PROSSER -- Construction is expected to start soon on the next phase of what backers say will be the state's premier educational and promotional center for Washington's wines and food products.

WALLA WALLA -- Randall Hopkins, who co-owns Benton City-based Corvus Cellars, soon plans to relocate to Walla Walla to connect with wine afficionados.

PROSSER, Wash. -- Whether championing agricultural innovations or civic projects, Bud Mercer lived a life of unwavering purpose.

RICHLAND, Wash. -- The ground is broken and the permits are in place.

PROSSER, Wash. -- A destructive species of Asian fruit fly has moved into backyard fruit trees in Prosser and some Concord grape vineyards, but thus far has stayed away from Eastern Washington wine grapes, a Washington State University entomologist said Thursday.

SEATTLE -- Hong Kong and mainland China are developing a strong thirst for wine, and Washington and Oregon are hoping for a taste of those growing markets.

RICHLAND -- Washington State University and state wine industry leaders are stepping up efforts to fund and construct a 21st century wine science center in the Tri-Cities to meet growing research and production demands.

PROSSER — Guy W. (Bill) Powers of Badger Mountain Vineyard and Powers Winery and the late David Lake, the longtime winemaker for Columbia Winery were announced today as 2010 Legends of Washington Wine and will be inducted into the Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame.

CASHMERE — The Washington Wine Industry Foundation was awarded $128,250 from the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program to build a Guide to Sustainable Winery Practices.

WALLA WALLA -- The executive director of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance abruptly resigned her post this week after more than four years on the job.

BOISE -- A $100,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration will pay for a marketing campaign and a study that could lead to creating the Gem State's second American Viticultural Area.

WALLA WALLA -- CreekTown Cafe, one of Walla Walla's quintessential Wine Country dining destinations, closed suddenly this week.

BENTON CITY, Wash. -- Your tablemates are almost always a surprise at Bella, an Italian bistro and wine bar in Benton City.

PROSSER, Wash. — A longtime Prosser farmer and civic leader who left his fingerprints on countless projects in the small Lower Yakima Valley town died Tuesday after an illness.

DUNDEE, Ore. — This fall, will Pinot Noir producers in Oregon's Willamette Valley be partying like it was 1999?

In the U.S., the abbreviation HST might hit home with fans of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.

PROSSER, Wash. -- James Weisz of Prosser might struggle daily with symptoms of Asperger's syndrome, but that didn't stop him from drawing from his right brain to come up with a creative idea for a board game.

A Richland winery won best in show this weekend at the annual Washington State Wine Competition.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Kiona Vineyards Winery on Red Mountain won best in show for its 2008 Chenin Blanc ice wine at the prestigious Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition.

DALLAS, Ore. — Van Duzer Vineyards announced Thursday that Jerry D. Murray will take over as its winemaker on June 14.

DALLAS, Ore. — Van Duzer Vineyards confirmed today that winemaker/general manager Jim Kakacek will resign this summer.

Earlier this month, British Columbian educator Rhys Pender, 35, became Canada's youngest Master of Wine.

CARLTON, Ore. — Last week, the Carlton Winemakers Studio announced that Robert and Ellen Brittan are taking over for Eric Hamacher as managers of the famed cooperative.

MOSCOW, Idaho — There are changes on the horizon for one of the Northwest's most remarkable operations.

When it comes to celebrities involved with Northwest wineries, Black Hills Estate Winery in British Columbia has one of the biggest in actor Jason Priestley.