Best of Walla Walla

Almost everyone seems to like "Best" lists, so here are my favorites among wines tasted at Taste Walla Walla. Of course, this is unfair and absurd since there are so many good wines from Walla Walla. And what's one taster to do with only three hours to taste more than a hundred wines. There are few bargains here, but the wines are excellent. It is not clear whether Walla Walla wine prices result from superb marketing or low production. First, some other "bests."

• Best Value Winery - Dama Wines
• Best Personality - Anna Shafer
• Best Small Vineyard - Gifford Hirlinger
• Best Winery Name - Syzygy
• Best Winemaker - Brett Isenhauer
• Best Overall Quality - L'Ecole
• Best Consistency - Reininger
• Best Variety - Three Rivers
• Best Thing About Taste Walla Walla - Very few corporate "suits"
• Best Established Winery - Beresan
• Best Wine Made By A Man - Bergevin Intuition
• Best Wine Made By A Woman - 2004 Couvillion Cabernet Sauvignon by Jill Noble
• Most Vivacious - 2005 Cougar Crest Vivace
• Most Dedicated - Cougar Crest NV Dedication One - dedicated to life saving medical professionals at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland, Oregon

Here are some of the best wines. This was especially difficult since there were so many good wines to taste. In many instances, there was more than one "best" wine.

Best of Show

• 2004 Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah

Best Chardonnay

• Saviah Cellars

Best Semillon

• College Cellars
• L'Ecole

Best Riesling

• Long Shadows Poet's Leap

Best Rose -

• Isenhauer

Best Merlot

• Latitude 46N
• L'Ecole
• Long Shadows - Pedestal

Best Cabernet Sauvignon

• Abeja
• Basel Cellars
• Beresan
• Bergevin
• Couvillion
• Dama Wines
• Five Star Cellars
• L'Ecole
• Patit Creek
• Latitude 46 N

Best Bordeaux Blend

• Bergevin - Intuition
• Buty - Merlot/ Cab Franc
• Forgeron - Vinfinity
• Gifford Hirlinger - 18 Below
• Saviah - Laurella
• Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah

Best Syrah

• Dama Wines
• Latitude 46N
• L'Ecole
• Long Shadows Sequol
• Saviah Cellars