Guide to Wine Scores

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

Bob and Lauren Bullock, owners of Eye of the Needle Winery, celebrate the winery's tenth anniversary with a new lineup of red, white and Rosé wines. Washington Tasting Room magazine has written before about their diverse range of small-lot wines that underscore the Bullock's singular talent for scouting and delivering top quality wines sourced from some of the region's best … [Read more...] about 6 New Releases From Eye of the Needle Winery

Always leading with Merlot, this flagship label from DeLille Cellars has been going strong for a quarter century now. This red wine is sourced from 15 vineyards and composed of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Malbec (2%) and Petit Verdot (1%). The name pays tribute to the scenic road, known as route D2, that runs from along the Medoc peninsula in … [Read more...] about DeLille Cellars 2016 D2 25th Vintage, $45

Crafting small-lot wines that emulate a sense of the complex rocky soils and sunny micro-climates found throughout Eastern Washington’s varied wine regions seems to be a defining point with winemaker and owner Lisa Warr-King Packer of Warr-King Wines. “I try to take a minimalist approach to winemaking,” she says. “I believe in letting the wine be the wine it’s going to … [Read more...] about 3 Releases from Warr-King Wines in Woodinville

When Tim and Jen Armstrong were newlyweds, they shared a love of Bordeaux wine, a journey that started with stocking the cellar of their Chicago bungalow after getting married. Their infatuation with winemaking and vineyards led to online distance courses through UC Davis’ wine program. In 2009, Tim discovered a bottle of Merlot from Walla Walla at his local wine shop that … [Read more...] about Armstrong Family Winery Spreads Wings To Walla Walla