Chelan, WA — The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the largest wine competition in the United States with 1,000 wineries and over 5,500 wines competing in the recent January 2024 competition in San Francisco. Tsillan Cellars, Lake Chelan’s pioneering estate winery, again was the leading importer of Gold from California to Washington State in this prestigious wine competition. It was announced this week that Tsillan Cellars was awarded four Double Gold and five Gold medals in the recent January 2024 Competition. (Double Gold denotes that every judge deemed the wine worthy of a gold medal.) This was the largest number of double gold and gold medals awarded to a Washington winery in the 2024 competition.
Tsillan Cellars was also the largest recipient of California gold medals awarded to a Washington winery in the West Coast Wine Competition, another major California wine competition held in September 2023. Tsillan Cellars won six Best of Class honors, in addition to twelve Double Gold and Gold medals. Tsillan Cellars iconic red blend, 2021 Bellissima Rossa, was also honored with a rare perfect 100-point score.
When asked about Tsillan Cellars success, owner Bob Jankelson replied, “I staked my claim on the south shore of Lake Chelan 25 years ago when I first planted wine grapes. It was an unproven claim that turned into a steady producer of gold from the very first vintage in 2003. When I hired head winemaker, Garrett Grubbs, and assistant winemaker, Nic Stevens, the steady stream of gold medals turned into a veritable Gold Rush.”
“It is an immense honor and privilege to bring these accolades and gold home to the south shore of Lake Chelan for Dr. Bob,” Garrett responded. “It is an ultimate dream come true to put this new elevated program together and see that honored and recognized by so many top industry peers. Being a part of Dr. Bob’s storied Tsillan Cellars, elevating the wine program to new heights and bringing more recognition to a hard fought legacy I could not be more humbled and proud.”