In January 2022, Sadie Drury took over as Chair of the Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC) Board of Directors. Drury is the General Manager of North Slope Management and Vineyard Manager/Viticulturist at Seven Hills Vineyard. She is the first woman to hold the position of board chair.
“I feel incredibly grateful and honored that my peers have confidence in me to lead the board,” Drury said. “It really is an amazing opportunity to be a voice for so many industry members and I think I can represent them well.”
After nearly a decade of experience in her current job, Drury was named “Grower of the Year” by Washington Winegrowers in 2021. Although she’s part of the new generation of leaders in the Washington Wine industry, she’s a Walla Walla native with deep roots in agriculture.
“I’ve worked on horse ranches, cattle ranches, I worked pea harvest. My first job when I was 12 was picking strawberries. It’s a rite of passage in Walla Walla to pick strawberries when you’re 12 years old,” she said.
What excites me the most about the future of Washington wine is that it’s only going to get better.—Sadie drury
Now with 50 employees and several vineyards to manage, Drury is keenly aware of the challenges and opportunities that face Washington’s wine industry.
“The wines have already proven that they can stand next to, and even surpass, some of the best producers in the world,” Drury said. “We’re only going to grow better grapes and craft better wines as we continue to expand our knowledge and experience. It really feels like there’s no ceiling that’s going to stop us.”
Drury was preceded in the board chair position by John Sportelli, who recently retired from his role as General Manager of Columbia Winery and therefore stepped down from the WSWC Board. Drury was originally appointed to the WSWC Board three years ago, and has served on numerous committees including the Executive Committee, Communications, Research, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.