Food & Drink
Read More ›
2016 Washington Wine Awards Methodology and Tasting Panel
This article originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.
Nominations for this year’s Washington State Wine Awards in the Winery and Winemaker, Red Wine, White Wine, Sparkling Wine and Rosé categories were solicited via survey from a panel of Washington wine and food professionals. The top vote-getters were selected as winners. The more than 100 wines receiving the most votes in the varietal categories qualified as finalists for a blind tasting conducted by a panel of 11 industry professionals on March 7, 2016, and were scored using a 20-point system, and awarded points for their appeal in sight, smell and taste. The wine with the most points won. Sparkling wine winners were selected from an open-submission tasting on April 11, 2016, using the same methodology, with a panel of four wine judges. Winners in each varietal category were eligible to win Wine of the Year, and Wine of the Year winners in red and white wines were selected via a show of hands. Information in the tasting notes was taken from the tasters’ descriptions of the wines.
Readers’ Choice award winners for Best Washington State Wine Touring Experience and Best Tasting Room in Washington State received the most votes from our nominating panel and in an open readers’ survey posted on seattlemag.com.
Best Restaurant for Experiencing Washington State Wine and the Retail Wine Steward of the Year were selected through a survey sent out by Washington State Wine (formerly the Washington State Wine Commission). A judging panel, composed of industry leaders, evaluated the top restaurants based upon preset criteria, while the Retail Wine Steward of the Year was chosen purely on consumer nominations. The Walter Clore Washington Wine Ambassador Award was chosen by an internal Washington State Wine committee.
Tasting panelists and steering committee members who are winemakers were excluded from voting in categories in which their wines were entered
Seattle magazine’s Washington Wine Awards program is produced by Yashar Shayan.
Survey panelists:
Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, RN74
Lane Hoss, Anthony’s
Erica Orr, Orr Wines
Rebecca Murphy, Dallas Morning News and TexSom International Wine Awards
Doug Charles, Compass Wines
Cara De Lavallade, Willows Lodge
Shelly Fitzgerald, Columbia Winery
Erica Catubig, The Carlile Room
Jason Marvin, Pike & Western Wine Merchant
Noel Doty, Wolfgang Puck’s Cut restaurant at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Tim Donahue, College Cellars of Walla Walla
Tommy Thompson, Tulalip Resort Casino
Adam Chumas, Tom Douglas Restaurants
Cortney Lease, Martine’s Wines
Nelson Daquip, Canlis
April 11, 2016 sparkling-wine tasters:
Jeffrey Dorgan, SkyCity Restaurant at the Space Needle
Lane Hoss, Anthony’s
Mark Takagi, Metropolitan Markets
Erica Catubig, The Carlile Room
Nominating panelists:
Yashar Shayan, Impulse Wine
Paul Zitarelli, Full Pull Wines
Chris Horn, Heavy Restaurant Group
Mark Takagi, Metropolitan Market
Follow Us
Restaurant Roundup: 3 Pearls and Restaurant Week Redux
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
When something tastes good, you gotta go back for seconds—and that’s exactly what we’re doing for this fall’s Seattle Restaurant Week, Oct. 18-31. Building off a successful spring spread, this edition brings back curated menus at various price points ($20, $35, $50, and $65) at restaurants, bars, cafes, and pop-ups across the greater Seattle area….
House Special: A Taste of Ecuador at Bad Chancla
Chef José Garzón brings a coastal Ecuadorian classic to his 335-square-foot Capitol Hill kitchen, where he hopes to introduce more dishes from home.
There is not much room at Bad Chancla. The bright pink walk-up on East Olive Way seats a handful of people elbow to elbow, mostly outside, and the kitchen behind the counter is small enough that chef and co-owner José Garzón can talk to you while he cooks. Garzón grew up between Guayaquil and the…
Opening Night: GoodMart Makes Lunch Feel Like Luxury
Victor Steinbrueck, owner of Fremont’s acclaimed Local Tide, opens his second seafood-centric restaurant in the heart of Ballard.
On a Thursday afternoon I was able to walk right up to the counter at GoodMart on Ballard Avenue and order lunch, which surprised me. GoodMart is owned by Victor Steinbrueck, who opened Local Tide in Fremont during the height of the pandemic (August 2020) and built it into one of Seattle’s most acclaimed seafood…
Where to Warm Up With a Drink This Fall and Winter in Seattle
From swanky speakeasies to a cozy literary bar, these spots serve inventive cocktails and zero-proof options.
Seattle’s drearier days are slowly arriving, but it’s not all gray and gloom from here. Finding a cozy spot to warm up is part of the trick to enjoying the darker, colder months. The right place lets you bring a friend, a book, a journal, or simply yourself, and let time pass by. Whether you…