Recent Acclaim
"With more than 400 wineries, Washington state is the nation's second largest wine producer behind California. But production alone isn't the key to success. Many of these wineries make exceptional varietals for the dollar, often undercutting their California counterparts." - Kurt Loft, The Tampa Tribune, August 2, 2006
"During the test period, dollar sales for Washington wines climbed 45 percent for a retail gain of nearly $448,697 (in Tampa, Fla.)." - Good Fruit Grower, August 2006
"The state turns out Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah - and, increasingly Cabernet Franc - in a style that has given Washington a distinct identity in the world of wine." - Wine Spectator, July 13, 2006
"Subtlety. That's what makes Washington stand out among the American wine landscape. The best wines from the state are as impressive for their graceful style as for their vivid flavors." - Wine Spectator, July 13, 2006
"Make no mistake: The quality of this state's wine has truly arrived." - Puget Sound Business Journal - Business of Washington Wines, 2006
"The commission's market research shows the campaign sparked a sizable jump in Washington wineries' sales in Tampa, which increased by $487,697 during the test period." - Puget Sound Business Journal, June 16-22, 2006
"We have tried to turn you on to an entire winemaking region that is unique and quality-oriented…There is a bounty of wine riches in Washington." - Ocean Drive Magazine (Florida Magazine), Fred Barger, Summer 2006
"What Washington lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality." - The Economist, May 20, 2006
"Washington's wine industry in booming. The state is the nation's second-largest wine producer and production has more than doubled in the last decade…Clearly the state's wine industry - and Washington wines - are something to celebrate." - Seattle Homes and Lifestyles, May 2006
"Wineries, once shacks, garages and barns, are now state-of-the-art, often gravity-flow, facilities. Winemaking knowledge has been honed, and lessons learned, so that today Washington is home to some of the most astute winemakers in the world…The future is indeed bright for Washington's wine industry!" - Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate, April 24, 2006
"It's no secret the Washington wine industry is experiencing tremendous growth… To help raise awareness of Washington wine, the industry's marketing arm, the Washington Wine Commission, is drafting its first-ever five-year business plan. The plan will provide direction for the commission from its 20th anniversary year of 2007 to 2011." - Peggy Steward, Capital Press, April 21, 2006
"The folks in Tampa, Fla., have discovered Washington wine, thanks to a $385,000 ad campaign by the Washington Wine Commission. It is Washington wine's first campaign outside its own state, and the numbers look good." - Melissa Allison, Seattle Times, April 20, 2006
"There is no argument that Washington state wines have become world-class in a relatively short period of time. Merlot was its first major success, gaining recognition outside the state in the early 1980s, and while Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah have since soared in stature, rich, ripe, seductive Merlot remains Washington's signature wine." - Linda Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 2006
"I recently attended Taste Washington. The event is well worth the effort. It is sensory overload to the max. While I munched on scrumptious appetizers from the 2005 Washington Wine Restaurant Award winners, I had the opportunity to sample more than 700 wines from the 190 attending wineries." - Randy Buckner, Tacoma News Tribune, April 17, 2006
"The Washington Wine Commission (WWC) has kicked off an advertising campaign in Tampa - the first steps to a national advertising effort for the Washington state wine industry." - Drinks International, April 2006
"More and more of Europe's most talented winemakers are becoming impatient with the Old World's traditional methods. They are looking to Washington State with ambitions to create wines for sophisticated 21st-century palates." - Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast, April 2006
"Washington wine at its best is not only real, it's world-class, something that seems to matter a lot to our town's provincial self-doubt. So while other people name-drop Mount Rainier or Pearl Jam, save your props for Red Mountain. Oh, and drink it yourself, confident it's every bit as good as it tastes." - Roger Downey, Seattle Weekly, March 1, 2006
"With any luck, enough will be learned to make similar targeted forays in other cities worth the effort. In an ever more competitive market, where quality wine production is growing far faster than consumption, it's well worth the risk." - Roger Downey, Seattle Weekly, February 15, 2006
"David is giving Goliath a noogie. Washington, the second-largest wine-producing state in America, is ready to rumble with California… Despite the competition, the Washington wine industry continues to grow like a weed, no longer content with its smaller piece of the consumer pie. Try and see why it's kicking some Cali ass." - Tayler Eason, Weekly Planet, February 15, 2006
"Tampa Bay and Washington state have something in common: the perfect climate for wine. That's what the Washington Wine Commission thinks." - Agustina Guerrero, Tampa Bay Business Journal, February 10, 2006
"Fie on California. Washington's a big wine state too. In sheer numbers, the far Northwest makes more varietal wines. But the Washingtonians have determined that Florida, especially the Tampa Bay market, doesn't know it." -Chris Sherman, St. Petersburg Times, February 8, 2006
"The Washington wine industry is giving the term "surf and turf" new meaning with a new advertising campaign in Florida." - Shannon Dininny, Associated Press, February 4, 2006
"...Cabernets from Washington State's Columbia Valley can challenge the best of Napa at half the price." - Ray Isle, Food & Wine, February 2006
"Merlot can be firm and succulent in the glass, but when it comes to doing the wild thing, it never strays from its cubicle. And to prove your initiative, you're going to uncork a wine not from California but from the country's other great Merlot region, Washington State." - Patrick Comiskey, Bon Appetit, February 2006
"There hasn't been a less-than-excellent vintage in Washington since 1999." -Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, Jan. 31, 2006
"Syrah is becoming synonymous with Washington, as winemakers discover the perfect environment for the Rhône varietal." - Stephen Brook, Decanter, January 2006
"The Columbia Valley pushes up acidities to levels markedly higher than in California, giving quite a different flavour profile to the red wines, endowing them with freshness and elegance…At their best, these are beautifully balanced wines." - Stephen Brook, Decanter, January 2006
"Ever since David Lake's first tentative Syrah vintages, Washington has shown that its climate and soils are ideally suited to this forgiving but irresistible variety." - Stephen Brook, Decanter, January 2006
Wine Enthusiast's "Best of the Year" issue placed five Washington wines in the "Top 100 Wines of the Year," including two in the Top 10. - Wine Enthusiast, January 2006
"It's been a fine year for wine lovers, and those who make and enjoy Washington wines have much for which to be thankful. The state's steady growth continues, with the number of bonded wineries now hovering around 380 - a number unthinkable even a decade ago. Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times, December 28, 2005
Wine Specator recognized two Washington wines among the Top 100 wines of the 2005 and listed two Washington wines in its list of the "Top Scoring Value Releases of 2005." - Wine Spectator, December 15, 2005
Seventeen Washington wines made Wine Specator's annual list of "Top Picks," including two in the "highly recommended" category, four in the "smart buys" category and 11 in the "best values" category. - Wine Spectator, December 15, 2005
"Look at the various lists of the world's best 100 wines, and invariably you'll notice a merlot or cabernet sauvignon from Washington state…somewhere near the top. I'm more than ever convinced of their general fine quality and of the many wines with obvious individual superiority." - Larry Lipson, Los Angeles Daily News, December 4, 2005
"Winemakers are optimistic that when they uncork the first 2005 vintage bottles a year from now, they'll be able to pucker their lips with pride." - Tom Reese, Seattle Times, December 2, 2005
"Wine grape growers in Washington state had a record harvest this year, proving that some crops fare well even in drought conditions." - Shanon Dininny, Associated Press, December 2, 2005
"This flight's sole representative of the Northwest, the mind-boggling 2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, is one of the finest wines I have ever put to my nose and lips. Its profound aromatic profile is unreal, displaying sweet blackberries, cassis liqueur, and loads of violet blossoms. If anything, its personality outshines its spectacular aromatics, proudly boasting a seamless character packed with candied dark fruits as well as flowers. This Cabernet magnificently combines power and elegance, as the world's finest wines do. It has tremendous depth, concentration, and presents them in an Old World style, with grace, definition, and exquisite balance. Magnificent to drink now (with considerable aeration) it will most certainly evolve remarkably over the next 15+ years. As he tasted this wine Bob looked up at me and asked what I had scored it in The Wine Advocate. "97-100, I tasted it from barrel," came my response. "And now?" he asked, "100," I said. "No doubt about it," he answered. The two California Cabernets were in a tough situation coming after this awesome wine... " - Pierre Rovani, The Hedonist's Gazette, December 2005
"To Alex and Paul Golitzen, Quilceda Creek's father and son winemaking team, my heartfelt thanks and congratulations for having fashioned Washington State's first 100-point wine." - Pierre Rovani, The Hedonist's Gazette, December 2005
Wine Enthusiast's list of the "Top 100 Best Buys" of 2005 included six Washington wines, with five in the Top 30. - Wine Enthusiast, December 2005
"Over the last few years, the Washington wine industry has begun to define the flavor profiles of its distinct grape-growing areas…My wine picks this month are from wineries that respect their terroir by not trying to hide it with heavy-handed winemaking. They allow flavor profiles to emerge from the glass so that the wines truly speak to their place of origin." - Seattle Magazine, December 2005
Wine & Spirits named eight Washington wineries as "2005 American Wineries of the Year" in its 2006 Buying Guide. - Wine & Spirits, Winter 2005
Four Washington wines were included in Wine & Spirits magazine's "100 Best Wines of the Year" in its 2006 Buying Guide. - Wine & Spirits, Winter 2005
Hogue and Canoe Ridge Vineyard were included in Wine & Spirits magazine's "100 Best Values of the Year" in its 2006 Buying Guide. - Wine & Spirits, Winter 2005
"My annual round-up of the best new bottles from Washington State turned up more good wines than ever before-not just a handful of emerging stars but a number of established wineries that reached the 85-point level on one or more of their current offerings for the first time." - Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, November/December 2005
"I'm guessing Miles (from the movie Sideways) never made it to Washington wine country otherwise, he would have toned down his merlot tirade." - Anthony Gismondi, Vancouver Sun, November 19, 2005
"It's not clear exactly why the Red Mountain name has caught on so quickly and mightily with the chattering classes of U.S. wine, but the fact is indisputable. Twenty years ago a hot dusty slab of gravel and sagebrush, Red Mountain made the cut when Wine & Spirits listed the top 10 vineyard areas of the world last year." -Roger Downey, Seattle Weekly, November 16, 2005
"When it comes to wines and wineries, Spokane is the Woodinville of Eastern Washington." - Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times, November 2, 2005
"Washington is creating its own identity, incorporating traits from both Old World understanding of terroir and the New World mastery of variety retention. The combination results in exceptional wines that have earned their place in the quality tier of the international market." - Wines & Vines, November 2005
"I've been a fan of Washington wines for some time; in fact, I even agree with the somewhat immodest claim of the state's wine commission that theirs is a 'perfect climate' for wine." -Lettie Teague, Food & Wine, November 2005
"Thanks for a fairly long, even growing season, the best Washington Merlots combine the ripe, lush fruit of the New World with the structure and acidity of the Old World, resulting in complex, well-balanced wines." -Lettie Teague, Food & Wine, November 2005
"The state of Washington is poised to become America's premier source for Syrah." -Michael Franz, Wine Review Online, October 28, 2005
Columbia Crest, Covey Run and Hogue Cellars were included in Wine Spectator's list of "Sure Bet Values - 20 Wineries to Count On." - Wine Spectator, October 15, 2005
Twelve Washington wines were honored in the Decanter 2005 World Wine Awards. -Decanter, October 2005
"Two hundred years ago, Lewis and Clark completed their legendary exploration of the American West through what is now the heart of Washington's vineyard country. The landscape remains just as vast and almost as wild as it was then, but modern explores discover something the pioneers never witnessed - a truly dynamic wine industry." -Gary Werner, Decanter, October 2005
"Eastern Washington's reputation for good syrah has emerged in a mere flicker of viticultural time. More than 60 Washington wineries now play the Syrah game, many offering several bottlings in each vintage." -John Winthrop Haeger, Saveur, October 2005
"Syrah suits Washington: it has demonstrated surprising resistance to hard winter freezes and handles summer heat better than Bordeaux varieties." -John Haeger, Saveur, October 2005
"Washington Syrah comes in a wide range of styles and prices: inexpensive, tasty, true-to-variety, machine-harvested wines that compare to Syrah-based blends from southern France; juicy midpriced wine that's better built than many editions of Australian Shiraz; and a small number of pricey world-class bottlings." -John Haeger, Saveur, October 2005
"At its best, Washington Syrah displays the deep color, violet-laced perfume, and peppery palate of hermitage and cote-rotie, but with less tannin. Vivid, focused fruit is more common than overt jamminess, perhaps owing to cold nights at the end of the growing season." -John Haeger, Saveur, October 2005
"Washington is the U.S.'s No. 2 producer, and has a reputation so well established that many critics believe it is second to none when it comes to bottling American Syrah and Merlot" -Richard Kinssies and Howard Goldberg, Wine News, September 2005
Sunset Magazine named Walla Walla as "Wine Destination of the Year" in its first annual Western Wine Awards. - Sunset Magazine, September 2005
Red Mountain was named "Up-and-Coming Wine Region" by Sunset Magazine in its first annual Western Wine Awards. - Sunset Magazine, September 2005
"Washington State is becoming a big player in the world's wine industry." -Cynthia Nims, The Costco Connection, September 2005
Golf Connoisseur magazine named Washington's Quilceda Creek as the best cabernet sauvignon in America. - Golf Connoisseur, Fall 2005
"Ah, those winding roads, those Columbia River Gorge vistas, those stop-off spots that remind us of our Northwest history and roots. Gorge wineries are strung along both sides of the river. Good grapes know no political boundaries." -Angela Allen, USA Today, June 20, 2005
"I sense we are seeing the dawn of a new era for Yakima Valley wines and wineries. Moving this along is a burst of interest in Washington wine tourism, for which the Yakima Valley wineries are perfectly situated." -Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times, June 8, 2005
"Some of Washington's oldest and most established vineyards are found on (Horse Heaven Hills), and express a distinctive terroir that growers and winemakers are just starting to get their heads around." -Patrick Comiskey, Wine & Spirits, June 2005
Sixty-seven Washington wines from thirty wineries took home awards at the San Francisco International Wine Completion, June 2005.
Eighteen Washington wines were honored at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition, May 2005
Seven Washington wineries walked away with a total of twenty-two awards at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, April 2005.
Four Washington wines made Wine Enthusiast's annual "Top 100" list; another 12 were included in the Top 100 "Best Buys list," spread among nine different varietals. -Wine Enthusiast, December 31, 2004
Columbia Crest was awarded five Wine Spectator "Top 100" honors for its Chardonnay in seven years. -Wine Spectator, December 31, 2004
Seven Washington wines from five different varietals made Wine Spectator's "Top 100" list for 2004. -Wine Spectator, December 31, 2004
"As we found last year, Washington's '00 and '01 Columbia Valley Cabernets continue to give their Napa Valley cousins a run for their money." -Wine & Spirits, December 1, 2004
Food & Wine Magazine named a Washington state wine as the best Bordeaux-style blend in its 2004 American Wine Awards. -Food & Wine, October 2004
Washington state produces a higher percentage of 90+ rated wines than either California or Australia. -Based on all wines scored by Wine Spectator for each region from Oct. 15, 2003-Oct. 15, 2004
"Washington State wines are getting better with every vintage" -Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, October 15, 2004
Wine & Spirits Magazine named two Washington State wine producers among the world's 50 most influential winemakers. A Washington State vineyard was named among the world's ten greatest vineyards. -Wine & Spirits, Fall 2004
Washington winemaker Chris Camarda of Andrew Will Winery and Washington wine grape grower Jim Holmes of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard were named among Wine & Spirits 50 most influential winemakers in a special Fall 2004 issue. -Wine & Spirits, Fall 2004
Washington's Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley was named among the ten great vineyards of the world by Wine & Spirits in a special Fall 2004 issue. -Wine & Spirits, Fall 2004
Washington's 2000 vintage ranks among the list of 10 Great Vintages for Wine & Spirits -critics. -Wine & Spirits, Fall 2004
"Washington's Columbia Valley has been blessed with a string of killer vintages. Whether it's global climate change or changes in farming technique, the quality of merlot, the quality of merlot, cabernet and blends of the two has risen to the top level of American wine." -Wine & Spirits, Fall 2004
Wine & Spirits Magazine named two Washington State wine producers among the world's 50 most influential winemakers. A Washington State vineyard was named among the world's ten greatest vineyards. -Wine & Spirits, Fall 2004
Wine Spectator critics chose 25 Washington State wines from the world's top wine regions as the best global buys for $15 or less. -Wine Spectator, September 15, 2004
"There's no doubt that Washington State can fashion some of the world's greatest Cabernets and Merlots …" -Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate, August 2004
"Washington, already the second largest producer in the United States, may no longer be in its infancy but it remains the frontier-land of the wine world." - Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate, August 2004
"… considerable progress in quality, with older wineries improving and new ones emerging." -Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate, August 2004
"… many good to ethereal wines produced in Washington, some in massive quantities, with many selling at reasonable prices." -Pierre-Antoine Rovani, The Wine Advocate, August 2004
"A place that gets little or no rain and has extremely sandy soil does not sound promising for agriculture - unless you're talking wine grapes. Since the 1990s, Washington has become known to many as Merlot country, which dovetails perfectly with the growing rage for the grape." -Town & Country, August 2004