A dozen great Northwest wines

What makes a great Northwest wine? When we evaluate wines, we taste them under blind conditions, meaning we know neither the producer nor the price until the evaluation is complete. We think this is the fairest way to look at a wine, letting the wine speak for itself.

We think this is the fairest way to look at a wine, letting the wine speak for itself.

We look at flavor, typicity of variety (does a Riesling taste like a Riesling), balance and structure, and how the whole package works together. then we decide if it warrants one of our three rankings: Recommended, excellent or Outstanding. Our highest ranking, Outstanding, is equivalent to a gold medal in a wine judging.

Here are 12 wines that have earned our top Outstanding rating in recent blind tastings. Ask for them at you’re favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly.