Chelan, WA — Garrett Grubbs grew up in the Wenatchee Valley and learned winemaking at Washington State University. Since joining Tsillan Cellars as Head Winemaker in 2021, Grubbs has elevated the pioneering Lake Chelan winery to “unprecedented accolades from wine judges and thousands of guests that visit the Italian-inspired winery every year,” says Tsillan Cellars’ General Manager Bob Hargadon.
Last year, Tsillan Cellars was the highest scoring and most awarded Washington winery in the 2023 California-based West Coast Wine Competition, taking home six Best of Class awards, including a rare 100 Points for Tsillan Cellars’ iconic Bellissima Rossa Bordeaux Blend. Grubb’s winemaking talents garnered five Platinum Awards in the 2023 Great Northwest Best of the Best Platinum Competition. This elevated Tsillan Cellars into the Top Ten Alltime Platinum Winner’s circle.
Tsillan Cellars’ 2023 success was just a premonition of what was to come in 2024. Held in January, the San Francisco Chronical Wine Competition is the largest wine competition in the United States with over 1,000 wineries and 5,500 wines competing for honors. Winning four Double Gold and five Gold medals, Tsillan Cellars was the most awarded Washington winery in the competition—a great start to a record year. One month later, Tsillan Cellars submitted twenty of Grubb’s wines to the Seattle Wine Competition, resulting in 18 Gold and Double Gold Medals, becoming another unprecedented first.
The 2024 Cascadia Wine Competition’s co-founder Eric Degerman announced the results of the judging headlined: “Tsillan Cellars Leads Washington Wine With Six Golds” after awarding six of Garrett Grubs’ wines with Gold medals, as well as ranking two of Dr. Bob Jankelson’s estate-grown Rhone varietals, Syrah and Viognier, as “Best of Class” in the judging competition.
“Recognition as the most awarded Washington winery in two major California and Washington competitions in early 2024 suggests the magic of Lake Chelan’s Golden Mile vineyards and Garrett Grubbs mastery of the wines continues to elevate the Lake Chelan AVA to new heights in Washington’s wine industry,” says Tsillan Cellars’ founder and owner Bob Jankelson.