HOOD RIVER, Ore. — Two days of intense judging of Pacific Northwest wines has set the stage for today’s superlatives at the fifth annual Cascadia Wine Competition at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel.
The three-day event dedicated to Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho wines concludes this morning after 948 wines have been evaluated by an international of 21 judges, a panel that includes 10 West Coast winemakers and a Master of Wine.
A combination of consecutive record warm vintages, advances in viticulture and winemaking practices led the judges to award 226 gold medals across more than two dozen categories, with the largest being Cabernet Sauvignon (108 entries) and Syrah (77).
Among the highlights has been the performance of wines from British Columbia as 129 entries have led to 45 gold medals. Another emerging region, Idaho, has amassed 11 gold medals.
Complete results will be posted soon after the competition has been conclude. Here are a few images from this week’s judging along a bluff that overlooks the Columbia River.
Here are a few scenes from this year’s Cascadia wine Competition.
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