Our take
Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot Washington Red Wine
- Style
- Red wine
- Size
- 750 ml
- Grape
- Merlot
- Region
- Washington State
- Shelf barcode
- 0088586602832
Our take
What we make of this bottle
Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot, Washington
What does the word Washington actually promise on a bottle of Merlot? Less than a shopper might assume, and that is useful to know at the shelf. A Washington name can stand for a wide blend drawn from across the state or for one much smaller growing area, and the narrower name is the one that tells you more, because conditions change from place to place. Most of the vineyards sit east of the Cascade Range, where the mountains keep much of the Pacific rain out, the summer days run warm, the nights turn cool, and winter can bring frost.
In our September 2026 checks, the price landed between $14.99 and $22.99 across the stores we visit. Those are separate shelf readings from different places, not one price watched over time.
The average is 5 out of five, from just 1 rating, so it is early days for shopper feedback. The grape gives more to go on. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, and regional guides say it tends toward a rounder shape and describe plum and other red or dark fruit, with tannin that pushes less firmly than Cabernet. If a red softer than a Cabernet is what you are after, that is where the guides place Merlot.
Chateau Ste. Michelle tells its own history plainly. The winery says it was established in 1967 as Washington's first premium winery, built in Woodinville, and its site adds that the Wyckoff family bought the company in 2025, returning it to local ownership for the first time in 50 years.
The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.
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Read our take →The prices we checked
Dated store checks, not a promise about your store.
- Kroger, Atlanta suburbs, GA$17.49
- Kroger, Cincinnati, OH$15.99
- Ralphs, Long Beach, CA$18.99
- Fred Meyer, Portland, OR$22.99
- King Soopers, Colorado Springs, CO$14.99
- Smith's, Las Vegas, NV$20.49
- Kroger, Knoxville, TN$15.99
- QFC, Tacoma, WA$17.99
The regular price can vary by store and date.
From the producer
Washington's founding winery
Chateau Ste. Michelle says it was established in 1967 as Washington state's first premium winery, built in Woodinville. The winery's own site also says the Wyckoff family bought Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2025, returning it to local ownership for the first time in 50 years.
Research status
What we are still checking
Our overview above draws on the dated store feed, shopper ratings, our region and grape research, and any sourced producer facts. We are still working to confirm the current release, the full producer record, and the bottle itself, and we update this page as we learn more.
Getting to know Washington State.
A Washington label can point to a large state blend or to a narrower AVA. Most vineyards are east of the Cascade Range, but the exact AVA still matters because elevation, wind, rain and frost exposure change across the state.
What the name means
Washington is a state origin, not one American Viticultural Area. Its wine regions include 21 federally recognized AVAs, some shared with Oregon.
How grapes grow here
The Cascade Range blocks much of the Pacific rain from eastern Washington. That creates generally dry growing conditions with warm summer days, cool nights and winter frost risk, while western sites have stronger marine influence.
What lies under the vines
Flood deposits, windblown silt, sand, gravel and volcanic material occur across Washington wine country. A state name alone does not identify one soil or vineyard setting.
How large the region is
- Recognized AVAs
- 21 wine-growing areas are listed by the Washington State Wine Commission.
- Label resolution
- Washington State is broader than an AVA, so the bottle or producer must establish a more specific place.
Places within the region
- Columbia Valley
- A very large AVA that contains many of Washington's smaller wine regions and crosses into Oregon.
- Yakima Valley and Walla Walla Valley
- Two established AVAs within the broader eastern Washington landscape, each with its own boundaries and local conditions.
Getting to know Merlot.
Merlot is a red grape that can make a complete wine or soften a Cabernet-led blend. It generally ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and often has a rounder structure.
Category guide
What to expect in the glass
Regional guides describe plum and other red or dark fruit, with less forceful tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon in many examples. Climate and blending can make it fresh and medium-bodied or broader and richer.
Sources: New Zealand Winegrowers; Napa Valley Vintners. Checked Aug 10, 2026. See all 28 Merlot wines we cover →
Where this information comes from
- Store listing
- Price, package, product identifier, and shopper rating. Checked Aug 10, 2026.
- Barcode
- The shelf barcode shown here is computed from the store product identifier. It has not been checked against a bottle.
- Method
- Every price, rating and fact here is a dated observation. How we check.