Best Buy! James Nederend of Koenig Vineyards also crafts the wines for the Williamson family, who earned a double gold medal at the 2023 Great Northwest Invitational in early October for the Grüner they grow, so it makes sense that judges would think so highly of the Grüner under his own label. The Williamsons picked it Oct. 7 at nearly 23 Brix, and it’s a classic example of … [Read more...] about SCORIA Vineyards 2022 Grüner Veltliner, Snake River Valley $18
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Maan Farms Estate Winery NV Raspberry Dessert Wine, British Columbia $23
Best Buy! This Fraser Valley farming family scores its second Platinum with this fortified raspberry beauty, only this received a unanimous vote for gold from the judging panel — making it a Double Platinum. It’s unmistakable, beginning with ripe and smashed raspberries and a silky mouthfeel of caramel. Raspberry is a naturally tart fruit, so there’s ample acidity, and the … [Read more...] about Maan Farms Estate Winery NV Raspberry Dessert Wine, British Columbia $23
Barnard Griffin Winery 2022 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley $15
Best Buy! The well-chronicled rosé project from this storied Richland, Wash., producer has qualified for the Platinum Awards virtually every year for more than a decade by virtue of its string of gold medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. By year’s end, Rob Griffin’s team doesn’t often enter this judging, but when they do submit, it goes Platinum. This is the … [Read more...] about Barnard Griffin Winery 2022 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley $15
Fort Berens Estate Winery 2021 Riesling, British Columbia $23
Best Buy! One of the Pacific Northwest’s most striking settings for delicious Riesling is Lillooet, British Columbia — halfway between Whistler and Kamloops, overlooking the Fraser River. The Riesling category at the 2023 Platinum was quite competitive, and this bottling via South African winemaker Alessandro Nel’s first vintage was one of just three Double Platinums in the … [Read more...] about Fort Berens Estate Winery 2021 Riesling, British Columbia $23
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Dry Rock Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley $20.69
Best Buy! When it comes to Sauvignon Blanc — and a few other aromatic whites — the Gehringer brothers are among the Pacific Northwest’s elite, vintage after vintage. This marks the ninth career Platinum for Walter and Gordon Gehringer’s Sauvignon Blanc, which they grow along their estate on the Golden Mile Bench in the south Okanagan Valley. Aromas of cantaloupe, papaya and … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Dry Rock Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley $20.69