
between five to six tons per acre.
As harvest nears, the viticultural crew brings in vineyard samples. The grapes are analyzed for brix,
acidity and pH and tasted by the winemakers. This information is entered into the database and can
be compared with earlier samples from the same vineyard block. Additionally, a winemaker can go
back to sampling and harvesting data from previous years to help in forming a picking decision.
Hogue contracts with 56 growers, 2,000 acres of vines and 280 individual blocks. When dealing with
this kind of diversity and harvesting logistics, Hamman wants no surprises. “Communication is one of
our most important aspects of our grape program.”
From December through March, Hogue winemakers and viticulturists meet with individual growers to
taste the wines made from their grapes. Hamman states, “We grow with the growers. You can tell
them what to do, give them recommendations, but they need to see it and taste it in the wine.”
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
This level of involvement allows for open communication, allows them to explore better practices in
the vineyard and to constantly improve quality. Hamman gives a concise, custom report to each
grower. He scores them for quality on a rating system devised by the winemakers. Growers are paid
in a variety of forms, by the ton, by the acre and within a bonus structure. Growers producing grapes
that end up in Hogue's Genesis or Reserve lines receive a 30-50% bonus. Hogue has written
contracts with all growers.
In February, Hogue hosts an annual growers' luncheon. A presentation is given on areas of general
interest and research and includes results from the previous year, tons, acres and events at Hogue.
The “Grower of the Year” award goes to one grower based on viticultural merit and most importantly,
communication. In addition, each grower receives a case of wine, a Hogue hat and jacket, and a CD
copy of the presentation.
ACTIVE WINEMAKING ON A LARGE SCALE
Jordan Ferrier is Hogue's red winemaker with a Bachelor of Science in
Chemistry from the University of Washington and a Master's degree in
Enology from UC Davis. At UC Davis, Ferrier worked on artificial neural
networks and projection models. Applying his knowledge and technical
skills at Hogue, Ferrier developed an unrivaled Data Warehousing
System that tracks and monitors every piece of data from the vineyard to
the winery; data that Hogue uses to continuously improve wine quality.
“Many wines are made by serendipity” says Ferrier, referring to the vast
number of variables that have to come together almost by accident to
make great wine. As a way of taking control of some of those variables,
he developed a phenolic analysis program. “It's not unlike analyses that are used on a small scale in
research at universities and such, but I've developed a system that works in a large scale production
environment.” This system is used to “catch information that might otherwise be falling through the
cracks. We leverage the information to make the right decisions at the right times, and change the
variables to drive the wine in the direction we want.” All information on the grapes, winemaking,
Jordan Ferrier, red
winemaker, records tasting
data in a palm pilot to be
downloaded to the Data
Warehousing System.
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movement and organoleptic profiles are in the database and analyzed against sensory profiles and
wine history. “Many wineries are making million-dollar decisions based on scratches in a notebook.
There are a lot of aspects to winemaking, we're just trying to use up-to-the minute information to
make the best wine possible.”
Red grapes are all machine-harvested, usually in the afternoon to take advantage of the heat to start
fermentation. If required, the must is heated to a minimum of 70o F by a heat exchanger. All reds are
fermented in stainless steel tanks ranging from 2,100 to 7,600 gallons in capacity.
There are two pumpovers each day and air is added as required to reduce sulfides and aid in the
cross linking of anthocyanins with tannins to improve color and structure. Temperature is monitored
carefully with optimal between 82-92 degrees F. Extraction is monitored by daily tasting and testing of
phenolics and pumpover regime is modified to tailor extraction for each vineyard block. That color,
spice and flavor go hand in hand is reinforced by Forsyth. Hogue has found that the majority of color
is extracted within three to four days, with extraction of tannins completed shortly after. Every red
wine goes through a micro-oxygenation program. Early blending is desirable at Hogue and is done
prior to barrel storage. This helps balance the wines and improve tank utilization.
The oak program includes a mix of barrels, coopers, tank staves, and micro-oxygenation. In 1997
Hogue began using staves and in 2000 initiated stave product testing to ensure the highest quality.
The testing includes sensory and chemical analyses. Hogue uses staves based on target profiles and
has identified staves with the desired complexity and lacking faults.
Red wines are aged in 85% American oak and 15% French oak. Wine aged in barrels is sampled by
the winemaker and the organoleptic data is recorded into a palm pilot. Barrel management data also
includes types of barrels, storage time, additions of sulfur dioxide, rackings, and tracking of barrel lots
and individual barrels. With over 300 red lots and 10 final blends, the winemakers may, on a given
day, evaluate up to 30 lots. All information is then downloaded at the end of each day to the Data
Warehousing System.
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
Co Dinn is the white winemaker and came to Hogue with a strong
background in winemaking. Holding a Masters in Enology from UC
Davis, he worked in California for Sterling Vineyards and Trefethen
Vineyards before joining the Hogue team in 1996.
Nearly 98% of white grapes are machine-harvested at night or early
morning to preserve freshness in the fruit. Cold settling with enzymes
takes place overnight. Fermentation is mainly in stainless steel using a LOGIX system to monitor and
control temperature. There are approximately 1,200 barrel fermentations of chardonnay and viognier.
Washington State is blessed With hot days and cool nights, giving a vibrancy and acidity to the
grapes. Dinn's philosophy is to “ preserve the inherent qualities of our fruit.” Riesling, gewürztraminer,
pinot gris, and sauvignon blanc are all treated gently. The yeasts are chosen according to variety with
trials ongoing. No wild yeasts are used.
As with everything else at Hogue, each process through receiving the grapes, pre- and post-
fermentation, and storage is carefully monitored, tracked, and recorded, all in the name of quality
improvement.
“We are technically savvy, but we never lose sight of the fact that wine is still an artisanal product and
we are truly craftsmen. The use of technology and information frees us up to be more innovative than
we could be otherwise,” states Co Dinn.
Co Dinn, white winemaker.
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
Micro-Oxygenation At Hogue With 54 micro-oxygenation (MOX) units, Hogue is one of the largest
users of MOX on the West Coast. True to the Hogue nature, little is left
to chance. Complete trials were conducted before moving to a complete
MOX program. Hogue works with Oenodev of France, the original
inventors of the micro-oxygenation technique and purchased their
delivery system from the company. Hogue moved to MOX treatments,
not necessarily to replace barrel fermentation and aging, but to avoid
past problems such as reductive compounds. MOX has also been
shown to decrease vegetative flavors, increase tannin and anthocyanin
stability, and improve structure and mouthfeel in the finished wines.
Forsyth notes that MOX has advantages and disadvantages. It requires
fewer rackings, less floor space is needed and cuts down on labor costs.
However, “MOX does not manage itself, and it's not a cure all.” MOX
units are not expensive, but they require a lengthy learning curve and
the winemaker must be extremely vigilant. It doesn't fix extraction
problems and there are still some sulfides to deal with.
The Hogue strategy is to “hit 'em hard” prior to malolactic fermentation, using 100 ml/liter per month to
develop low amounts of aldehyde to help form the anthocyanin- tannin complexes and reduce
sulfides. After malolactic fermentation and SO2 addition, the treatment is gentler, from 1 to 10 ml/litre
per month.
Hogue maybe unique in using microoxygenation (MOX) on chardonnay. The process goes from 30 to
45 days, and is not intended to replace barrel fermentation. Instead, it emulates the amount of oxygen
the wine would receive during normal barrel storage. By using MOX in tank, Dinn believes that it
takes out the “canned, tinny flavors” that tank storage can impart. Only French oak is used for those
whites stored in barrel.
David Forsyth
demonstrating the
components of a MOX
treatment. Hogue has 54
MOX units all at work
making
better wine.
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It's Not Wine By The Numbers As part of the overall database, Hogue has developed a unique Sensory Database. This program of
product profiling is a quantifiable way of sensory evaluation. The goal is to identify what sensory
attributes are associated with wine quality. From there, the sensory attributes are associated with
grape and or winemaking in keeping with the continuous feedback loop.
Much of the information in the Sensory Database is derived from the
Benchmark Tasting Process. Hogue assembles a consistent panel of
winemakers, and sales and marketing, and management staff. The
panel's first challenge lay in developing consensus around aroma and
flavor descriptors specific to each variety. This rather lengthy process,
often accompanied by spirited debate, resulted in a consistent set of
evaluation criteria. Once these descriptors were determined, they were
input into the database.
Each taster has a laptop with the sensory database. The wines are tasted blind and evaluated for the
intensity and quality of each descriptor and then assigned a preference rank. The goal is to evaluate
the relative quality and style of the Hogue wines against the competition and to get a sense of what
defines quality for the product segment. The tastings also allow the group to discuss labels,
packaging, sales figures and market trends. The Benchmark Tasting includes eight to ten wines, all of
the same vintage, and includes Hogue wines with similar competitors, mainly from California and the
big estates in Washington such as Ste Michelle Estates and Columbia Winery. This process is
repeated once a year for most of the Hogue products.
While the Benchmark Process gives the Hogue winemakers and marketers a good snapshot with its
small sample size it does not give a full picture of what is driving wine quality. To fulfill this need the
Developmental Tasting was initiated four years ago. The Developmental Tasting involves 50 different
wines from around the world and is done once a year with one selected variety. Prior to tasting, the
wines are chemically analyzed for phenolics, acids, sugars and other components. In addition,
Efficient use of technology
to
increase quality.
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
research is done on the producer, ratings, brix at harvest and other parameters. The same database
template used for the Benchmark Tasting is employed for the Developmental Tasting.
After the blind tasting, a cluster map is developed and the wine preferences matched to the previous
chemical and sensory results and statistically analyzed. Hogue's goal is not to have all their wines in
one cluster, but rather to direct their wines toward particular clusters with the taste and quality
characteristics that they desire. The findings not only drive winemaking practices, but also vineyard
practices and sales and marketing decisions. The information is then put into a Standard Operating
Procedure. “When we make a great wine, we want to know how we did it,” states Forsyth.
Tastings and cluster analyses allow sales focus and action points so Hogue can effectively target
their intended market and plan for the future, a strategy Forsyth calls “identifying what you are
shooting for, before you start shooting.” “It's not winemaking by the numbers, its part of the picture,
but not the whole picture,” confirms Forsyth.
Strategic Planning and the Market The strategic plan is being constantly updated and changed in response to consumer preference,
pricing, supply and demand. Hogue uses the Benchmark and Developmental Tasting Processes to
help drive that strategic plan. Two-thirds of their wine is sold outside the Northwest. Although the
wines are distributed in Europe and Asia, sales are concentrated primarily in the U.S. market.
According to Gary Hogue, wine is the same as any other product. It takes all elements of production,
demand creation, marketing, sales and professional staffing to ensure success. How does Gary sum
up the brand tag line for Hogue? “Value at every price point for every varietal.”
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
Wine Tracking Sharon Clinton is the Wine Analyst for Hogue. Clinton first came to
Hogue with a background in Information Technology and Accounting
and was thrown right into the fire. “I started a month prior to harvest and
didn't know much about wine, except that I liked to drink it.” During those
first months she lived and breathed the job and came up with some
innovative solutions. Hogue already had wine tracking software, but
couldn't get the data out in a functional, useful way. Exporting the data
into spreadsheets to be manipulated in useful ways solved that problem.
“I observed that we were devoting a lot of time just trying to find
individual barrels in the barrel room. I worried about this so much that the solution, believe it or not,
came to me in a dream—“trick the database!” Taking an unused field in the database and redefining
it, Clinton came up with a physical location code to attach to each barrel group and barrel—a tool that
reduces the amount of time it takes to locate barrels.
The wine tracking database has proven valuable in compliance with federal bioterrorism regulations.
Any time the wine is treated, such as adding sulfur dioxide, or when the wine is moved, such as
racking, it must be logged and tracked according to regulations. This data goes into the tank chart,
which in turn helps the winemaker track the progress of the wine.
According to Forsyth, one of the challenges has been to keep a high level of professional staffing.
Hogue has been fortunate that David Forsyth has over 20 years of history with Hogue, Co Dinn has
been with the company for nine years, and Jordan Ferrier for five years. But with the explosive growth
in the Washington wine industry, the lure of starting one's own winery in such a perfect climate has
been a strong one. What keeps them there? It's the culture that Forsyth has nourished, the pervasive
desire to make great wine.
Through technology Hogue
is able to track every barrel
in their winery.
Bacchus Importers, Ltd. - 1817 Portal St - Baltimore, Maryland 21224 - Phone (410) 633-0400 www.bacchusimportersltd.com
It All Comes Down To Communication When asked what the best moment has been at Hogue, Forsyth responded, “Well, there are the big
occasions . . . Naturally, you're going to pop the champagne when you win “Winemaker of the Year,”
but day-in and day-out, the most rewarding thing for me has been when information and sensory
technology and market response are a confirmation of what you did. It's one of those “aha!” moments
when all the pieces fit and everybody knows it.” What will the future hold for Hogue Cellars? In the
words of David Forsyth: “We've only scratched the surface.”
Washington Wine Industry at a Glance �2nd largest wine producer in the United States
�Wine production: 16 million gallons (60.6 million liters)
�300+ Wineries
�300+ Growers
�30, 000 acres under vine
�Over 20 varietals grown: 57% red, 43% white
�Leading red varietals: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cabernet franc, sangiovese.
�Leading white varietals: chardonnay, Riesling, sauvignon blanc, Semillon, viognier.
�Washington has six major American Viticulture Areas: Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Columbia
Valley, Puget Sound, Red Mountain and Columbia Gorge
�Total economic impact on Washington State: $2.4 billion
�Total retail value: $628.4 million
�Full time wine related jobs: 11,250
�Percentage of Washington wine sold in state: less than 20%
�The majority of Washington wine is sold out of state and
exported
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The Genesis Story For Genesis wines the Hogue team searches out unique vineyard sites and
creates wines that express the nuances of the site and the individuality of
the wine-maker. To express the idea behind Genesis, the label depicts a
figure called “Shaped Hully” by Northwest artist Matthew Dennison. The
painting of an oversized figure standing on the edge of land, sea and sky
represents the geography of Washington State and the passion and drive of
exploration and discovery.
Success with Screwcaps Hogue Fruit Forward Wines are the first
Hogue line to be sealed under Stelvin
screw caps and account for 375,000
cases. Hogue conducted an extensive
three-year study examining the effect of
five different closures on its wines. Their findings showed that screw caps proved to hold fruit and
maintain freshness more effectively than synthetic or natural corks. More research is under way
regarding the use of more gas permeable liners than what is currently available, which may prove
beneficial in the development of wine within the bottle, being more on par with a good cork in terms of
oxygen permeability. Hogue conducted extensive studies before moving to screwcaps for the Fruit
Forward wines.