GARY GOUGER, OWNER OF Gouger Cellar and Winery, drains the last of a bottle into a glass. Gouger will be relocating his business from Vancouver to the old Ridgefield Fire Station over the Winter and is expected to open May 1, 2013.
In the last couple decades, the city of Ridgefield has seen expansion and growth and during that time city officials have tried to maximize its appeal to not only new families but new businesses as well. One of the fruits of that labor is the ever-popular wine industry, which is prevalent in Ridgefield.
Vancouver-based Gouger Cellar and Winery will be the newest entry into the industry in the Ridgefield area starting next May, when they relocate to the old Ridgefield Fire station located at 26506 NE 10th Ave. The 5,500 square-foot facility is at present is being used as document and old vehicle storage by the city. The move is said to be a tremendous upgrade for Gary Gouger, who founded the winery in Sept., 2009.
“Since we’ve opened, we’ve been crammed into an 860-square-foot storage space in Vancouver,” Gouger said. “I am so excited about the opportunity this presents, if I could move in tomorrow, I’d do it.”
Among the many changes Gouger has planned for the non-descript two story building includes a bocce court, a rooftop deck with seating and much more. City Council member Don Stose said the move to bring new life to the old firehouse isn’t new, but it is very encouraging.
“The council and our former city manager Justin Clary were trying to develop the station and attract new business as much as four years ago, so it was always something we’d considered,” said Stose. “Having someone as enthusiastic as Gary wanting to come to the area is very encouraging because we’ve been actively trying to attract folks who want to live and work in a fast-growing city.”
Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow is also optimistic about adding another growing enterprise to his city and developing an old landmark.
“The great thing about the fire station is that it’s not very distinct by comparison to more traditional buildings, so it can really be transformed into something special by Gary,” Onslow said. “I’m looking forward to how it looks when he opens it up next year.”
Making a living for himself in the pharmaceutical industry, Gouger always had an affection for both wine and winemaking, taking frequent trips along the west coast and spending time in northern California. In 2002, while living in Portland, he mentioned the idea of making his own wine to a friend.
“I thought it would be a fun hobby so we decided to make our first bottle, which was a Zinfandel,” said Gouger. “What we didn’t expect was it won a gold medal from International Winemaking Magazine in 2003. We then chose to make a Petite Syrah the following year and we won again. So we knew we were onto something.”
After going to what he called “Wine School” in Australia and learning the tricks of the trade, Gouger opened his shop, bringing in grapes from Eastern Washington and Oregon, as well as northern California, giving him a wide variety of grapes to work with.
Gouger now offers 11 different wines, many of them blends that have won several more awards. Most recently, they took home two Silver awards at the 2011 San Diego International Wine Competition for their No. 128 and No. 829 blends and a Platinum for their No. 903 blend.
“It’s been very gratifying to see what we’ve accomplished and how we’ve grown,” Gouger said. “Now with a new home to move into, it will let us do so much more and move in new directions.”
For Stose and the city of Ridgefield, the addition of Gouger is in line with what their plans have been for the last few years, and it also builds excitement for what looms on the horizon.
“We actually have been moving at what I see as a snail’s pace for a while,” said Stose. “We’re looking forward to ramping it up a notch in 2013 with more light industrial, residential and commercial development.”
Onslow agrees with Stose’s assessment, “We’ve been doing extremely well despite the downturn in the economy. Our growth in home development is up, even if our business growth is a little slow. Still, I’m really happy about Gouger Winery coming to the area and with AIG Steel breaking ground in the spring, I think we have some good things ahead of us.”
Gouger Cellar and Winery is located at 1812 Washington St., in Vancouver. Their hours are Fri., 2-8 p.m. with Happy Hour and live music starting at 5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m.
More information can be found at their website, www.gcwinery.com, or by calling (360) 909-4707.
