Wine Festival Showcases Great Northwest Wines…And a Few Surprises

Last month’s Tri-Cities Wine Festival in Pasco was like an early Christmas present for the Northwest wine lover; a festive atmosphere, a few pleasant surprises and, naturally, plenty of good wine.

Maybe it was just my imagination but everywhere I turned there seemed to be a new winery from the Chelan area. Notable participants included Tsillan Cellars, Chelan Estate Winery, and Vin du Lac Winery. Watch for this up and coming Washington wine region, which will probably receive appellation status in the near future.

Local winery Mount Baker Vineyards had another banner year at this year’s festival. Their 2003 Reserve Syrah scored a silver medal while their 2006 Roussanne and 2006 Reserve Chardonnay each earned a gold. In addition, the Chardonnay was named best of varietal, one of only 10 such awards presented.

A couple of personal favorites included the Russell Creek 2005 Tributary, a Cabernet-Merlot blend (and best of varietal[!] winner) packed with black currant and plum flavors, and the 2006 Viognier from Barnard Griffin, a tasty little white wine with ample stone fruit flavors and an off-dry finish.

One thing for certain at this year’s festival was the expanding presence of Washington red wines. Varietals such as zinfandel, malbec and sangiovese were well represented in the competition, whereas five to ten years ago these wines would have been virtually non-existent.

Despite the proliferation of reds, a white wine, the 2006 Riesling from Tsillan Cellars took best of show honors. Next week I’ll feature some Riesling recommendations and talk more about Washington’s original white wine varietal – seemingly forgotten but now enjoying a resurgence among a new generation of wine drinkers.