For over 35 years now, Teamsters Local 117 has represented Chateau Ste. Michelle employees in the bottling line, the barrel room, production, and shipping and maintenance.  

“From the time the juice arrives to the facility to the time the bottles go out the back door, we handle every aspect of production,” said Terry Combs, a 34-year Chateau Ste. Michelle Teamster and Local 117 shop steward.

 

Production at the winery, Combs explains, involves everything from hooking up to the trucks and pumping the juice into the tanks to creating the wine blends and filling and storing the barrels for fermentation. Wine-making Teamsters at Chateau Ste. Michelle are also charged with overseeing the filtering process and running the bottling line. “All of the heavy lifting is done on our end,” Combs said.

 

The result of Teamsters’ labor at Chateau Ste. Michelle speaks for itself. The winery has received multiple awards since the Teamsters came aboard in 1974, including 15 Winery of the Year Honors from Wine and Spirits Magazine. Combs also notes that Chateau Ste. Michelle is the number one Riesling producer in terms of volume in the world.

 

Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle is located in Woodinville, Washington on an estate dating back to the early 1900s. Currently, the winery employs approximately 26 full-time Teamsters.

 

“We have a dedicated crew with a lot of long-term employees,” Combs said. “That is certainly part of our success. Having the Teamsters here helps a lot. We make a decent living, our health and welfare benefits are good, and we have a great retirement plan. ”

 

Combs became eligible for PEER 84 retirement under the Teamsters pension plan two years ago at the tender age of 54. He says he’s just an uptick in the economy away from having all the time in the world to relax and enjoy the fine spirits he has spent his long career making.