William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

"Do I still work in the wine industry?" Like many of you, the Covid pandemic altered my life trajectory. Today, I am going to re-cap where I am in the wine industry. My story will bounce back and forth for context. Remember, I like to connect the dots. The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, Washington. First, everyone asks me, what happened to the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center (Clore Center)? Good question. The Clore Center, located in Prosser, Washington, birthplace of Washington wine, opened in 2014 as a not for profit. The primary mission of the Clore Center was to promote " Washington state wine ." I began working at the Clore Center in October 2015. My last title was, Wine Education Coordinator . We finally, sadly, closed our doors in November 2020.  It was my sincerest pleasure to work at the Clore Center for five years. I made many friends in the industry and in the community. I met many people from around the country and from around th...

Pottery, New Zealand Wine, WBC12 and Vines, oh my! It's another beautiful day in the sunny SE corner of Washington State. Daytime highs will be in the lows 90's for the rest of the week. With 27% humidity, that's actually pretty comfortable. Wonderful weather, and a full schedule has seen this summer zip past me. It's already August 1st and my month is booked. Pottery Studio What have I been up to this summer? Well, I returned to the pottery studio for one. It's been four years since I last threw a pot on the wheel, so I've been making the most of my time in the studio (which is also a partial explanation for so few Washington wine reviews). It took most of the summer quarter to get my mojo back, but finally, I feel more comfortable on the wheel, it's fun again and not work. We unloaded the electric kiln today and I have a finished plate or two that I actually like. Checking on the gas kiln yesterday. You can expect to see some of my new potte...