Frichette Winery featured at the International Winemakers Virtual Summit

2nd Annual International Winemakers Virtual Summit
February 18-20, 2022
$35 registration until January 31, 2022

The Tri-Cities is known as the Heart of Washington Wine Country thanks to its central location among more than 200 wineries, acres of vineyards and American Viticulture Areas (AVAs)—one being the renown Red Mountain AVA. If you find yourself on Red Mountain, you will likely find yourself in the cozy atmosphere of Frichette Winery having a conversation with owners Greg and Shae Frichette like old friends.

Without going into too much detail (don’t want to spoil the story!), Greg and Shae landed in Tri-Cities to begin their careers as winemakers—and Shae become one of the only Black female winemaker/owners in Washington State.

Shae immersed herself in the wine industry, connecting not only with the Washington wine scene, but with Black winemakers and owners throughout the globe through Urban Connoisseurs. The nonprofit is dedicated to supporting Black winemakers and encouraging others to join the industry through education and events like the Celebration of Black Women. In fact, it was this event that inspired Shae to create her own label, Sashay. Named after a word she loved hearing the ladies in her family use and also a play on her name, Sashay has taken its place in the Frichette portfolio beautifully.

You are strong. You are courageous. You are fierce. You have the ability to create positive change in this world. So lift your chin, push your shoulders back and sashay, girl…SASHAY!

Shae continues to be active with the Urban Connoisseurs and is participating in the organization’s
2nd Annual International Winemakers Summit (IWS) as a featured winemaker. IWS is an opportunity for attendees to meet and learn about winemakers of African descent from around the world. The upcoming event will focus on the State of the Winemaking industry as it relates to these winemakers, highlighting the diversity of the wine industry, and why diversity matters and should be supported.

The event is virtual with a $35 registration fee.

Tri-IDEAs, is a program exploring and celebrating Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility through tourism in the Tri-Cities.

At Visit Tri-Cities, we believe travel is transformative on multiple levels. Exploring new destinations exposes us to different ideas, cultures, history, heritages and people. Though Tri-IDEAs, Visit Tri-Cities will connect with local business owners, community leaders, event organizers, residents and more to highlight, share and celebrate the diversity of the Tri-Cities that can be experienced through travel and tourism activities.