By Maegan Murray, WSU Tri‑Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri‑Cities will now offer in-state tuition rates to students in Umatilla County, Oregon, through a new program called the “I‑82 Advantage.”

“With our proximity to Oregon, just across the Columbia River, it only makes sense to provide greater access to an excellent university education in such close proximity,” WSU Tri‑Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. “This program applies to all prospective students who reside in Umatilla County.”

The program will save residents from Umatilla County thousands in tuition costs. By paying in‑state rates, tuition will cost $11,144 per year, compared to the $26,087 that an out-of-state student would pay for non‑resident tuition.

Those interested in attending WSU Tri‑Cities for spring 2021 are encouraged to apply by Nov. 15. Individuals interested in attending WSU Tri‑Cities in fall 2021 are encouraged apply by Jan. 31.

Applications can be completed online at . After completing the application for admission, prospective students from Umatilla County should complete the WSU Tri‑Cities I‑82 Advantage application to qualify for in‑state tuition rates. Apply for the I‑82 Advantage program at .

Students applying to WSU Tri‑Cities should also make sure to complete the WSU Tri‑Cities scholarship application by Jan. 31 at .

For more information about the I‑82 Advantage program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/admissions/i82advantage.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this cost-saving option for local students in Umatilla County, Oregon,” Haynes said. “We continually try to identify ways where we can meet students where they are. The COVID‑19 pandemic presents additional financial challenges for many local families. We do not want it to prevent students from achieving their dream of attending college that will help in setting them up for success for their future.”

WSU Tri‑Cities will also continue to offer what is known as the Border Bill program. The State of Washington’s Border Bill allows Oregon residents who live in specified counties, or who have recently moved to Washington from those counties, to attend WSU Tri‑Cities part‑time (8 credits or less per semester) and pay resident tuition rates. The specific Oregon counties whose residents are eligible for this benefit are: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Washington. The application to apply for that program is located at tricities.wsu.edu/finaid/tuition-waivers.

For those with concerns about COVID‑19 and returning for any in‑person learning, all WSU Tri‑Cities classrooms are now equipped to offer virtual instruction, regardless of whether a class is offered in‑person or virtually.

ACT and SAT scores are also not being used as a factor for admissions decisions through spring semester 2022.

For more information about WSU Tri‑Cities, visit .

 

Media contacts: 

Maegan Murray, ÍřĆŘłÔąĎ assistant director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ÍřĆŘłÔąĎ

RICHLAND, Wash. – Pacific Northwest wineries and vineyards are exploring a new, specific way to promote their wines: “terroir tourism.”

Marketing terroir – an area’s environmental characteristics such as soil, topography, climate and farming practice – has increased in states like Washington and Oregon, said Byron Marlowe, instructor of hospitality and wine business management at Washington State University Tri-Cities. It presents a new and growing opportunity that can further the Northwest’s name and brand as a wine destination for the world.

Marlowe recently completed a  regarding terroir tourism for Oregon wine publications. He presented his paper at the International Terroir Congress, which for the first time was held in the United States.

Locations ideal for best wine grapes

Locations in Washington and Oregon present ideal conditions for Vitis vinifera grape varieties, which encompass many preferred and prominent grape types in the western United States wine market and in most of the world, Marlowe said.

“The terroir in the Pacific Northwest, and more specifically the mid-Columbia region, is a major reason for the quality of wines you see across the state,” he said. “Great wine starts in the vineyard, and you can’t have a great vineyard without the ideal soil, climate amount of sunshine and geology.”

Much like producers in California’s Napa Valley and locations in France and Italy, Washington and Oregon wineries are starting to promote these conditions as elemental to the region’s generally high quality wines.

“It would make sense that terroir would be a determining factor in wine tourism in the Northwest,” Marlowe said.

Wineries promote AVA differences

Two examples of producers using terroir to market their wines are Badger Mountain Vineyard/Powers Winery and Dubrul Vineyard/CĂ´te Bonneville.

More tourists are seeking out wine that is grown in particular American viticulture areas (AVAs) in the Northwest, said Mickey Dunne, owner and sales director for Badger Mountain Vineyard and Powers Winery in Kennewick, Wash.

“There is growing knowledge of some of the smaller and newer AVAs,” he said. “We have crafted our reserve wine program around single vineyard cabernet sauvignon from four different AVAs, giving us an opportunity to show consumers a mini-tour of Washington terroir.”

Côte Bonneville, in Sunnyside, Wash., produces and promotes wines based on the vineyard’s farming practices, climate and unique soil elements, said Kathy Shiels, owner of Côte Bonneville and DuBrul Vineyard.

“Our vision was a classic Burgundian model, where small areas of the estate were bottled separately to showcase the terroir,” she said. “It has become much more common in the industry today to differentiate yourself by a sense of place.”

Organic and state line distinctives

Marlowe said in Oregon, particularly, the popularity of organic wine has increased, with wine enthusiasts focusing more on farming practices. Nearly 50 percent of Oregon vineyards are sustainable or organic, according to Oregon Organic Wine.

“Oregon has been able to recognize and attract the wine tourist who has high levels of place attachment to its unique terroir through sustainable and organic growing practices,” he said.

Badger Mountain in Washington realized the value of an organic wine operation when it created the state’s first organic vineyard and winery in 1990 and 1996, respectively.

“With the climate in Washington so conducive to low input, I think we have a substantial advantage over many, if not most, growing regions,” Dunne said.

Marlowe is working with regional organizations to generate additional interest in terroir tourism, as well as examining whether it may lead to wine enthusiasts crossing state lines.

“Vines don’t recognize state borders and neither do geographical features, soil types and climate,” he said. “What I’m looking into is whether these state borders have an impact on terroir tourism and whether state lines matter when wine enthusiasts visit wineries in a particular region.”