A batch of Mid-Columbia wines that earned coveted platinum awards in the current edition of Wine Press Northwest magazine are not only top quality but also bargain-priced.
The annual competition conducted by the magazine, which is owned by the Tri-City Herald, includes only wines that already have earned gold medals or an equivalent in competitions held throughout 2009.
And what's amazing is that 13 platinum winners from our region's wineries cost less than $20 a bottle and most are readily available at your local retail outlets.
Among the double platinum winners, which means all the judges agreed these wines were worthy of a platinum award, were:
Barnard Griffin 2006 merlot, Columbia Valley, $17 -- Velvety smooth with tasty chocolate, cherries and berries.
Barnard Griffin 2007 cabernet sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $17 -- Mocha, pie cherries and blueberries hallmark this elegant, complex red.
Domaine Ste. Michelle nonvintage extra dry sparkling wine, Columbia Valley, $13 -- This often can be found for about $9. It's a simply delicious bubbly, in perfectly balance.
Pacific Rim Winemakers 2008 Framboise, Washington, $14 --A dandy dessert wine that compares to drinking a lighter-style raspberry liqueur.
Platinum award winners, which means a majority of judges awarded a platinum, included:
Hogue Cellars 2008 riesling, Columbia Valley, $10 -- Hogue has been making great riesling forever. This one has plenty of citrus and orchard fruit, with pleasing acids.
Barnard Griffin 2008 Ros&eactue; of Sangiovese, $12 -- Always a charmer and perfect for any time, this vintage shows off fresh cherry and cranberry flavors.
L'Ecole No 41 2007 semillon, Columbia Valley, $16 -- This one's a food-friendly wine with lemon and a hint of nuttiness.
Thurston Wolfe 2007 Howling Wolfe zinfandel, Horse Heaven Hills, $18 -- Move over California: Here's a lusty zin that both affordable and enjoyable.
Windy Point Vineyards 2005 cabernet franc, Yakima Valley, $19 -- Cola, ripe plums and currant describe this steak-friendly red wine.
Domaine Ste. Michelle nonvintage Blanc de Blancs, Columbia Valley $13 -- This is laden with pear and pineapple aromas and fizzy flavors of crisp green apples and coconut. And it's often priced a few bucks less.
Hogue Cellars 2008 pinot grigio, Columbia Valley, $10 -- The latest in a string of winners from Hogue, this one is delightfully fruity with pears and pineapples.
Snoqualmie Vineyards 2008 Winemaker's Select riesling, Columbia Valley, $8 -- It's like taking a bite from a sweet, crisp summer peach -- with a kick.
Coyote Canyon, 2007 cabernet sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills $18 -- This one shows off blackberries, black olives and Baker's chocolate.
*Bob Woehler has been writing about Pacific Northwest wines since 1978. E-mail him at bwoehler@charter.net or check out his past columns at www.winepressnw.com.
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Top Washington wines featured from November Platinum Judging
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KENNEWICK -- In November, we conducted our 12th annual Platinum Judging, what we have dubbed "the best of the best in the Great Northwest."
Last week, we shared some of the top wines from British Columbia's Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, which won six Platinums in the 12th competition.
This week, we will look at some of the best wines from Washington along with brief descriptions. More from Oregon and Idaho will be posted in the online version.
Best of the best: Winners from the 12th annual Platinum Judging
Best of the best: Winners from the 12th annual Platinum Judging
In November, we conducted our 12th annual Platinum Judging, what we have dubbed "the best of the best in the Great Northwest."
Last week, we shared some of the top wines from British Columbia's Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, which won six Platinums in the 12th competition. This week, we will look at some of the best wines from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, along with brief descriptions.
Wines are eligible to enter the Platinum if they from the Northwest and have won gold medals in any of about 35 professionally judged competitions around the world. We bring in top judges from as far away as Georgia and California (as well as the Northwest) to evaluate the wines under blind conditions, meaning the do not know the producer or the price.
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WINE: Richland winery wins top award in California competition
Barnard Griffin started off 2012 right with an unprecedented award for its Rosé of Sangiovese. The wine from the 2011 vintage won a gold medal and the sweepstakes for top pink wine of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
This is the seventh consecutive year the Richland winery has won gold or better for its Rosé of Sangiovese.
Owner/winemaker Rob Griffin expressed surprise at the award because winter damage forced him to change vineyard sources last year.
Northwest wines shine again at nation's largest judging
Northwest wines shine again at nation's largest judging
The largest judging of American wines just keeps getting bigger and better.
In early January, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition took place in Cloverdale, Calif., where it has been held for nearly 30 years. About 60 professional wine judges blind tasted 5,675 wines from 25 states during a four-day period.
From Washington, Barnard Griffin's 2011 rosé of sangiovese won the sweepstakes award for best pink wine. This is the second straight year for the Richland winery to win this category. Astonishingly, it is the seventh consecutive year this wine has won a gold or better at the Chronicle competition.
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Summer resulted in a few tasty wine selections
When you drink wine for a living, one of the questions you get asked nearly daily is: "What is your favorite wine?" Our pat answer: "Whatever is in my glass at the moment."
We do taste thousands of wines annually, and we sort through the good, bad and ugly on a weekly basis. We rate wines as "Recommended," "Excellent" and "Outstanding." Those that don't make the cut are retasted or not reviewed. We judge all wines blind, meaning we don't know who made the wine or what the price is. That's important to us because the wines should speak for themselves and we should not be influenced by the price, the grandeur of the tasting room or whether we like a winemaker's haircut.
This summer, we've had the opportunity to taste a lot of wine, and a number of them stand out as superb. All the wines we are reviewing here were awarded our top "Outstanding" rating.
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