HOOD RIVER, Ore. — Bobby Richards of Seven Hills Winery grew up in the Willamette Valley, and yet his passion as a Walla Walla Valley winemaker is Merlot. Turns out he’s got a flair for Carménère too, using the lesser-known Bordeaux grape to win best of show at the 11th annual Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition — an international judging staged this fall for West … [Read more...] about Seven Hills Winery uses Carménère from Walla Walla Valley to win Great Northwest Invitational
Wine competitions
Bobby Richards turns 4 entries into 4 golds, best of show for storied Seven Hills Winery
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Few jobs are as pressure-packed as working the line at a popular restaurant or the crush pad at a famous winery. For a couple of years, Bobby Richards somehow did both before turning in his apron and settling in at Seven Hills Winery in downtown Walla Walla. “I don’t really remember how I did it, and I don’t know that I’d want to,” Richards says … [Read more...] about Bobby Richards turns 4 entries into 4 golds, best of show for storied Seven Hills Winery
Riesling ice wine by Koenig Vineyards rules Idaho judging again
CALDWELL, Idaho — It was no shock to see the storied Riesling ice wine program at Koenig Vineyards win best of show in the 2023 Idaho Wine & Cider Competition — the third time in the past decade. This time, however, it wasn’t founder Greg Koenig who doted on those icy marbles of Riesling and took the voluptuous wine to bottle. Instead, it was James Nederend and his wife, … [Read more...] about Riesling ice wine by Koenig Vineyards rules Idaho judging again
An Idaho wine tops Cascadia International for 3rd straight year
RICHLAND, Wash. — For the third straight year, it was an entry from the Gem State that most bedazzled judges at this spring's Cascadia International Wine Competition as a Grenache by Idaho winemaker Will Wetmore for his Veer Wine Project in the Snake River Valley that stole the show. Wetmore didn't try to edit himself when he learned the news about his juicy and … [Read more...] about An Idaho wine tops Cascadia International for 3rd straight year
Swirl, Sniff & Sip: Bottle conditioning creates wines worth waiting for
A handful of Washington’s longtime winemakers are veering away from marketing expectations that red wines should reach retail outlets by the time they’re about two years old. Because the Northwest rather recently emerged as a major wine grape-growing region, grape growers and wineries already faced economic pressure to repay loans to cover costs of what’s typically a … [Read more...] about Swirl, Sniff & Sip: Bottle conditioning creates wines worth waiting for