One of the more fascinating projects is the Pacific Northwest is led by the husband/wife team of Gavin and Shana Miller — an estate winery and creamery on the Naramata Bench in British Columbia. Gavin’s winemaking near Okanagan Lake led to the Best Riesling of the 2024 Cascadia International, a product of estate vines that benefited from the 2022 "Hail Mary" vintage - an … [Read more...] about Upper Bench Estate Winery 2022 Riesling, Naramata Bench $26
British Columbia
Hester Creek Estate Winery 2021 Estate Old Vine Cabernet Franc, Golden Mile Bench, $29.99
Acclaim for our 2023 British Columbia Winery of the Year continues to be earned within international competitions, and flyfishing winemaker Mark Hopley has the benefit of reeling in Cabernet Franc from 50-year-old vines. There’s also some magic provided by a 15-day extended maceration in Hester Creek’s Italian Ganimede fermenters. The resulting wine is brick-colored and notes … [Read more...] about Hester Creek Estate Winery 2021 Estate Old Vine Cabernet Franc, Golden Mile Bench, $29.99
Chaberton Estate Winery 2023 Estate Siegerrebe, Fraser Valley $18.95
Best Buy! This early-ripening grape native to Germany thrives in maritime regions of the Pacific Northwest, and Fraser Valley winemaker Gary Zhygailo has used it to produce another charming wine. The graduate of Ukraine’s Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies blended it here with another German variety — Schönburger (15%), which is related to Pinot Noir. Aromas hit on … [Read more...] about Chaberton Estate Winery 2023 Estate Siegerrebe, Fraser Valley $18.95
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2023 Minus 9 Ehrenfelser Icewine, Golden Mile Bench $86
Our reigning Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year produces three different icewines, but the family often rotates among Riesling, Cabernet Franc and this stunning effort with a second hardy German variety — Ehrenfelser. This grape is a legacy of the historic Becker Project, and the vine’s ability to weather arctic blast has been tested the past two growing seasons. And yet, the … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2023 Minus 9 Ehrenfelser Icewine, Golden Mile Bench $86
Hillside Winery & Bistro 2022 Heritage Series Pinot Gris, Naramata Bench $35
Kathy Malone merited a trio of gold medals at the 2024 Cascadia International for her Heritage Series bottlings made with cool-climate varieties. This Pinot Gris — a blend of Umoya & Howe vineyards along the Naramata Bench near Penticton, British Columbia — is one of Malone’s two double gold medals, meaning it received a unanimous vote for gold among from the panel. Its … [Read more...] about Hillside Winery & Bistro 2022 Heritage Series Pinot Gris, Naramata Bench $35