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Northwest Cellars, Westport Winery golden at American Wine Society

By Eric Degerman on December 1, 2014

Sean Tudord, Tom Tudor and Robert Smasne will launch Tudor Hills Winery in Grandview, Washington.

Sean Tudor, left, Tom Tudor and winemaker Robert Smasne are working together to launch Tudor Hills Winery in Washington’s Yakima Valley. (Photo by Andy Perdue/Great Northwest Wine)

CONCORD, N.C. – Yakima Valley winemaker Robert Smasne continued his strong showing in wine competitions near and far with a double gold medal and a gold medal for Northwest Cellars at the 2014 American Wine Society National Commercial Wine Competition.

More than 600 wines were entered from across North America in one of United States’ oldest wine competitions. There were 48 double gold medals and 44 gold medals awarded. A double gold indicates the wine was a unanimous choice for gold by a judging panel.

Northwest Cellars 2013 Sonatina, a white Rhône-style blend of Roussanne and Viognier, was awarded a double gold medal via a unanimous vote of a judging panel. The Kirkland, Wash., winery, owned and operated by vintner Robert Delf, also received a gold medal for its 2012 Merlot. Northwest Cellars also partners with four other wineries in Josh Wade’s Nectar Tasting Room in downtown Spokane.

Westport Winery near Aberdeen, Wash., earned a gold medal for its 2011 Going Coastal, a sparkling Gewürztraminer made using the Charmat method.

Also in November, Smasne captured a whopping 11 gold medals under his eponymous Smasne Cellars label as well as a double gold and a gold medal for Todd Newhouse’s Upland Estates Winery during the 37th Tri-Cities (Wash.) Wine Festival.

The American Wine Society, founded in 1967, calls itself the largest consumer-based wine organization in the country and has operated its competition for more than 40 years. Twenty seven judges evaluated the wines over two days in conjunction with the American Wine Society’s 47th annual conference.

Results of the two-day professional competition, held at the Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Spa, were released Nov. 15. Cornell University professor Harvey Reissig chaired the judging, which spans more than 60 categories. The pool of 27 judges featured wine professionals as well as AWS certification holders.

The the Barefoot Bubbly Citrus Infusion was selected as best of show and best sparkling wine.

Here is the list of medals received by Pacific Northwest wineries:

Double gold

Northwest Cellars 2013 Sonatina, Columbia Valley, $19

Gold

Northwest Cellars 2012 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $18
Westport Winery 2011 Going Coastal Sparkling Gewurztraminer, Washington, $31

Silver

A Blooming Hill Vineyard and Winery 2012 Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, $20
Cathedral Ridge Winery 2013 Bolton Vineyard Reserve Barbara, Columbia Valley, $48
Cathedral Ridge Winery 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $32
Edenvale Winery 2007 Dolcetto, Rogue Valley, $25
Mercer Canyons 2012 Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $16
Northwest Cellars 2012 Serenade, Columbia Valley, $16
Northwest Cellars 2011 Art den Hoed Vineyard Petite Sirah, Yakima Valley, $32
Northwest Cellars 2011 Madrigal, Columbia Valley, $24
Northwest Cellars 2011 Intrigue, Columbia Valley, $28
Wedge Mountain Winery NV Les Chevaux de la Montagne, Wahluke Slope, $25
Westport Winery 2013 Bordello Blonde, Yakima Valley, $25
Willamette Valley Vineyard 2013 Riesling, Willamette Valley, $13
Willamette Valley Vineyard 2012 Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30
Willamette Valley Vineyard 2013 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $16

Bronze

Cathedral Ridge Winery 2012 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $32
Edenvale Winery 2013 Pinot Gris, Rogue Valley, $18
Edenvale Winery 2007 Claret, Rogue Valley, $25
Wedge Mountain Winery 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $35
Westport Winery NV Bog Berry Blush, Washington, $26
Westport Winery 2012 Discovery Vineyard Nirvana, Horse Heaven Hills, $45

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About Eric Degerman

Eric Degerman is the President and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. He is a journalist with more than 30 years of daily newspaper experience and has been writing about wine since 1998. He co-founded Wine Press Northwest magazine with Andy Perdue and served as its managing editor for a decade. He is a frequent wine judge at international wine competitions throughout North America and orchestrates 10 Northwest competitions each year.