Building Washington Wine Country: One Winery at a Time

When driving by any new winery construction site in Eastern Washington, it’s no surprise to see a “Mountain States Construction” sign erected proudly front and center. The contracting company who first got its name in concrete work for industries like water treatment, retail and healthcare, is now at the forefront of winery construction.

Born and Raised in Sunnyside, Washington, Henry "Hank" Stamschror is President of Mountain States Construction. He runs the business his father began in 1964 and is now a premier general contractor located in the heart of the Columbia Valley Wine Country. Mountain States got its beginning in commercial and concrete work with projects like Kadlec Hospital in the Tri-Cities and the original downtown mall in Yakima. Mountain States continues to build solid working relationships within commercial industries, food processing, water and wastewater treatment and medical. However, Hank has a heart for Washington Wine Country and believes strongly in building an economic future in the wine producing valleys of Eastern Washington.

“It's been exciting to watch the growth of the wine country the past few decades,” Stamschror says. "We're now more than just apples and everyone longs to be associated with the wine industry."

The first winery contract for Mt. States was in 1995 when they took on a project to expand the Hogue Cellars' tank room in Prosser. Two other expansion projects followed with Hogue including barrel storage and office facilities. Next, Hank and his crew began working with Maryhill winery located in what is now known as the Columbia Gorge. Over a ten year period, Mt. States worked on numerous projects for Maryhill including the initial top to bottom construction and two additional phases.

The winery projects kept coming and today Mt. States is working on approximately eight projects simultaneously with winery owners from Alderdale to Walla Walla. The ever growing and expanding North Prosser Business Park has seen a mass explosion of winery business starting with the new Willow Crest facility in 2005. And yes, it was Mt. States who kicked it off.

“I chose to work with Mountain States because of their experience and reputation in the area and because of what I know about Hank and his family,” states Willow Crest owner and winemaker Dave Minnick. “Hank has passion and he’s taking his passion for construction and using it towards the growth and betterment of the wine country.”

Minnick designed the tasting room but looked to Mt. States for guidance and expertise. The desire was to add to the main metal housing of his new facility by incorporating rock, stone and rough sawn fir in the tasting room to create a warmer, country feel. Guests enter through massive double vertical grain fir doors into what Minnick describes as "the tower." Standing in the vestibule, guests can look upward to see cross fir timbers rising into a sky lit dome tower above. The massive wood tasting bar is welcoming and invites visitors to cozy up to it for tastings.

Immediately following Willow Crest’s Phase I construction was Thurston Wolfe’s new contemporary facility. A complete juxtaposition from the old world style of the Willow Crest tasting room, Thurston Wolfe displays sleek sophistication with a long granite tasting bar highlighted with track lighting. The fireplace on the opposing wall is embedded in a large concrete frame and surrounded by sleek leather seating.

Since the addition of these two facilities, Mt. States has continued building Prosser’s new wine tourist area with the recent projects and additions of Mike Haddox’s Winemaker’s Loft, Olsen Brother’s Estates Winery and now Mike Hogue's new venture, Mercer Wine Estates. Other current projects are the Fidelitas’ new Red Mountain winery, Allen Shoup’s Long Shadows Vintners facility and the tasting room for Tertulia Cellars, both in Walla Walla. Mt. States also built Sheridan Vineyard Estates barn style winery in Zillah for owners Patrick Dineen and Scott Greer.

The most recent project Mt. States acquired is the Riesling production facility for a new venture between Pacific Rim Winemaking and Red Mountain Wine Estates. A unique business structure, Red Mountain Wine Estates is responsible for overseeing the construction of the facility (working with Mt. States), for staffing the winery and overseeing the day to day operations, while Pacific Rim provides the style and direction of the winemaking.

“Most of our grapes come from Eastern Washington so it made sense for us to move production here,” states Nicolas Quille, General Manager and Winemaker of Pacific Rim. "We're serious about making a Riesling statement and we believe that the best Riesling in the world is grown in Washington state."

A spin off of Bonnie Doon Vineyard in California, the Pacific Rim facility is being built near Red Mountain between West Richland and Benton City near the intersection of Van Geesen Avenue and Keene Road.

Andy denHoed of Red Mountain Estates knew he would work with Mt. States on the Pacific Rim facility. "It makes sense," says denHoed. "Hank has proven himself time and time again in the wine industry. It's the name people go to."

With so many winery contracts and the company of Washington’s wine industry’s biggest players, Mt. States has definitely found a niche for itself.

“We never want to put all of our eggs in one basket,” states Stamschror. “Industries flux and grow and it’s important to be diversified. [However] My friends aren’t necessarily colleagues in the construction industry, many are the visionaries of Washington wine country.”

When asked what he loves most about working so closely with the wine industry, Hank spoke proudly of the opportunities he has had to introduce various people in the industry and help them make connections. “It’s bringing people together that I really enjoy most.”

To learn more about Mountain States, please visit their Web site at www.mtstates.com.