Guide to Wine Scores

This is the tale of two brothers and a close friend, working together with a goal of making the best Zinfandel wines. Winemaker Mike Wisler took a trip to Healdsburg, CA in 2011 and got hooked on Zinfandel. His brother Brian had originally introduced Mike to premium wines from Napa and Washington. The brothers met Tim Oas, now a pastor, and the three quickly bonded over a … [Read more...] about Story Cellars Sets Sights High On Zinfandel

Simpatico Cellars opened a tasting room in Woodinville’s Warehouse District in late 2019. It’s the journey of three winemakers who feel the best wines often come about through collaboration. Co-owners Craig Sosey, Cassie Wistrom and Tim Steinke had all worked in wine prior to going into business together. They were part of the same production cohort at Northwest Wine … [Read more...] about Simpatico Cellars Opens in Woodinville

After years as a successful Yakima Valley farmer, Rob Valicoff Jr. was inspired by his late wife Stephanie to plant a four-acre vineyard on the farm in 2011. Rob and Stephanie’s intention was to make enough wine to share with friends and family. The first vintage was bottled in 2013. With such fertile soil in the Rattlesnake Hills area, that four-acre vineyard soon grew beyond … [Read more...] about 3 Releases from Valicoff Estates

Terry and Kriss Wells began working on their inaugural vintage for Love That Red Winery in 2013, later debuting their first bottles in 2015. The Wells recently transitioned into a larger and more prominent tasting room in Woodinville’s Warehouse District (formerly Sparkman Cellars). The winery gets its name from a family racehorse that was named after a punchy, bright red … [Read more...] about 3 Releases from Love That Red Winery

Vintner Mari Womack possesses the steely determination it takes to run a boutique winemaking operation these days. Even when faced with the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Like a number of winery owners in the state, Mari was in the midst of moving her business last spring when the government shutdown happened in March 2020. She admits that government … [Read more...] about Damsel Cellars Inaugural Mourvèdre Release

With tasting rooms in Walla Walla and downtown Seattle, Browne Family Vineyards has opened a third one in Tacoma, not far from the Point Defiance Zoo. “The excitement and vitality of the Proctor District, along with its charming neighborhood feel, is what really attracted us to this fantastic location,” says proprietor Andrew Browne. Renowned for exceptional quality and … [Read more...] about Browne Family Vineyards Expands With Tacoma Area Tasting Room

Winemaker Lisa Warr-King Packer works with notable growers around Washington to produce blends and single varietals. She coaxes immense character and depth from wines made in small lots, often complexly blended with fruit from up to four different AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), particularly Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope and Royal Slope AVAs, as well as the Columbia … [Read more...] about 5 Releases from Warr-King Wines

Leading wine critics recently lauded Mercer Bros. Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the top 100 wines of the past year. Comprehensive quality control in the vineyards allows Mercer Estates Winery owners Rob and Brenda Mercer to deliver exciting estate-grown wines at quite exceptional values. Their tiered brands offer satisfaction at any price point, from value-driven reds and whites … [Read more...] about 11 Releases from Mercer Estates

C&C Cellars 2017 Vita Migliore 91 pts. This bold red wine delivers volume without being weighty, offering a broad, sleek texture and rich-tasting Marionberry and plum mingled with earthy notes of cedary oak, loam, gravel and spice. Offers a persevering finish with deep concentration that goes well beyond the norm at this modest price point. $19.99 … [Read more...] about C&C Cellars 2017 Vita Migliore, $19.99

Consistency and quality-to-price ratio both play a big role in the overall success of any winery nowadays. After all, savvy buyers recognize quality; and they understand it can jump exponentially from various price tiers. Eye of the Needle proprietors Bob and Lauren Bullock have paid meticulous care in selecting fruit from trusted, premium sources for the past dozen years. This … [Read more...] about 5 Releases from Eye of the Needle Winery

Amelia Wynn Winery has been producing small-lot wines on Bainbridge Island since 2008. As owners Paul Bianchi and Wendy Armstrong looked to merge the wine tasting experience with various foods, the bistro side of the business was born. Paul’s history as a winemaker goes back decades after participating in his first crush more than 20 years ago. He sources all his fruit from … [Read more...] about Amelia Wynn Merges New Tasting Room With Bistro Fare

Locus Wines is the story of two wine and food lovers who left their corporate jobs behind to pursue something they were more passionate about. Rich Burton handles the winemaking, and studied oenology at Washington State University. Locus’ other proprietor, Ton Yazici, is a self-professed “recovering technocrat coming from a diverse product management background in high tech, … [Read more...] about Locus Wines Combines Passion For Food And Wine

Dennis Murphy moved to Walla Walla in 1999 with one goal: to make world-class wines. Since then, he purchased the land that is now home to Caprio Cellars’ new tasting room, winemaking facility and Eleanor Estate Vineyard. Dennis also became a partner in the Octave Vineyard at SeVein Vineyards, ultimately leading him to purchase the 40 acres west of Octave Vineyard, planting … [Read more...] about Caprio Cellars Focuses On Bordeaux Varietal Blends

“I was born and raised in Hungary, in the middle of a wine region where almost every family had a little vineyard and made their own wine,” says Sandor Faludi. His grandfather was a winemaker and viticulturist, letting Sandor help out around the vineyard and winery from a young age. Sandor and his wife, Sabrina, moved to Santa Rosa, Calif. in 2010, where he landed a job as … [Read more...] about Prohibition Cellars: A Winery To Watch

Snoqualmie-based Sigillo Cellars is on the move, relocating their second tasting room from Leavenworth to downtown Chelan. The father and son team of Mike and Ryan Seal acknowledge that their interest in winemaking dates back to 2005 when they teamed up with the former winemaker Steve Bailey and friends to make wine out of his garage. In 2010, the Seals joined forces with … [Read more...] about Sigillo Cellars Comes To Chelan

Mark Nesheim has been handcrafting highly sought after Bourbon in small batches since 2010. After outgrowing his existing space in Woodinville, Mark and his wife Jennifer moved J.P. Trodden Distillery to the unincorporated town of Maltby. It’s part of a collective of tasting rooms in Snohomish County known as The Vault. “We have begun quadrupling our production to try to catch … [Read more...] about Award-Winning Craft Bourbon Producer Finds New Home In Maltby

Adrice Wines moved their tasting room and production facility into the Woodinville Warehouse District to keep up with expanded growth. Winemaker Pam Adkins and her partner Julie Bulrice have been building a steady following for their boutique wines since first opening in Woodinville in 2016. Pam made her first vintage in 2012, producing Rosé the Riveter with Napa Valley … [Read more...] about Adrice Moves To Larger Woodinville Location

Wes and Natasha Teslo operate the winery and tasting room in the Yakima Valley AVA on 30 sprawling acres in the agriculturally based city of Zillah known for its many wineries. Visitors delight at the lavender fields that color the surrounding landscape. The wines are solid and filled with expressive character, depth and pizzazz. The lineup of wines can be found at the … [Read more...] about 2 Releases from J. Bell Cellars

90 pts. – Excellent Editor's Choice for Best Buy! Proprietor Andrew Browne named this Red Mountain Cabernet after a secret collegiate academic society that his grandfather William Bitner Browne belonged to before joining the OSS intelligence agency in the 1940s (the predecessor of the CIA). The enticing nose is brimming with dusky aromas of pipe tobacco and dark red fruit. … [Read more...] about Browne Family Vineyards 2017 Skull & Chain Cabernet Sauvignon, $20

Editor’s Choice – Outstanding, 93 pts. The 25th vintage release ranks among the gold standards of white Bordeaux varietal wine, not just in Washington where it is produced, but all of North America. This classically style blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon was meticulously crafted by Director of Winemaking Jason Gorski from 200 individually treated lots, which included … [Read more...] about DeLille Cellars 2019 Chaleur Blanc, $35