No other winemaking school in the Pacific Northwest has scored as many Platinum Awards as Yakima Valley College. After this year, the program based in Grandview has a dozen Platinums, and six are from its reserve program — denoted as “Dean’s List.” This is the third Platinum for work featuring Merlot, and it shows remarkable elegance with its food-friendly approach. Black … [Read more...] about Yakima Valley Vintners 2018 Dean’s List Merlot, Yakima Valley $30
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Thurston Wolfe Winery 2021 PGV Pinot Gris – Viognier, Columbia Valley $16
Best Buy! Wade Wolfe began his PGV blend with the 1998 vintage, and it’s turned into his flagship wine — thanks in large part to its earned wine list placement at Anthony’s Restaurants via longtime wine director Lane Hoss. Wolfe’s decades of working with Crawford Vineyard maintains consistency, and here it’s a 50/50 split. The steely approach accentuates the blend of Fuji … [Read more...] about Thurston Wolfe Winery 2021 PGV Pinot Gris – Viognier, Columbia Valley $16
Clearwater Canyon rocks October with Albariño from ‘Stella’ vintage
HOOD RIVER, Ore. — On the same day Karl and Coco Umiker dropped bins at Crawford Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, their Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2021 Crawford Vineyard Albariño earned a double gold medal and best of class at the 10th annual Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition. The next day, Oct. 6, 2022, their Albariño emerged from the sweepstakes as the judging’s … [Read more...] about Clearwater Canyon rocks October with Albariño from ‘Stella’ vintage
VanArnam Vineyards 2019 Tango Blend, Yakima Valley $35
Much of the VanArnam program comes from estate fruit, yet here winemaker Branden Seymour pulls in Tempranillo from Angiolina Farms to include with estate Malbec (46%) and Syrah (27%) for this new label. The 26 months in oak result in the sprinkles of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice that take this wine of cherries, cassis and chocolate to the next level. Enjoy with the … [Read more...] about VanArnam Vineyards 2019 Tango Blend, Yakima Valley $35
Côte Bonneville 2019 DuBrul Vineyard Estate Chardonnay, Yakima Valley $50
While the Shiels family recently released the 2020 vintage of this program, their bottling from the 2019 can be found on the list at many of the Northwest’s most savvy restaurants. And it ranks among the top Northwest Chardonnays our panel evaluated in 2022. This vintage marked the 10th anniversary of Kerry Shiels being named winemaker for her family’s project, and there’s no … [Read more...] about Côte Bonneville 2019 DuBrul Vineyard Estate Chardonnay, Yakima Valley $50