Sycamore owns the largest and oldest winery in Washington - not just any crappy ol' winery. It's also the largest producer of Riesling in the world by one reputable account. I was there last night, as a matter of fact, for the Chicago concert. It's Chateau Ste. Michelle - They have a huge number of labels they produce for, too.
Chateau Ste Michelle wines are all over the map in terms of cost, but they are far from poor in quality. I enjoy the vast majority of them, though I'm admittedly not a sommelier-class wine drinker. Their Rose is beyond popular and was the official Rose of the Kentucky Derby at one point. Their bubbly muscat canelli is wonderful, especially when a hibiscus flower and some juice from the jar is added to it. I found cabs and cab blends that I could wrap my palate around with their holiday collection one year.
They have tremendous range in flavour profiles within the same grape type, depending on where they were grown. I wouldn't expect that Azamara would have a consistent house Syrah or Merlot or Chardonnay, just because of the process.
I would imagine it is pretty easy to private brand your wines when you own the winery. The only question is how expensive shipping is for that wine from WA if that's how they are sourcing now.
