A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

Tom Stangeland is owner and winemaker for Cloudlift Cellars in Seattle. A woodworker by trade who also has worked as a chef, Stangeland took up winemaking when he began taking classes in 2005 at South Seattle Community College.

(Photo courtesy of Cloudlift Cellars)

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Fresh Press is a weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest magazine. In each edition, we review recently released wines from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. Feel free to forward to your wine-loving friends and family. For more information on our tasting methods and review process, please go to the last page.

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

SEATTLE — Tom Stangeland used the art of cooking to work his way through the University of Washington, and he’s made his livelihood creating artisan furniture.

Five years ago, he decided to put some of his creative juices toward another longtime fascination — winemaking.

However, Stangeland views the debut release of Cloudlift Cellars “not as a profession, but a compulsion.”

Customers of his acclaimed woodwork shouldn’t fret anytime soon, but it’s likely many will appreciate what he’s producing at Cloudlift Cellars from his studio in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood.

“I’m making around 400 cases a year and am keeping that way for now,” Stangeland said. “I want to start selling wine before I expand. Right now, the biggest thing I want to do is to start getting fruit from just about every place in the state.”

The Cloudlift Cellars whites come from Sagemoor near the Hanford Reach National Monument portion of the Columbia River. Aside from a straight Chardonnay, Stangeland focuses on blended reds and whites. In 2009, his Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were from Upland Vineyard on Snipes Mountain, with Merlot juice from Arianses on the Wahluke Slope and Cabernet Franc off Alder Ridge in the Horse Heaven Hills.

“If you do a single-vineyard or vineyard-designated wine, that expresses the terroir, and I understand that side of the story, but you are not going to get to ‘air brush’ it,” Stangeland said. “To me, that’s where the art is — the blending.”

He readily gives credit to his mentor, Peter Bos, instructor and winemaker at South Seattle Community College’s Northwest Wine Academy. He began attending the winemaking classes in 2005.

“In 2007, I decided, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this,’ ” said Stangeland, who graduated after the 2007 crush.

Cloudlift Cellars’ 2009 reds mark his first commercial release.

He seems to be making all the right moves, including the name and theme for his winery. A cloudlift refers to a design element in architecture that is subtle yet apparent in many forms of Asian art — and Stangeland’s furniture.

It also gives him some distance from an Oregon producer of Pinot Noir that he shares his surname with.

“I am amazed that anyone would want to use the name,” Stangeland said with a chuckle. “Everyone wants to put an ‘r’ in there.”

Cloudlift Cellars produces one wine from a Burgundian grape — Chardonnay. The rest of Stangeland’s production relies on the Bordeaux varieties that have made Washington famous, although he will not be afraid to experiment with varieties such as Grüner Veltliner, if he can find some in the Puget Sound.

And he’s quite familiar with the state’s quintessential writing on wine — Ron Irvine’s collaborative work with the late Walter Clore — The Wine Project.

“That gave me a pretty good sense for the history of wine in Washington, and I wanted to go see some of those sites,” Stangeland said. “For example, I wanted to see those historic Newhouse plantings on Snipes Mountain, and it was great to see Harrison Hill. I’d love

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2Spotlight: Cloudlift Cellars312 S. Lucille St., Seattle, WA 98108206-622-2004 • http://cloudlift.net

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

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2 Spotlight: Cloudlift Cellarsto some day try to work with that fruit, but DeLille (Cellars) has got that pretty much locked up.”

Stangeland’s path to creativity began in childhood. Woodworking emerged from making motorized model airplanes with chums.

“They were fast, beautiful and very technical to make,” he said. “It seemed like we’d fly them for five minutes, we’d crash them, and it would take us another three weeks to re-build them.”

That helps explain his path into his woodworking career. The road to becoming a chef in Seattle during the early 1980s was more practical and included time at Julia’s.

“It was out of necessity. My mother was a lousy cook, and my dad and I liked food,” Stangeland quipped.

It also paid the bills for his studies at the University of Washington, which took him to Universite d’Avignon for a time. After all, his focus was French history.

“Drinking wine in the afternoon got be a really big deal in my life,” Stangeland said. “Here I was in Rhône, and the wines didn’t have labels, so I thought, ‘Oh, you are drinking Syrah.’ It took me a long time to realize that what I was really drinking was Grenache.”

Over time, though, there were examples that the late nights, the camaraderie and high stress of working in commercial kitchens could be unhealthy.

“I saw a lot of people moving toward alcoholism,” Stangeland said. “And while cooking and wine was a part of what I was doing, I couldn’t afford my own tastes.”

He found success in creating high-end furniture and became part of the Northwest Woodworkers Gallery. The business began in 1980 at Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Last month, the historic gallery moved to First and Lenora between Pike Place Market and Belltown.

That adds more distance between his studio/winery and the gallery, but he’s not about to complain.

“I took a perfectly good hobby and turned it into a career,” Stangeland said.

And while he’s routinely asked about working on his oak barrels, the idea offers no appeal.

“That’s a big, heavy and brutal craft,” he said. “It’s a long, complicated and expensive process that requires a big facility. I have done some coopering, but it’s not

an interest of mine. Besides, a lot of people do it — and do it really well.”

That gives him more time to dote on his wines and his furniture. His beautiful mahogany Anderson Server is one piece that features the cloudlift design element.

And so far, he’s turned Cloudlift Cellars into another work of art.

Some of Stangeland’s wines are available at Wine World in Seattle, the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle Community College, the Eastgate Albertsons in Bellevue and by appointment at his winery. He’s targeted a February launch for his website.

All wines reviewed here are tasted blind after being submitted by producers. They are rated Outstanding, Excellent and Recommended by a tasting panel.

Outstanding: These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after.

Excellent: Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities.

Recommended: Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics.

Best Buy: A wine that is $15 or less.Priced are suggested retail and should be used as

guidelines. Prices are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Wine ratings

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

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2Spotlight: Cloudlift Cellars

Pinot NoirExcellent. Kudos 2009 Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, $30. Geologist/grower/winemaker Mike Hallock sells some of his Parrett Mountain fruit, and Laurent Montalieu selected it for one of the vineyard-designated bottlings in his growing NW Wine Co. brand. The aromas from this wine open with fresh raspberry, dark strawberry, orange peel, dark-roast coffee and forest floor. Cranberry, pie cherry and pinkish raspberry flavors allow for acidity to easily overtake the tannin. The finish features more coffee and hints of peppermint thins. (317 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Excellent. Best Buy! Kudos 2010 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $15. Laurent Montalieu’s consumer-friendly brand made in McMinnville, Ore., uses this as its flagship wine. Aromas of dried raspberry, cherry, vanilla, chocolate and earthiness transcend into big, bold cherry flavors backed by cranberry, toasted cedar and truffles. (10,000 cases, 13.5% alc.)Excellent. Kudos 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, $20. Laurent Montalieu and wife Danielle Andrus Montalieu have invested heavily in the Yamhill-Carlton District with the Soléna Estate project and Domaine Danielle Laurent Vineyard. Their

Outstanding! Cloudlift Cellars 2009 Ascent, Columbia Valley, $23. It’s easy to tell that this blend of Bordeaux varieties leads with Cabernet Franc (72%) from Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, which creates a spicy and tobacco leaf theme behind the cassis, Marionberry, smoky black cherry, moist earth, crushed nutmeg, green tea and cocoa powder. The racy acidity and medium body screams for pork loin or a puttanesca. (64 cases, 13.7% alc.)Recommended. Cloudlift Cellars 2009 Cloud 2, Columbia Valley, $24. This combination of Merlot (62%), backed by Cabernet Sauvignon (24%) and Cabernet Franc packs a spicy nose with black pepper and cayenne funneling into black cherry and boysenberry aromas. There’s restraint on the palate with red cherries, cola, blackberry, cola and a big scrape of Baker’s chocolate. (25 cases, 13.7% alc.)

Outstanding! Cloudlift Cellars 2009 Halcyon, Columbia Valley, $24. If this bottling is any indication of what Tom Stangeland has in store for the future, this vintage may go down as merely the beginning of the halcyon days for this new Seattle winemaker. His blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%) from historic Upland Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, Merlot (21%) from Arianses Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope and Cabernet Franc features pleasing oak that provides for aromas of black cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, bean, cracked black pepper, cedar, saddle leather and baseball card bubble gum. Inside, the drink carries beautiful dark cherry undertones, accented by plums, huckleberries, licorice and refined tannins that build slowly. It finishes with hints of graphite and chocolate-covered blueberries. (72 cases, 13.5% alc.)Excellent. Cloudlift Cellars 2009 Panorama, Columbia Valley, $25. Tom Stageland’s blend of

Merlot (56%) from Bruce Zunser’s Arianses Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope, Cabernet Sauvignon (28%) from Snipes Mountain and Cabernet Franc off the Horse Heaven Hills shows a subtle adjustment compared with his Cloud 2, yet it creates a broader expression of darker fruit. Boysenberry, black currant and cherry accents include hints of graphite, cedar and bittersweet chocolate. The medium structure shows balance of fine-grained tannins and bright acidity, backed by hints of violet and tobacco leaf in the finish. (77 cases, 13.6% alc.)Excellent. Cloudlift Cellars 2010 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $17. One might expect an artisan woodworker to pursue an oaky Chardonnay, but Seattle’s Tom Stangeland chose a more balanced angle with his allotment from Bacchus Vineyard. The nose hints at lemon curd, Bartlett pear, Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum, fresh-cut celery and minerality, and there’s more of the same on the palate. A bit of creaminess shows in the midpalate, but flavors of pineapple, lime, Granny Smith apple and more pear surround it. (60 cases, 13.8% alc.)Outstanding! Cloudlift Cellars 2010 Updraft, Columbia Valley, $17. The pursuit of blending white Bordeaux varieties Sauvignon Blanc (64%) and Semillon is something not many new winemakers reach for, but Tom Stangeland grasps the concept impressively. Fruit from the venerable Bacchus and Dionysus sites near the banks of Columbia River spent seven months in barrel, and that accounts for opening aromas of vanilla, milk toast and corn silk, followed up with mango and trail mix with dried apricot, pineapple and nuts. The fascinating palate carries impressive citrus and incorporates honeydew melon, filberts, minerality and more milk toast. (80 cases, 13.9% alc.)

New releases we’ve tasted

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

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2New releases we’ve tastedNW Wine Co., project, based in McMinnville, produces this, which opens with a piquant nose of orange peel, dried strawberry, Craisins, rose hips and red earth. There’s an even flow to the drink of raspberry, cranberry and pie cherry filling that brings abundant acidity and bittersweet chocolate tannin. (1,560 cases, 13.8% alc.)

Excellent. Redman Wines 2010 Redman Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $35. In 2004, the Redmans planted 22 acres of vines in the Northwest’s smallest appellation, and this wine shows how nicely the project is developing. Inviting aromas of strawberry/rhubarb jam, raspberry, cherry and milk chocolate are realized inside. Supporting flavors of fresh fig and cranberry tie the structure together in a pleasing fashion. (150 cases, 13.8% alc.)Recommended. Redman Wines 2010 Redman Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $45. This promising lot from Cathy Redman’s certified sustainable estate vineyard leads with blackberry, blueberry, Junior Mints and coffee aromas, backed by juicy flavors of more blueberry, cranberry, plum skin and leather. A blend of 777, 667 and Pommard clones, it is set to be released in September. (138 cases, 13.7% alc.)Recommended. Seufert Winery 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $50. Jim Seufert nurtured this release from his second commercial vintage, and he considered lots from five vineyards in the construction of this reserve that spent 60 months in neutral oak. A tobacconist can dream with heady aromas of cigar, cloves, chocolate and mint, backed strongly by strawberry and Craisin. The palate is remarkably fruit-forward and tasty with flavors of more strawberry, cherry cola and cassis with hints of sweet woodruff. Suggested pairings include London broil with Seufert's verjus from Gamay Noir. (96 cases, 13.9% alc.)Excellent. Stoller Vineyards 2009 JV Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $25. Perhaps nowhere else in the Northwest are terroir and typicity as apparent as with Pinot Noir crafted from the red soils of the Dundee Hills. This product of “junior vines” captures the essence with this theme of fresh cranberry, cassis, raspberry, vanilla bean, rose hip and forest floor. It’s not a drink of fruit punch, but rather a glass of delicious finesse that finishes with Van cherry, sweet milk chocolate and cigar box tobacco. (5,802 cases, 14.5% alc.)

MerlotRecommended. Best Buy! Columbia Winery 2008 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $15. Black cherry, blueberry, Van cherry, tobacco leaf and earthy

accents swirl amid assertive tannins and abundant oak tones of Baker’s chocolate and drip coffee. (14,732 cases, 13.5% alc.)Recommended. Best Buy! 1805 Wines 2009 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $12. Ascentia Wine Estates and the late Glenn Coogan developed this new brand for Covey Run winemaker Kate Michaud with a sleek label that pays tribute to Lewis & Clark. The nose hints at an Old World style with red currant, cherry, chocolate, vanilla, saddle leather, pink peppercorns and iron shavings. It’s more New World on the palate as it leads with cherries and chocolate, followed by blueberry cocktail juice and sandpaper tannins. Look for these wines soon at the Columbia Winery tasting room in Woodinville. (2,500 cases, 13.5% alc.)Excellent. Hightower Cellars 2008 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $25. This boutique winery on Red Mountain chose to label this with the broad Columbia Valley appellation rather than Red Mountain, even though all the fruit came from its estate Out of Line Vineyard and nearby E&E Shaw Vineyard. This shows more balance than many Merlots, starting with dark black cherry, baked plums, leather, cedar and cardamom. Richness rules on the palate as fruit turns dark and dense with blackberry, black currant and more black cherry. Fascinating notes in the background include minerality, coffee and baseball glove leather. There’s no shortage of tannin, but a char-broiled T-bone will take care of them. (155 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Red blendsOutstanding! Martin-Scott Winery 2008 Raven Ridge Red, Columbia Valley, $23. Jones Vineyard in the proposed Ancient Lakes appellation near Quincy, Wash., supplies the fruit for Judi Martin-Scott's hedonistic and annual blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) and Syrah. Aromas lead with signs of the Syrah with its gamy and blueberry approach, followed by dried fig, chocolate mint, saddle leather and iron filings. Blueberry and fig emerge sweetly across the plush palate, followed by Chukar Cherry, blackberry and coffee. Smoky black plums, licorice and Darjeeling tea tannins make for a finish that keeps giving. (175 cases, 15.5% alc.)

ChardonnayExcellent. Best Buy! Covey Run Winery 2010 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $9. Those who enjoy high-acid, food-friendly whites will love to play with this widely available Chardonnay. There’s a fascinating blend of tropical aromas akin to Juicy Fruit gum, passion fruit, pineapple juice as well as crispness with lime, pear, gooseberry and wet stone. The palate brings a broad range of citrus flavors along

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

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2New releases we’ve tastedwith slatiness, more pear and an apple peel bite. Enjoy with chicken served with a mango salsa or kabobs loaded with shrimp, pineapple and peach. (11,873 cases, 13.5% alc.)Excellent. Best Buy! 1805 Wines 2010 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $10. Covey Run winemaker Kate Michaud creates a reserve-style Chardonnay for this new brand. Grapes from the Phil Church Vineyard that fronts her Sunnyside, Wash., winery, along with fruit from nearby Snipes Mountain, spend nine months in neutral oak. Fascinating aromas of a Big Hunk candy bar blend with Meyer lemon, papaya, Bartlett pear, green apple, slate and lavender. There’s a pleasant evenness to the fruit, acidity and oak across the palate, heightened by the green apple, Asian pear and a pinch of ground allspice. And there’s no bitterness to the finish. Suggested pairings include spanakopita and crab lasagna. Restaurants serving 1808 wines include Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge on Queen Anne Hill, JUNO at the Arctic Club Hotel in Seattle and SkyCity atop the Space Needle. (2,500 cases, 13.5% alc.)Recommended. Redman Wines 2010 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $27. A blend of the Redman Vineyard in Ribbon Ridge and Crawford Beck in the Eola-Amity Hills, this is a lively alternative to many reserve-style Chardonnays. There’s just a hint buttery and toasty oak influence apparent in the nose, which for the most is part focused on lemon, lime, pineapple and minerality. Flavors are dominated by Granny Smith apple, Asian pear, lime, lemon zest and more minerality. Release is scheduled for May. (93 cases, 13.6% alc.)Excellent. Stoller Vineyards 2009 SV Estate Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, $28. Winemaker Melissa Burr’s presentation of barrel-fermented Chardonnay continues to rank among Oregon’s best, tucking the accents imparted by French oak just behind the fruit.

It speaks of Chardonnay right off the bat with aromas of butterscotch and brioche interwined with Asian pear, lemon and honeycomb. On the palate, it plays both ends of the spectrum nicely as flavors of pineapple and Granny Smith apple lead into zingy lemony acidity and grapefruit peel on the midpalate. Hints of hominy, butterscotch and lime hang in the finish. Among the suggested parings is the Italian Savory Tart at famed Nick’s Italian Cafe in McMinnville. (809 cases, 14% alc.)

Pinot GrisOutstanding! Best Buy! Kudos 2010 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $12. Laurent Montalieu’s NW Wine Co. produces a Pinot Gris that should not be overlooked, especially with its afforability. It’s all about fruit, starting with aromas of dusty pear, starfruit, pineapple, Trident Splash Orange Swirl gum, but there are also hints of wintergreen, flannel and minerality. Bold fruit and delicious acidity stream through the mouth, starting with Jonagold apple, Bartlett pear and lemon chiffon pie flavors. It carries just a hint of sweetness, but the orange peel and fresh lime juice in the finish take care of that and set the table for a pairing with ceviche. (4,000 cases, 13.3% alc.)

Sauvignon BlancOutstanding! Best Buy! Covey Run Winery 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $9. Winemaker Kate Michaud worked in New Zealand at famed Kim Crawford, and that may help explain the style and skill she has displayed with Sauvignon Blanc in each of the past three vintages. Aromas feature gooseberry pie, Meyer lemon, lime, peach, river rock and a whiff of tomcat. There’s delicious acidity to the drink that brings Key lime, lychee, more wet stone and some grapefruit bitterness. Those who enjoy dry Riesling will also appreciate this. (3,420 cases, 13.5% alc.)

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

Multi-state appellations Columbia Valley: This multi-state appellation is 11

million acres in size and takes up a third of Washington. Established in 1984.

Columbia Gorge: This multi-state appellation begins around the town of Lyle and heads west to Husum on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It was established in 2004.

Walla Walla Valley: Walla Walla Valley: This multi-state appellation is in the southeast corner of Washington and around Milton-Freewater, Ore. Established in 1984.

Snake River Valley: This is in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon. It covers 8,263 square miles and was established in 2007.

WashingtonYakima Valley: The Northwest’s oldest appellation

(established in 1983) stretches past Wapato in the west to Benton City in the east and includes Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills and Snipes Mountain.

Red Mountain: Washington’s smallest appellation is a ridge in the eastern Yakima Valley. It is 4,040 acres in size. Established in 2001.

Horse Heaven Hills: This large appellation — 570,000 acres — is south of the Yakima Valley and stretches to the Oregon border. It was established in 2005.

Wahluke Slope: Approved in early 2006, this huge landform north of the Yakima Valley is an 81,000-acre gravel bar created by the Ice Age Floods. It is one of the warmest regions in the entire Pacific Northwest. Established in 2006.

Rattlesnake Hills: This appellation is in the western Yakima Valley north of the towns of Zillah, Granger and Outlook. The appellation is 68,500 acres in size with about 1,300 acres of vineyards. It was established in 2006.

Puget Sound: This sprawling appellation is in Western Washington. It stretches from the Olympia area to the Canadian border north of Bellingham. It also sweeps through the San Juan Islands and to Port Angeles. Established in 1995.

Snipes Mountain: This is one of Washington’s oldest wine-growing regions. At 4,145 acres in size, it is the state’s second-smallest AVA. Grapes have been grown on Snipes Mountain and at the adjacent Harrison Hill (also part of the AVA) since 1914. This AVAwas approved in 2009.

Lake Chelan: This area in north-central Washington is almost entirely within the Columbia Valley. It is a young area, with the oldest vines dating to 1998. About 250 acres are planted here. It was approved in 2009.

Naches Heights: Approved in 2011, this area near the city of Yakima has fewer than 50 acres of grapes planted.

OregonWillamette Valley: Oregon’s largest appellation stretches

roughly from Portland to Eugene. Established in 1984.

Ribbon Ridge: This is the Northwest’s smallest appellation at 3,350 acres. It is best known for its Pinot Noir and is within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. It was established in 2005.

Yamhill-Carlton: This is a horseshoe-shaped appellation that surrounds the towns of Yamhill and Carlton. It was established in 2005. The “District” was dropped in 2011.

Chehalem Mountains: This is the largest within the Willamette Valley. This 62,100-acre appellation is northeast of the Dundee Hills. It was established in 2006.

Dundee Hills: Many of Oregon’s pioneer wineries are in the Dundee Hills within Oregon’s Yamhill County. The appellation is 6,490 acres in size. It was established in 2005.

Eola-Amity Hills: This important region stretches from the town of Amity in the north to the capital city of Salem in the southeast. It is 37,900 acres in size. It was established in 2006.

McMinnville: The hills south and west of the Yamhill County city of McMinnville are more than 40,000 acres in size. It was established in 2005.

Umpqua Valley: This Southern Oregon appellation surrounds the city of Roseburg north of the Rogue Valley. It can produce Pinot Noir as well as warm-climate grapes. It was established in 1984.

Rogue Valley: The Northwest’s southern-most appellation surrounds the cities of Medford and Ashland, just north of the California border. It is known for its warm growing conditions. Established in 2001.

Applegate Valley: This small valley within the Rogue Valley is known for a multitude of microclimates that can result in wines of distinction and complexity. Established in 2004.

Southern Oregon: This AVA encompasses the Umpqua, Rogue and Applegate valleys and Red Hill Douglas County. It was established in 2005.

Red Hill Douglas County: This tiny appellation — just 5,500 acres — is within the Umpqua Valley. Fewer than 200 acres of wine grapes, primarily Pinot Noir, are grown here. Established in 2005.

British ColumbiaOkanagan Valley: In the province’s interior, this 100-

mile valley stretches from the border in Osoyoos to Salmon Arm in the north. Most wineries are near Oliver, Penticton and Kelowna. It was established in 1990.

Similkameen Valley: This warm valley is west of the southern Okanagan Valley. It was established in 1990.

Vancouver Island: This marine-influenced appellation is in the southwest part of the province. Established in 1990.

Fraser Valley: This farming area is in the Lower Mainland, south of Vancouver. Established in 1990.

Gulf Islands: This appellation includes approximately 100 islands spread out between Vancouver Island and the southern mainland. Established in 2005.

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A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 2, No. 4 • © 2012

Recent Releases are evaluated under strict conditions to ensure objectivity. Northwest wineries submit wines to Wine Press Northwest for evaluation by Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel. After wines are received, they are stored for at least two weeks and a third party serves them “blind,” meaning the tasting panelists do not know the producer. In addition, the panelists are served glasses of wine and are not able to view the bottles or their shapes prior to tasting. Wines are stored in temperature-controlled conditions, allowing them to be served at perfect cellar temperatures.

Price is not a consideration in these evaluations, nor is a winery’s advertising activity with Wine Press Northwest, as the magazine’s editorial/wine evaluation activities and advertising/marketing efforts are kept strictly separate.

The panel has a combination of technical and consumer palates. If at least three of the four panelists consider a wine technically sound and commercially acceptable, it is included here as “Recommended.” The panel may also vote the wine as “Excellent” or “Outstanding,” our top rating. Wines considered

unacceptable by the panel are rejected and not included. Reviews are grouped by variety or style and listed alphabetically by winery. Prices listed are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

To ensure we maintain an international perspective, our tasting panelists judge thousands of wines annually at various competitions, including: Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Riverside International Wine Competition, Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, Indy International Wine Competition, Virginia Governor’s Cup, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Grand Harvest Awards, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru, Washington State Wine Competition, Seattle Wine Awards, Northwest Wine Summit, British Columbia Wine Awards, New York Wine and Grape Foundation Competition, Tri-Cities Wine Festival, Capital Food & Wine Fest, North Central Washington Wine Awards and Idaho Wine Competition.

Tasting methods

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Wine Press Northwest is a quarterly consumer magazine that focuses on the wine regions of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho.

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