Socially Savvy covered the 2013 Washington State Wine Awards. Listen to host LB Dutchess, co-host Jason Rendon, guest Stacy Lill and others chat about Washington State wine.

SEATTLE – After a decade of honoring restaurants, the Washington State Wine Commission expanded its prestigious award program to celebrate additional industries and individuals whose work raises the profile of Washington State wine throughout the state and beyond.

Monday’s well-attended Washington State Wine Awards at McCaw Hall showcased exemplary retailers, tourism professionals and distributors for the first time, along with restaurants. Winners were selected from more than 100 nominations and were chosen for their impressive menus, innovative educational programs and marketing efforts, and commitment to excellent service.

Download the PDF for the full list of winners.

Congrats to the nine Washington wineries on the Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries of 2012 list:
Andrew Will Winery
Buty
Cadence
Chateau Ste. Michelle
Gramercy Cellars
L'Ecole No 41
Mark Ryan Winery
Pepper Bridge
Reynvaan
See the entire list here.

Washington State wines that made the Top 100 wines in the West in the San Francisco Chronicle by Jon Bonné include
2009 Andrew Will Two Blondes Columbia Valley Red
2009 Betz Family Clos de Betz Columbia Valley Red
2009 Covey Run Quail Series Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Merlot
2009 Scarborough Wines Royale Columbia Valley Red
2010 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Valley Syrah
2009 Buty Rediviva of the Stones Walla Walla Valley Red
2011 Poet's Leap Columbia Valley Riesling
Click the above PDF to read the wines' tasting notes. Click here to read the entire article.

It’s Official: Ancient Lakes Becomes Washington’s 13th AVA
Posted: October 18, 2012
October 18, 2012 — Gorge Amphitheater concert goers know the tiny town of George because it’s the closest place to stock up on gas, food and camping supplies for those attending outdoor music events at ‘The Gorge at George’ venue. Now, George and the nearby farming community of Quincy are made famous by another distinction — they are part of the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley viticultural area, which was today officially designated an AVA (American Viticultural Area) by the Federal Government. This makes it the 13th AVA in Washington State. Read more at: Washington Tasting Room Magazine

Seattle, Washington - May 31, 2012 - The Greater Seattle Chapter of the Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest (The Society), most recently dba the Seattle Wine Society, has accomplished its mission set forth in 1975 and has decided to cease operations at the end of 2012.

The Washington State Wine Commission today announced the findings of a new economic impact study of the industry that values the industry at more than $8.6 billion annually in Washington State and more than $14.9 billion nationally. Read the Press Release.

SEATTLE (February 9, 2012) – The Washington State Wine Commission today announced the hiring of Steve Warner as Executive Director. Mr. Warner comes to the Commission from Merck & Co., Inc., where he was Managing Director based in Bucharest, Romania. Prior to that, he held General Manger and marketing positions in global and regional marketing in the Asia Pacific region and led teams while living in Seoul, South Korea; Bangkok, Thailand; and several domestic markets. “I could not be more excited about joining the Commission and the industry at this particular time in our evolution,” Mr. Warner said. “We have tremendous opportunity ahead of us, and I look forward to working with our state’s growers and wineries to realize our full potential as a unified industry.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Washington State Wine Commission. In 1987, the Washington State legislature created this government agency with the intent of giving a voice to every winery and wine grape grower, and to champion the marketing goals of the Washington State wine industry. Read the article in Tasting Room magazine here.

The federal government today approved Washington's 12th official viticultural area, Naches Heights.
The new American Viticultural Area, or appellation, is on a volcanic plateau above the city of Yakima. It is within the Columbia Valley AVA.
Naches Heights is 13,254 acres in size. Though with just 105 acres of vines, it is the least-planted AVA in Eastern Washington.
Phil Cline, owner of Naches Heights Vineyard and the first person to grow wine grapes in the AVA, said, "We are pleased that the federal government agrees that Naches Heights is a distinctive place to grow wine grapes. We are also pleased that all of the vine growers on Naches Heights are committed to sustainable viticulture."
Read more: Tri-City Herald

Wine Spectator's Harvey Steiman delivers a glowing review on the wines of Washington State, with a particular focus on the region's great value across the price spectrum.

Jon Bonné, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Editor lists the Top 100 wines from the West Coast for 2011. Nine Washington wines make the list:

2010 Pacific Rim Columbia Valley Riesling
2009 Amavi Walla Walla Valley Syrah
2009 Betz Family La Cote Patriarche Yakima Valley Syrah
2008 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard Yakima Valley Red Wine
2009 Barnard Griffin Columbia Valley Merlot
2009 Buty Columbia Valley Merlot-Cabernet Franc
2008 Cadence Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain Red Wine
2008 Gramercy Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Januik Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Read the entire article here.

Wine Spectator's yearly round up of "the year's most exciting wines" contains 7 wines from Washington, all placing within the Top 50 and with an average score of 94 points. The average price for the Washington wine is $38, while the average price for the rest of the wines in the Top 50 is $43.

#6 95pts $35 Baer Ursa Columbia Valley 2008
#15 95pts $36 Efeste Syrah Yakima Valley Jolie Bouche Boushey Vineyard 2008
#18 94pts $30 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2008
#25 93pts $24 Owen Roe Syrah Columbia Valley Ex Umbris 2009
#32 95pts $72 Andrew Will Sorella Horse Heaven Hills 2008
#39 93pts $32 Tamarack Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2007
#41 93pts $37 L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2008

SEATTLE (November 16, 2011) – The Washington State Wine Commission and Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) today announced the formation of a new partnership to produce Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event held annually in Seattle. The Taste Washington Grand Tasting, previously a one-day event, will now expand to two days, Saturday, March 31, 2012, and Sunday, April 1, 2012, at CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle.

Congratulations to the 11 Washington wineries on Wine & Spirits Top 100 Wineries of 2011 list! Andrew Will, Buty, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Gramercy Cellars, Januik, L'Ecole No 41, Leonetti Cellar, Mark Ryan Winery, Pepper Bridge, Sparkman Cellars