Prosser, WA — The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center will be Washington State’s first-ever learning center focused on wine, food and agriculture. Construction is set to begin in January and expected to open by Fall 2013. The project is in part a tribute to Dr. Walter Clore who began his life’s work in 1937 studying vinifera grapes and their potential for growth in Washington’s soils and climates. His research, a cornerstone of the industry’s development, earned him the official recognition from the Washington State Legislature as the “Father of the Washington Wine Industry.”
Pictured: Rendition of the front entry to the nearly 15,000 square foot Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center.
The Clore Center will offer daily wine tasting, featuring a rotating selection of wines highlighting a different area of the state each month. Wines will be available for tasting and for purchase, and a light menu will be served. The tasting room will include exhibits highlighting Dr. Clore, the history of the Washington wine industry, Washington’s viticultural regions, as well as other special displays.
The Clore Center will also have a banquet space for 300 guests, a demonstration kitchen, conference room, retail shop and large patio.
Sitting right next door to the planned Wine & Culinary Center is the Vineyard Pavilion. This unique indoor/outdoor space is available for private events including weddings, meetings, and parties. With indoor space to accommodate approximately 50 guests, and outdoor space for larger groups of 200 or more, the Vineyard Pavilion is a charming space for any style event. Open since July 2011, the Vineyard Pavilion has been home to reunions, parties, wine dinners, strategic planning sessions, and weddings.