Great NW Wine: Top winemakers gather for Taste of Cascadia

Published: Thu, 06/28/18

Wine of the Week

Grantwood Winery
2016 Petit Verdot,
Walla Walla Valley

More winemakers in Washington state are helping to bring this lesser-known red Bordeaux variety out of the shadows, and Joe Grant of ultra-boutique Grantwood Winery in Walla Walla is among those.

This wine represents two barrels of Petit Verdot from picturesque Les Collines Vineyard in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, and it offers big shoulders with dense notes of plum, black cherry and blackberry, backed by a dusting of cocoa powder.

This spring, Barrister Winery in Spokane used a Petit Verdot from historic Dionysus Vineyard along the Columbia River to win the title of best red wine at the Indy International Wine Competition on the campus of Purdue University. And earlier this month, Grantwood took best of show at the 2018 Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition with his Petit Verdot, a competition staged at Walla Walla Community College that serves as a scholarship fundraiser for College Cellars students.

Price: $22

Production: 45 cases

Alcohol: 14.6%

Winery website

Value wine
of the Week

Columbia Crest 2016 Grand Estates Syrah, Columbia Valley

Proud Argentine winemaker Juan Muñoz Oca continues to make the case that "Crest is best," particularly when it comes to the price point for Columbia Crest's Grand Estates program.

Classic notes of Syrah akin to blackberry, blueberry and cola include hints of baking spices from the 10% new oak. Jammy blue fruit flavors are balanced by black tea and savoriness from Kalamata olive. There's great depth and mouth feel to this Syrah, which finishes with cocoa and black licorice.

This wine earned a double gold medal and best of class at the 35th Washington State Wine Competition, staged in the heart of Washington wine country on the Grandview campus of Yakima Valley College. Enjoy with soft cheeses, pork tenderloin and grilled salmon.

Price: $12

Production: 18,000 cases

Alcohol: 13.5%

Winery website

Mount Rainier Wine Festival

The ninth annual Mount Rainier Wine Festival will be Saturday, July 7 on the lawn at Crystal Mountain-Alpine Inn, and it provides a sampling of more than a dozen of Washington’s best wineries.

It will bring you great local wines in a beautiful alpine setting. Live music, wine paired tapas and an outdoor party tent will set the mood for the festival.

This year's lineup includes Airfield Estates, Arbor Crest, Bonair, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Ellensburg Canyon, Guardian, Leony’s Cellars, Long Road Winery, Marcus Sophia Winery, Maryhill Winery, Reininger & Helix and Wilridge Winery.

Events calendar

Check out our revamped events calendar, which shows what is happening in the wine countries of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho.

Have an event? Please visit this link to add it.

Taste of Cascadia brings 20
top winemakers to The Lodge

The Lodge at Columbia Point opened last summer in Richland, Wash., and the hospitality team left behind by the late Tom Drumheller has created a special event to introduce wine lovers to his riverfront luxury hotel and honor his legacy.

The Taste of Cascadia is Saturday, June 30. It runs 1-4 p.m. and features 20 Northwest wineries and the people responsible for some of the top wines at this spring’s Cascadia International Wine Competition in Richland.

Brian Carter uses rosé to again
rise to top of state competition

Rosé remains the hottest category in the world of wine, and one of the Northwest’s most talented winemakers used an electric pink to flash his talents again as Brian Carter Cellars topped the Washington State Wine Competition with its 2017 Abracadabra Rosé.

The June 22 judging marked the second straight year that a rosé featuring the Italian grape Sangiovese won not only best of class but also best of show at the Washington State Wine Competition. The 35th year of the statewide contest was staged in Grandview on the campus of Yakima Valley College, and the event serves as a scholarship fundraiser for the school’s viticulture and enology program — Yakima Valley Vintners.

Tiny Grantwood Winery proves mighty at Walla Walla judging

Joe Grant used the sixth annual Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition to again prove that he’s one of Washington state’s most overlooked winemakers, crafting the Grantwood Winery 2016 Petit Verdot that ran a gauntlet of some of the Northwest’s most famous wines to win best of show.

The competition doubles as a fundraiser for the viticulture and enology program at Walla Walla Community College. The on-campus judging leads to an annual scholarship for a College Cellars student. The six-year total will reach nearly $10,000 after this month’s competition.

Pinot Gris, things from the sea prove perfect match in NW

A humble white wine most famous in Italy and France’s Alsace region has become a major player in the Pacific Northwest. Pinot Gris is a mutation of Pinot Noir and a sibling to Pinot Blanc. For many years, it has been Oregon’s No. 1 white wine, usurping Chardonnay in 2000. In Washington, it ranks No. 3 for whites, behind Chardonnay and Riesling.

It’s a good fit in the Northwest because its fruit-forward flavors and bright acidity make it a good match with our regional cuisine, particularly with fresh seafood. This is such a natural pairing, it’s helped coin the phrase, “Pinot Gris and things from the sea.”

Cascade Valley Wine Country offers ideal year-round getaway

What better playground than Lake Chelan in the summertime? For the wine lover, there’s never been a better time to explore Cascade Valley Wine Country because of the delicious diversity of wines.

The association counts 68 member wineries and tasting rooms in the region that spans Lake Chelan, Leavenworth and the Wenatchee Valley. Its proximity to the Cascades prompts the group to refer to itself as "Washington’s Peak Wine Experience."

Young couple in Idaho sparkles with new 3100 Cellars program

Eight years ago, wine lover Hailey Parsons began her journey to become winemaker Hailey Minder during a trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

As a result, she and her husband Marshall named their young sparkling wine house - the first in Idaho - 3100 Cellars. Their rapid success with Boise's burgeoning craft beverage community prompted Wine Press Northwest to name 3100 Cellars as its 2018 Idaho Winery to Watch.

Kettle Valley wines worth trek
to Naramata Bench in BC

The Northwest wine industry is filled with stories of wineries starting from hobbies that got out of hand. One winery in a remote part of British Columbia not only exemplifies that, but also is making spectacular reds in a region that should be better known for whites.

To find Kettle Valley Winery, you must know how to get there. It’s at the end of a dirt road on the beautiful Naramata Bench, just minutes from the city of Penticton. The stunning vistas from Kettle Valley overlooking the southern end of Okanagan Lake put the “beautiful” in “beautiful British Columbia.”

New wine reviews posted

We have posted several new reviews, including:

Burnt Bridge Cellars 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
Milbrandt Vineyards 2016 Traditions Chardonnay, Columbia Valley
Gamache Vintners 2013 Malbec, Columbia Valley
Hightower Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2017 Classic Riesling, Okanagan Valley
Brandborg Vineyard & Winery 2014 Ferris Wheel Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Elkton Oregon
Wild Goose Vineyards 2016 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley
Martin-Scott Winery 2014 Raven Ridge Red, Columbia Valley
Primarius Winery 2017 Pinot Noir Rosé, Oregon
Nine Hats Wines 2016 Red Wine, Columbia Valley
Jones of Washington 2016 Rosé of Syrah, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley
Canoe Ridge Vineyard 2015 The Explorer Red Wine, Horse Heaven Hills
Gran Moraine Winery 2015 Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton
4 Cellars 2014 Merlot, Red Mountain
Waterbrook Winery 2017 Melange Founder's White Blend, Columbia Valley
Rio Vista Wines 2015 Pinot Noir, Columbia Valley
Stag's Hollow Winery and Vineyard 2016 Grenache, Okanagan Valley
Succession Wines 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Maryhill Winery 2015 Northridge Vineyard Syrah, Wahluke Slope
Telaya Wine Co. 2015 Boushey Vineyards Sruth Red Wine, Yakima Valley
Tightrope Winery 2017 Riesling, Okanagan Valley
Brian Carter Cellars 2015 Opulento Dessert Wine, Yakima Valley
Cellardoor Winery 2014 Petit Verdot, American
Chaberton Estate Winery 2017 Gewürztraminer, Similkameen Valley
Maryhill Winery 2015 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley
Pondera Winery 2014 Entwined Red Wine, Columbia Valley
Potter Wines 2012 The Ambassador Red Wine, Horse Heaven Hills
Résonance 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Domaine Serene NV IX Dry "r" Rosé, Oregon
Brittan Vineyards 2014 Basalt Block Pinot Noir, McMinnville
Lobo Hills Wine Co. 2014 Spilya Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley
Björnson Vineyard 2014 Estate Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills
Pondera Winery 2014 Stillwater Creek Vineyards Malbec, Columbia Valley
Ponzi Vineyards 45th Anniversary 2015 Reserve Chardonnay, Willamette Valley
Cedergreen Cellars 2017 Viola Rosé, Columbia Valley
Mosquito Fleet Winery 2014 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley
Sovereign Cellars 2015 Syrah, Red Mountain
Davenport Cellars 2011 Continuity Red Wine, Columbia Valley

Read the reviews