Northwest Wine Industry Meets In Tri-Cities

Kennewick, WA- Despite a souring economy, the Northwest wine industry remains optimistic that 2009 will be a vintage year.

The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers annual trade show opened today at the Toyota Center. On the convention center floor, grape growers and winemakers throughout the Northwest are looking at the latest technology in the industry.

Among the vendors is Corkwest in Kennewick, the only regional cork-manufacturer on the West Coast. The company's plant at the Port of Kennewick, along with a second plant in California, produces about 40 million corks a year.