Guide to Wine Scores

Equal parts enchanting and down to earth, the expansive new site of Blooms Winery in the town of Freeland on Whidbey Island has been thoughtfully cultivated by owners Virginia and Ken Bloom. They have brought a high level of attention to the newly constructed tasting room and restaurant, 5511 Bistro. The bistro offers banquet space, a massive morning-side deck, and a charming … [Read more...] about Blooms Winery Expands With New Bistro

Lobo Hills owners Tony and Diana Dollar have a zest for life and each other. While the two have shared countless adventures, including traveling the country by van and motorcycle, Lobo Hills might never have existed had it not been for the occurrence of a terrible accident. In 2007, after being struck by a car while riding his bike and sustaining multiple injuries, Tony took a … [Read more...] about Lobo Hills Opens In Woodinville

Devium Wine might be one of the newer kids on the block, but Keith Johnson’s side project is bursting with passion. While enrolled in the Walla Walla Community College Enology and Viticulture program, Keith worked side by side with Jerry Solomon and Trey Busch, partners of Sleight of Hand Cellars. In 2011 when they moved facilities, Keith moved with them. When Keith decided he … [Read more...] about 2 Releases From Devium Wine

GM and vineyard manager Will Beightol and winemaker Kate Michaud have teamed to craft another beautiful release from Double Canyon. Will happens to be the winery's first employee, hired in 2007 to manage the estate vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Kate was brought on in 2017, the same year Double Canyon built a technologically advanced production winery in West Richland, WA, … [Read more...] about Double Canyon 2016 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, $25

Recognized as one of Washington States premier wineries, DeLille Cellars was founded in 1992 by Charles and Greg Lill, Jay Soloff and winemaker Chris Upchurch. Their attention to detail and quality in their Bordeaux-style blends brought acclaim early on, not just to the winery but helped raise eyes as to the state’s grand potential as a world-class wine grape growing … [Read more...] about 4 Releases From DeLille Cellars

Mercer Estates Winery founders Rob and Brenda Mercer are unrelenting in their mission to deliver exciting estate-grown wines at incredible values, from everyday sippers to ultra-premium reserves. Their latest releases continue their commitment of quality-first from vineyard care to the bottle. In addition, these releases signal the talent of Mercer Estates winemaker, Jeremy … [Read more...] about Summer Whites, Rosé and Small-Lot Reds from Mercer Estates

Graham and Gillian Cox are the latest to open a winery in the burgeoning Artisan Hill District of Woodinville. The winery’s name, Lord Lion, is a nod to their English heritage. “The tasting room decor and the wine names also reflect our English heritage, but that is where the ‘Englishness’ ends,” says Gillian. “The wine produced at Lord Lion is true artisanal style Washington … [Read more...] about Lord Lion Makes A Splash Across The Pond

Winemaker Justin Basel has worked in Washington's wine industry his entire life, beginning at age 12 when he helped with chores around his family’s vineyard. “I started working on the winery side my senior year of high school and have participated in every harvest since 2001,” he says. “My wife Brianne and I had always talked about starting a small-lot, single-lot program and … [Read more...] about 5 Releases From Solemn Cellars

It’s fitting that Marco De Santis, a first-generation Italian American, named his winery after the Latin word for “root” because his story began with finding and returning to his family’s roots. His great grandfather traveled from a small village in Italy to Tacoma in 1904 to work on the railroad. Marco says he returned to his family roots in Washington 111 years later to … [Read more...] about Radix Wine Finds Roots in Tri-Cities

This winery project originated when four people from assorted backgrounds—a Mexican, a Texan, a Frenchman and a Buckeye from Ohio—all met while working in different capacities at Owen Roe Winery, one of the celebrated producers of the Yakima Valley founded by David O’Reilly. “We realized that we could make our own wine at the facility and that was an opportunity too good to … [Read more...] about Inaugural Releases From Sin Banderas Wines

Marc Leahy is churning out small lots of vineyard-designated wines that reveal talent and proficiency mixed with his unabashed curiosity and intellect. “I’d never seen a 100% whole cluster Syrah [made with fruit] from Klipsun Vineyard,” says Marc. “So, I made one.” The Syrah is a head-turner and worth seeking out. Dillon Cellars launched in Walla Walla’s airport neighborhood … [Read more...] about Dillon Cellars Brings Years of Experience to New Winery

Years ago Joshua and Cheryl West both became fans of musicians who were a part of Elephant 6, a collective of musicians who started their own label regardless of the spoils of commercial success. In similar spirit, Elephant Seven, or E7 for short, is dedicated to “the craft of making great wine independent of commercial expectations and preconceptions,” proclaims Joshua … [Read more...] about Elephant Seven Evokes Sense of Place

Complete quality control in the vineyards allows Mercer Estates Winery owners Rob and Brenda Mercer the ability to deliver exciting estate-grown wines at exceptional values, ranging from everyday reds and whites, to ultra-premium reserves. Founded in 2005, this winery continues to impress at every turn. The Mercer’s family has been farming in the Horse Heaven Hills since … [Read more...] about 3 Releases From Mercer Estates Winery

Ryan and Dusty Kramer are the husband and wife team behind Dusty Cellars Winery, a modest family-run operation founded in 2006 on Camano Island (north of Seattle). Producing approximately 700 cases of wine annually, it’s only natural that all the releases are small lot wines, each solidly crafted and offering boutique appeal. You can learn more  at … [Read more...] about 3 Releases From Dusty Cellars Winery

Formerly located at Walla Walla’s airport, Revelry Vintners has moved to the town’s Southside. The new winery sits on 20 acres of farmland, framed by vineyards, with breathtaking views of the Blue Mountains. The premise for the new construction was to use modern materials and engineering in the silhouette of a century barn, common to the Walla Walla Valley. “It was … [Read more...] about Revelry Vintners “Aerials Series” Focuses On Single Vineyards

Chris Daniel Stewart got his start in wine at age 14 when he began working summer and weekends at a local winery. At the same time he started helping out at the company run by his father, Michael Stewart, who has been heavily involved in the grape growing process for two decades as a vineyard consultant. Chris was instantly hooked. “I loved everything about the industry and … [Read more...] about Chris Daniel Winery: From Vineyard To Bottle

Thane Hawkins came to a crossroad in his life in 2005. Over the previous decade he had worked for Pixar in the Bay Area on some of the most groundbreaking animated films of our time, including Shrek, ANTZ and Monster’s Inc. Meanwhile his life outside of the animation studio was one of endless exploration in nature. “I love the West Coast and wanted to explore every inch of … [Read more...] about 3 Releases From Hawkins Cellars

The inventor Alexander Graham Bell is quoted as saying, “When one door closes, another opens.” When Woodinville Wine Cellars' owner Stan Barrett decided to close his doors in 2017 it seemed a great loss to the wine community who had grown fond of the wines crafted by talented Sean T. Boyd. Now winemaker Sean T. Boyd and his wife Kristin Jostad have opened a new tasting room … [Read more...] about Sean T. Boyd & Kristin Jostad Launch Sightglass Cellars

Standing among the perfect vine rows at the estate Double Canyon Vineyard in the sweeping Horse Heaven Hills AVA gives one a sense of historic perspective gazing at bordering vineyards that include the famed Champoux Vineyard on the southern edge and the immaculate Phinny Hill Vineyard on the ridgetop. Here, in the tiny community of Alderdale, was where Will Beightol was … [Read more...] about Double Canyon Opens Tasting Room in West Richland

The co-founders behind Archeus are doctors Donn Hogan and Erik Geiger, pals from medical school who share a genuine camaraderie that includes the discovery of great wine. They were captivated early on in their winery project with the terroir of Red Mountain and enlisted winemaker and consultant Charlie Hoppes (Fidelitas Wines) to help them define their wine … [Read more...] about 2 New Releases from Archeus Wines