Great Northwest Wine Magazine has selected Iris Vineyards in the Willamette Valley as the 2024 Oregon Winery of the Year. Aaron Lieberman’s craftsmanship with Pamela Frye’s Chalice Estate Vineyard led to a string of awards last year, and his creativity with the wine-based cocktails adds to the appeal of their young wine bar in downtown Springfield. Our profile of Iris … [Read more...] about Great Northwest Wine chooses Iris Vineyards as Oregon Winery of the Year
Oregon wine
Great Northwest Wine chooses Bluebird Hill Cellars as Oregon Winery to Watch
Great Northwest Wine Magazine has selected Bluebird Hill Cellars in the Willamette Valley as the 2024 Oregon Winery to Watch. Neil Shay recently retired as a professor at Oregon State University, but he and his wife Sue continue to impress judges with their young brand in Monroe between Corvallis and Eugene. They also have an exciting new collaboration with WNBA star Elena … [Read more...] about Great Northwest Wine chooses Bluebird Hill Cellars as Oregon Winery to Watch
Pinot Blanc earns attention in Oregon, British Columbia
In the last few years, I’ve tasted delicious examples of Pinot Blanc, and I wish more of them came across my panels at the competitions I judge across the country. Pinot Blanc, a common vitis vinifera variety, is often overlooked. It’s a white mutation of Pinot Noir, which helps explain why Oregon winemakers have achieved success with it. This decade has seen increased … [Read more...] about Pinot Blanc earns attention in Oregon, British Columbia
Turning the Tables on Rebecca Murphy
Rebecca Murphy’s rise within the U.S. wine industry began by becoming the first female wine steward in Texas and included launching The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, which was immediately recognized as one of the country’s most important judging and evolved into the prestigious TEXSOM International Wine Awards. As a writer, Murphy has contributed regularly to The … [Read more...] about Turning the Tables on Rebecca Murphy
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards tops Platinum Awards with 99-point Grüner Veltliner
A year ago, Stephen Reustle won a trio of Platinums Awards for Grüner Veltliner, as both the 2021 Green Lizard and the 2021 Hefeabzug earned Double Platinums and received 97 and 96 points, respectively, followed by the 2020 Hefeabzug. Acclaim and gold medals for his interpretations of the Austrian grape he grows in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley are consistently achieved across the … [Read more...] about Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards tops Platinum Awards with 99-point Grüner Veltliner