Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

The Mid-Columbia vineyards have again taken honors for our outstanding wines during the recent Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. See below for results:

• Kiona Vineyards Winery on Red Mountain won best in show for its – ’2008 chenin blanc ice wine’. Kiona won the top award for limited-productions wines and also won gold for its ‘reserve sangiovese’.
• Domaine Ste. Michelle in Paterson won gold medals for ‘blanc de blanc’, and its ‘blanc de noir’ sparkling wines.
• Barnard Griffin in Richland won gold for ‘rose of sangiovese’.
• Tagaris of Richland won gold for its ‘Alice Vineyard mourvedre’.
• Tasawik Vineyards of Prosser won gold for its ‘Hailstorm Red’.
• Hogue Cellars of Prosser won gold for its ‘Genesis Riesling’.
• Gamache Vintners of Prosser won gold for its “viognier’.
• Columbia Crest in Paterson won gold for its “Grand Estates cabernet sauvignon’.

Go to www.winepressnw.com/winners for the list of medal winner in all categories.

Wine! Wine! Wine! Wow – the wine industry is still growing with leaps and bounds here in Washington State with 165,000 tons of grapes crushed last fall, which is an increase of 20,000 tons from 2008, with Reisling and Chardonnay being the largest crops.

Washington State is the second largest wine producing state in the nation, but a far cry from California’s number of 3.44 million tons crushed last year. However, we are the country’s largest producer of juice grapes, which are mostly Concorde grapes.

60 percent of the grapes grown in Washington are owned by or contracted to Ste. Michelle, who ownes the three wineries Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Snoqualmie Vineyards. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the world’s largest producer of Reisling, which is fast becoming the country’s favorite in sales.

Here in the Tri Cities there are several wineries of merit, tasting rooms popping up all over, and many fine dining establishments carry local wines for you to sample. Come enjoy our wonderful weather, our outstanding recreational activities, and after a long day in the fun and the sun – enjoy the taste of our premium wines from vineyards right here in the Columbia Basin!