It seems that wine retailer and critic, Richard Kinssies of the Seattle PI, wants to be sure that we all buy into his doom and gloom philosophy.

In his article in the PI today, he yawns about the growing number of new wineries in the state, citing that their micro contribution is a mere drop in the very large Riedel wineglass that is the marketplace. He wonders how long it will be before a number of them go out of business.

The wine industry is exactly that, a business and like all businesses, some will fail. For a few, it might be the economic climate. However, the majority of those that might fail, they will do so due to other factors: poor product, not responding to consumer demands, meager capital and a lack of understanding in business fundamentals.

Yes, there is a bit of gold rush fever in Washington wine country and we admire that pioneering spirit. In this global age, when products can be manufactured anywhere, wine is one of the few items that represents both its place and the passion of its winemakers.

And in the end, that is what our wine visitors come to see and taste; human endeavor and passion in an otherwise cynical world.