A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 1, No. 5 • © 2011

Bottles are lined up and ready to be judged in a blind competition put on by Wine Press Northwest.

(Photo by Wine Press Northwest)

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Fresh Press is a weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest magazine. In each edition, we review recently released wines from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. Feel free to forward to your wine-loving friends and family. For more information on our tasting methods and review process, please go to the last page.

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 1, No. 5 • © 2011

This week, Fresh Press takes a view of the Capital — a look at some of the wines we liked from the Capital Food and Wine Festival in Lacey, Wash.

The competition was conducted earlier this spring by Wine Press Northwest, just as we have done for several years.

We do this for a variety of reasons, starting with philanthropy. It is a key fundraiser for the Saint Martin’s University Alumni Association, which stages a public tasting of the wines made by winemakers in the South Puget Sound and southwestern Washington.

Wine Press Northwest donates its time and expertise to the cause, which we do for several other nonprofits that want to incorporate a wine tasting with their fundraiser. And this year we brought in several students (age 21 and older) from Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling’s viticulture and enology program at Washington State University in Richland to help as backroom staff. It gave them an opportunity to see how a professional wine competition is conducted. And leftover samples subsequently were donated to the WSU’s V&E program for classroom and laboratory analysis.

However, another reason Wine Press Northwest continues to hold the competition is it gives us a look at an emerging wine region. Wineries involved in the Capital festival come from not only Tacoma and Olympia, but also towns such as Chehalis, Longview, Onalaska and Toledo, which is in the shadow Mount St. Helens. The vineyard that produced the gold-medal winning Siegerrebe for Stina’s Cellars is in Winlock. Try to find it on the map. Here’s a clue — it’s in Lewis County.

Many of these wineries don’t have the inventory or the desire to submit their wines to larger publications. And there are wine writers and bloggers who would not consider evaluating wines from some of these wineries.

At Wine Press Northwest, our policy is simple — you send us wine, and we’ll evaluate it if it is commercially available and was made using Pacific Northwest fruit. If we like it, we’ll publish a review. The label might not be sleek or stylish, but we only care about what’s poured it the glass.

Most — but not all — of the wines in this edition of Fresh Press were entered in the Capital competition. And if they received a gold at the St. Martin’s fundraiser, we hope to see them again this fall because they qualify for our annual Platinum Competition.

Here is a link to the results from the past two years.

Cabernet SauvignonOutstanding! Browne Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $30. Precept Wine founder Andrew Browne developed this high-tier label as a tribute to his grandfather, who studied at the University of Bordeaux before fighting for the United States in both World War II and the Korean War. Walla Walla-based winemaker John Freeman turns this product of Blackrock and Canyon Ranch vineyards into an oak lover’s delight, starting with a deep and dark nose of cherry, vanilla bean, molasses, leather and roasted coffee. Inside, it’s rich with Bing cherry, dark blueberry, more leather and lots of chocolate from the 70% new French oak program. (456 cases, 14% alc.)Recommended. Medicine Creek Winery 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $33. This young winery near Olympia, Wash., relied on fruit from three other vineyards belonging to three eastern Washington wineries — Goose Ridge, Wooded Island (Claar Cellars) and Kiona — for this tasty drink. Aromas are reminiscent of a candied cherry, a 3 Musketeers bar, strawberry, cassis and cedar, followed by more

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All wines reviewed here are tasted blind after being submitted by producers. They are rated Outstanding, Excellent and Recommended by a tasting panel.

Outstanding: These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after.

Excellent: Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities.

Recommended: Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics.

Best Buy: A wine that is $15 or less.Priced are suggested retail and should be used as

guidelines. Prices are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

For more details about our judging system, see the last page of this document.

Wine ratings

Spotlight: Capital Wine Competitionstrawberry and currant flavors. It’s chased with good acidity and hints of licorice and bittersweet chocolate. (240 cases, 14.3% alc.)Excellent. Otis Kenyon Wines 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $35. Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards provide the fruit for this, and the drink doesn’t disappoint. It’s a classic Cab with notes of cassis, ultra-ripe black cherry, chocolate, leather, cedar, licorice and black pepper. Enjoyable tannins keep you moving through the palate and into a finish of blackberry, green olives and chocolate malt. (581 cases, 14.6% alc.)Recommended. Widgeon Hill Winery 2004 Boushey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $22. Not often are we sent a library wine for review, and this one is showing its age with notes of dried cassis, stewed plums, white mushrooms, earthiness and milk chocolate. There’s still a suitable framework of tannin and acidity, which allows this to serve as a nice memento from the late Rhett Mills’ final vintage. (90 cases, 14% alc.)

Pinot NoirExcellent. Cardwell Hill Cellars 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30. Dan Chapel found a prime spot west of Corvallis, Ore., in the Coastal Range foothills to dry-farm Pommard, Dijon 115, Dijon 777 and Wadensvil clones of Pinot Noir in a Salmon Safe manner, it has produced Platinum-winning wines in a remarkably short period of time. This bottling comes with a perfumy nose of blueberry, raspberry, Belgian chocolate, lavender, Douglas fir, leather and white pepper. The palate serves up a slice of cherry pie, backed by blueberry and lingering red currant acidity. Suggested pairings include pheasant, duck and pork loin. (441 cases, 13.2% alc.)

Outstanding! Carlton Hill Wine Co. 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, $50. David Polite and John Davidson create some serious wines and stage some wacky croquet tournaments on this small estate property near Carlton, Ore. This release of clones 777 (60%) and 115 gets the ball rolling with

aromas that hint at strawberry jam, jellied cranberry, cordial cherry and a shaving of cedar. There’s a delicious match on the palate where acidity and tannin duel to a draw. The finish of dried blueberry and all that acidity should make this a great match for salmon. (115 cases, 14% alc.)Excellent. Chehalem Wines 2008 Corral Creek Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, $45. Just about every facet of this wine revolves around fruit, starting with its nose of dark cherries, fresh-picked blueberry, raspberry and juniper berry. The palate seems to focus on raspberry, cranberry and pie cherries with a pinch of black pepper and not even a nibble of tannin. While sold out at the winery, it is available at AvalonWine.com. (242 cases, 13.5% alc.)Recommended. Kyra Wines 2008 Pinot Noir, Washington, $20. This winery in Moses Lake, Wash., offers a handy little Pinot Noir that’s filled with cherry, boysenberry, cedar and smoky tobacco leaf tones, wrapped in an easy-going structure. Vineyard sources include Evergreen near Quincy as well as Bergh and Blue Lake far to the north and near the border town of Oroville. (420 cases, 14.1% alc.)Excellent. Soléna Estate 2008 Grand Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $25. The personal yet large-scale project of Laurent Montalieu has helped get delicious Oregon Pinot Noir onto more dinner tables. This shows off a fistful of raspberry, blueberry and lavender aromas, and they are supported by flavors of blueberry juice, plums, purple blackberry and Craisins. It is no longer available at the winery, but one of the six Northwest distributors listed on its website may be able to assist. (2,500 cases, 14.1% alc.)

MerlotBest Buy! Recommended. Weatherwax Cellars 2005 Merlot, Yakima Valley, $15. This small winery in Onalaska, Wash., presents an older offering that’s easy to get into with black cherry, red raspberry, cassis, drip coffee and milk chocolate tones. (100 cases, 14.4% alc.)

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MalbecRecommended. Arch Terrace by Terra Blanca 2006 Malbec, Columbia Valley, $28. The theme of ripe plums, raspberry and strawberry also brings in smoked jerky and tar before a big and spicy finish. (410 cases, 13.5% alc.)Excellent. Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards & Winery 2007 Estate Reserve Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $28. Bella Terra Vineyard, not far from Leonetti Cellar, helped create the boysenberry and marionberry aromas and flavors that dominate in a bright fashion. There’s juicy blueberry and enjoyable earthiness in the midpalate, which gives way to well-integrated tannins and accents of cherry in the long finish. (195 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Excellent. Eleganté Cellars 2007 Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $28. Doug Simmons retired as an educator to set up shop at the Walla Walla airport, and this gathering of Les Collines Vineyard is from his first commercial vintage. Blueberry, dried cranberry, rose petal, caramel and baking spice aromas lead to more blueberry, boysenberry and clove flavors. Plums and black olives play out in the finish. (95 cases, 12.8% alc.)Excellent. Marchetti Wines 2009 Malbec, Columbia Valley, $27. If not for the Capital Food and Wine Festival, Olympia winemaker Rich LaRosa’s microscopic lots might never come to light. This adolescent Malbec is one of his best efforts, and it opens with aromas of marionberry jam and a smoothie made with blackberry and plums, then hints of bittersweet chocolate and pencil lead. The drink shows a lot of subtly with more marionberries and black currants, joined by cloves and violets. (20 cases, 13% alc.)

Excellent. McKinley Springs Winery 2008 Malbec, Horse Heaven Hills, $25. Longtime grower Rob Andrews gives winemaker Doug Rowell more than 200 blocks and 20 varieties to choose from, and there’s a lot to like here, starting with aromas of Rainier cherry, blueberry, plums, cranberry and vanilla. The pour brings flavors of blueberry jam and white strawberry as nice acidity overtakes the tannin. The finish flashes hints of dark plums and cassis. (168 cases, 13.5% alc.)Excellent. Milbrandt Vineyards 2008 The Estates Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $25. The Milbrandt brothers’ 92-acre Northridge Vineyard helps show the promise of this Bordeaux variety in Washington. Aromas of smoky cherry, cinnamon, lavender and black Aussie-style licorice don’t fully hint at the fruitiness in store. There’s a delightful delivery of president plum, blueberry, marionberry, cherry and chocolate, all held up by pleasing acidity and firm tannins. (890 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Petit VerdotRecommended. Stina's Cellars 2008 Petit Verdot, Washington, $20. This Tacoma-area winery bottles a unique presentation of Petit Verdot (77%) from Red Mountain by incorporating Baco Noir (23%) from Millennium Vineyards near Centralia. The result is a wine with notes of homemade cherry pie, mince meat, vanilla bean, minerality, coffee, chalkboard dust, bittersweet chocolate and a massive tannin structure akin to a Petite Sirah. (81 cases, 15.3% alc.)

SangioveseExcellent. Eleganté Cellars 2007 Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley, $26. Doug Simmons spent some time working for the Huse family at nearby Five Star Cellars, and it appears as if he picked up a tip or two on working with this grape. Black cherry, black currant and cinnamon are warmly wrapped by chocolaty oak tones, but the rest of the package off Blue Mountain Vineyard comes across quite evenly. (80 cases, 14.6% alc.)Excellent. Madsen Family Cellars 2008 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $25. It’s a bit unusual to find a Sangio so influenced by oak, but those who embrace chocolate — and seemingly that’s at least 51% of the population — will treasure this harvest off Jordan Reed Vineyard in Pasco, Wash. Behind the smoky mocha aromas are nice accents of black cherry, blueberry and eucalyptus. Black raspberry, serviceberry, cherry and cherry tomato flavors bring lots of food-friendly acidity to match the firm tannins and spicy finish. Enjoy with braised ribs or osso buco. (82 cases, 13.5% alc.)Outstanding! Marchetti Wines 2009 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $27. Each year, Olympia’s underground winemaker Rich LaRosa seems to score best — and sell out — with this Italian grape. The nose is incredibly fruit-forward with black cherry, strawberry, cassis and plum, which are accented by fascinating whiffs of a lamb’s wool sweater stored in cedar, leather, moist earth and oregano. Strawberry jam is spooned across the palate, along with plums, leaf tobacco and chocolate. Acidity easily overtakes tannin, and it will be best enjoyed with meatballs or ravioli. (20 cases, 14.4% alc.)

Red blendsOutstanding! Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards & Winery 2007 Headless Red, Walla Walla Valley, $18. This Walla Walla winery continues to have fun with this blend — dominated this vintage by Cabernet Sauvignon (95%) — by releasing it on Halloween. Use your head to sniff out the black cherry, fresh-picked strawberry, figs, cloves, chocolate, black olive and soy sauce. And rather than having to face scary tannins, it’s rather suave on the palate with plump black cherry, cranberry and leaf tobacco. (350 cases, 14.3% alc.)

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Excellent. Barrister Winery NV Rough Justice, Columbia Valley, $20. While their work with Cabernet Franc has put these Spokane lawyers on the international stage, this blend is a traditional crowd-pleaser and helps pay the bills and flows during their Gonzaga basketball bashes. This time, the arguments were made for Merlot (43%), Syrah (26%), Cabernet Franc (19%) and Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2007 and 2008 vintages via Bacchus, Dwelley, Killian, Seven Hills and Weinbau vineyards. Bing cherry, strawberry, black currant, mocha, fine-grained glove leather and red peppercorn aromas transcend into flavors that continue to state a case for black cherry and strawberry. A great texture supports it all, closing with baker’s chocolate and black tea. (1,500 cases, 14.8% alc.)Excellent. Birchfield Winery 2008 Fox Run, Horse Heaven Hills, $19. Talk about branding. Homebuilder Virgil Fox uses “Birchfield” as the name for his winery and his new housing development in Onalaska. And Fox Run also is what he’s called the first phase of that planned community. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Merlot (25%), Syrah (16%) and Cabernet Franc — is all off McKinley Springs Vineyard. And winemaker Craig Steepy turns it into a pleasant wine to come home to. It’s rich with black cherry, cassis, caramel, white chocolate and vanilla, finished with slaty tannins and pomegranate acidity. (60 cases, 13% alc.)Outstanding! Capstone Cellars 2006 Solstice Vineyard Unicus Red, Yakima Valley, $24. This vineyard has gained fame recently for its Riesling, but this Longview, Wash., winery has a string of success with by blending red Bordeaux varieties, this time with Merlot (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (27%) and Cabernet Franc. It earned a gold medal at the Capital Food and Wine Festival and can serve as template for others. Classic and complex aromas of cassis, black cherry, tar and black pepper include cedar and hints of talus slope. Cherries and chocolate headline the drink, which comes with a pinch of violet, tamed tannins and a lingering trail of acidity. (200 cases, 13.4% alc.)Excellent. DiStefano Winery NV Donna Marie, Columbia Valley, $20. Named after co-owner Donna DiStefano, this blend of Syrah and Grenache reaches into the 2005 and 2006 vintage. It’s a big wine featuring sweet black cherries, strawberries, a pinch of earthiness, chocolaty tannins and nice chewiness. (450 cases, 14.8% alc.)Excellent. DiStefano Winery 2006 Meritage, Columbia Valley, $20. A wide-ranging blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (54%), Cabernet Franc (18%), Merlot (14%), Petit Verdot (10%) and Malbec, it sources from Bacchus, Elerding, Roza Hills, Six Prong and Weinbau. There’s a great deal of expression and a tantalizing theme of strawberry shortcake, both in the

aromas and flavors. The bouquet also casts off hints of black cherries, cassis, raspberry, rose petal and a new Hamley leather saddle. Inside, it includes big Bing cherry and lots of nougat, along with drying tannins and a finish of pie cherries. (695 cases, 14.8% alc.)Best Buy! Excellent. Ginkgo Forest Winery 2006 Ginkgo Red, Wahluke Slope, $12. It’s fun to pick out the Syrah (38%) from this collage with Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and Merlot. There is the Rhône variety’s blackberry fruit leather and black pepper aromas wafting among stewed cherries and tobacco flakes. The Cab comes out on the palate with sweet cherries, and the Merlot adds to the tannin structure. There’s a tasty sense of chocolate-covered orange peel in the finish. (454 cases, 13.9% alc.)Excellent. Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards 2007 Estate Tradition, Columbia Valley, $30. Tim Henley follows the tradition by including some Syrah into the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It shows up with hints of blackberry and bacon along with black olive and saddle leather aromas. There’s supreme balance on the palate with boysenberry, raspberry and huckleberry flavors percolating through managed tannins and bittersweet chocolate. (200 cases, 13.9% alc.)Excellent. Madsen Family Cellars 2008 Othello, Columbia Valley, $30. Dana Madsen builds this blend around Cabernet Sauvignon from Jarrod Boyle’s Destiny Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, and the nose is particularly inviting with plum, nutty Mud Pie, cherry ice cream and cigar shop aromas. Inside, it is filled with boysenberry, blueberry and more cherry with chocolate, capped by ground coffee tannins. (52 cases, 15.4% alc.)Excellent. Medicine Creek Winery 2006 Stage Coach Red, Columbia Valley, $33. Prior to getting serious about winemaking, Jim Myers spent a decade building an Old West stagecoach. It’s on display at his Olympia, Wash., winery, along with this blend of of Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc from Goose Ridge, Pontin Del Rosa and Chandler Reach. There’s a carriage of black cherry, plum, tobacco leaf and bittersweet chocolate tones, which ride on firm tannins. (120 cases, 14.5% alc.)Outstanding! Otis Kenyon Wines 2007 Matchless Red, Walla Walla Valley, $23. This blend of Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon from Seven Hills and Lodmell vineyards comes across as virtually seamless, especially considering the tannin profile of too many Northwest Merlots. Aromas of black cherry, white strawberry, mocha, tobacco, red pepper flakes, soy sauce and licorice emerge. On the palate is an easy approach of cassis, chocolate, leather and juicy

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cherries. The tannins pull up to the curb gently. (797 cases, 14.4% alc.)Excellent. Pura Vida Create Good 2008 Cuveé, Columbia Valley, $45. Jess Hussey’s free-trade coffee business in Seattle also produces small lots of wines that raise funds for charitable projects. His friends at JM Cellars in Woodinville helped him to ramp up production for this third commercial vintage, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (30%), Syrah (10%) and Petit Verdot from Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, Stillwater Creek and Windrow vineyards. There’s a wealth of blackberry and smoky chocolate in both the aromas and dense flavors, backed by nice acidity. And for each bottle sold, a family in need overseas will receive a water filter from the Create Good Foundation. (525 cases, 14.3% alc.)Recommended. Scatter Creek Winery 2008 Fire of the Knight, Columbia Valley, $18. This 50/50 blend of lightly oaked Syrah and Zinfandel makes for an exotic and very fruit-forward drink that would be ideal for those new to red wines. Huckleberry, marionberry, rose petal and campfire s’more aromas funnel into flavors of strawberry candy, maraschino cherry and more s’mores. Subtle tannins arrive late, and it’s light on acidity. (66 cases, 13.8% alc.)Recommended. Walter Dacon Wines 2008 Skookum Red, Columbia Valley, $20. Lloyd Anderson in Shelton, Wash., refers to this as his version of a Super Tuscan, a blend of Sangiovese (47%), only with Syrah (47%) and Grenache instead of Cab. Sangio takes the lead with its theme of cranberry aromas and flavors, but there’s also some black fruit and a hint of tiramisu, followed by lots of acidity, cherry-skin tannin and Red Vines licorice. (430 cases, 14.9% alc.)

Excellent. Wedge Mountain Winery 2007 Trois Chevaux Rouges, Columbia Valley, $20. Charlie McKee uses the French term for “three red horses” as the name for his annual blend of Merlot (64%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%) and Cabernet Franc, all off Harold R. Pleasant Vineyards in Prosser, Wash. And there is a sense of the Old World right from the start as the Cab Franc isn’t shy, giving off aromas of dried red fruit and crushed herbs. It expands on the palate with a great mouth feel of Bing cherries, blueberry jam and oregano, followed by a fascinating hint of burned popcorn. The acidity keeps the tannins tucked away in the background. This wine is available at stores and restaurants in Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Chelan. (98 cases, 13.8% alc.)

SiegerrebeBest Buy! Outstanding! Stina's Cellars 2010 Millennium Vineyards Siegerrebe, Washington, $14. Perry Preston’s harvest off this vineyard in Winlock turned into “Best White Wine" at this year’s Capital Food & Wine Festival. In this case, the cross of Gewürztraminer and Madeleine Angevine comes with a fanciful nose of peaches, gooseberry, prickly pear catcus, sea air, rose hip oil, sandalwood, bees wax and fennel. In the mouth, it is all about fruit, starting with peach, honeydew melon, lychee and pineapple juice. The residual sugar sits at 1.5%, and the sheen of lemon oil more than balances that. (120 cases, 11.5% alc.)

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Multi-state appellations Columbia Valley: This multi-state appellation is 11

million acres in size and takes up a third of Washington. Established in 1984.

Columbia Gorge: This multi-state appellation begins around the town of Lyle and heads west to Husum on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It was established in 2004.

Walla Walla Valley: Walla Walla Valley: This multi-state appellation is in the southeast corner of Washington and around Milton-Freewater, Ore. Established in 1984.

Snake River Valley: This is in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon. It covers 8,263 square miles and was established in 2007.

WashingtonYakima Valley: The Northwest’s oldest appellation

(established in 1983) stretches past Wapato in the west to Benton City in the east and includes Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills and Snipes Mountain.

Red Mountain: Washington’s smallest appellation is a ridge in the eastern Yakima Valley. It is 4,040 acres in size. Established in 2001.

Horse Heaven Hills: This large appellation — 570,000 acres — is south of the Yakima Valley and stretches to the Oregon border. It was established in 2005.

Wahluke Slope: Approved in early 2006, this huge landform north of the Yakima Valley is an 81,000-acre gravel bar created by the Ice Age Floods. It is one of the warmest regions in the entire Pacific Northwest. Established in 2006.

Rattlesnake Hills: This appellation is in the western Yakima Valley north of the towns of Zillah, Granger and Outlook.The appellation is 68,500 acres in size with about 1,300 acres of vineyards. It was established in 2006.

Puget Sound: This sprawling appellation is in Western Washington. It stretches from the Olympia area to the Canadian border north of Bellingham. It also sweeps through the San Juan Islands and to Port Angeles. Established in 1995.

Snipes Mountain: This is one of Washington’s oldest wine-growing regions. At 4,145 acres in size, it is the state’s second-smallest AVA. Grapes have been grown on Snipes Mountain and at the adjacent Harrison Hill (also part of the AVA) since 1914. This AVA is within the Yakima Valley appellation and was approved in 2009.

Lake Chelan: This area in north-central Washington is almost entirely within the Columbia Valley. It is a young area, with the oldest vines dating to 1998. About 250 acres are planted here. It was approved in 2009.

OregonWillamette Valley: Oregon’s largest appellation stretches

roughly from Portland to Eugene. Established in 1984.

Ribbon Ridge: This is the Northwest’s smallest appellation at 3,350 acres. It is best known for its Pinot Noir and is within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. It was established in 2005.

Yamhill-Carlton: This is a horseshoe-shaped appellation that surrounds the towns of Yamhill and Carlton. It was established in 2005. The “District” was dropped in 2011.

Chehalem Mountains: This is the largest within the Willamette Valley. This 62,100-acre appellation is northeast of the Dundee Hills. It was established in 2006.

Dundee Hills: Many of Oregon’s pioneer wineries are in the Dundee Hills within Oregon’s Yamhill County. The appellation is 6,490 acres in size. It was established in 2005.

Eola-Amity Hills: This important region stretches from the town of Amity in the north to the capital city of Salem in the southeast. It is 37,900 acres in size. It was established in 2006.

McMinnville: The hills south and west of the Yamhill County city of McMinnville are more than 40,000 acres in size. It was established in 2005.

Umpqua Valley: This Southern Oregon appellation surrounds the city of Roseburg north of the Rogue Valley. It can produce Pinot Noir as well as warm-climate grapes. It was established in 1984.

Rogue Valley: The Northwest’s southern-most appellation surrounds the cities of Medford and Ashland, just north of the California border. It is known for its warm growing conditions. Established in 2001.

Applegate Valley: This small valley within the Rogue Valley is known for a multitude of microclimates that can result in wines of distinction and complexity. Established in 2004.

Southern Oregon: This AVA encompasses the Umpqua, Rogue and Applegate valleys and Red Hill Douglas County. It was established in 2005.

Red Hill Douglas County: This tiny appellation — just 5,500 acres — is within the Umpqua Valley. Fewer than 200 acres of wine grapes, primarily Pinot Noir, are grown here. Established in 2005.

British ColumbiaOkanagan Valley: In the province’s interior, this 100-

mile valley stretches from the border in Osoyoos to Salmon Arm in the north. Most wineries are near Oliver, Penticton and Kelowna. It was established in 1990.

Similkameen Valley: This warm valley is west of the southern Okanagan Valley. It was established in 1990.

Vancouver Island: This marine-influenced appellation is in the southwest part of the province. Established in 1990.

Fraser Valley: This farming area is in the Lower Mainland, south of Vancouver. Established in 1990.

Gulf Islands: This appellation includes approximately 100 islands spread out between Vancouver Island and the southern mainland. Established in 2005.

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Recent Releases are evaluated under strict conditions to ensure objectivity. Northwest wineries submit wines to Wine Press Northwest for evaluation by Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel. After wines are received, they are stored for at least two weeks and a third party serves them “blind,” meaning the tasting panelists do not know the producer. In addition, the panelists are served glasses of wine and are not able to view the bottles or their shapes prior to tasting. Wines are stored in temperature-controlled conditions, allowing them to be served at perfect cellar temperatures.

Price is not a consideration in these evaluations, nor is a winery’s advertising activity with Wine Press Northwest, as the magazine’s editorial/wine evaluation activities and advertising/marketing efforts are kept strictly separate.

The panel has a combination of technical and consumer palates. If at least three of the four panelists consider a wine technically sound and commercially acceptable, it is included here as “Recommended.” The panel may also vote the wine as “Excellent” or “Outstanding,” our top rating. Wines considered

unacceptable by the panel are rejected and not included. Reviews are grouped by variety or style and listed alphabetically by winery. Prices listed are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

To ensure we maintain an international perspective, our tasting panelists judge thousands of wines annually at various competitions, including: Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Riverside International Wine Competition, Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, Indy International Wine Competition, Virginia Governor’s Cup, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Grand Harvest Awards, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru, Washington State Wine Competition, Seattle Wine Awards, Northwest Wine Summit, British Columbia Wine Awards, New York Wine and Grape Foundation Competition, Tri-Cities Wine Festival, Capital Food & Wine Fest and Idaho Wine Competition.

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Wine Press Northwest is a quarterly consumer magazine that focuses on the wine regions of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho.

Annual subscriptions are $20. Click to subscribe.

Editor-in-chief: Andy Perdueeditor@winepressnw.com

Managing editor: Eric Degermanedegerman@winepressnw.com

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