On Monday, January 14th, McCaw Hall in Seattle, Washington, fourteen Washington state businesses and individuals were recognized within their industries. Once
again, Washington wine was in the well deserved spotlight, but from a
different angle. The Washington State Wine Awards honors industries
and individuals who raise the profile of Washington wine. I look forward to sharing the stories of some
of these people.
note: If you are a Sommelier, please contact
me, I would appreciate the opportunity to interview you for future posts (email
william@wild4washingtonwine.com
thank you).
This was my first time attending this award event. All of the award winners were acknowledged for making a difference in promoting Washington wine. Bravo, that is something I can stand behind and encourage more to emulate. Bonus, I now have a list of restaurants and venues which excel at showcasing Washington wine. I encourage you to support these venues (see the list of award winners below).
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| A large crowd was in attendance. Tension was palpable. |
This was my first time attending this award event. All of the award winners were acknowledged for making a difference in promoting Washington wine. Bravo, that is something I can stand behind and encourage more to emulate. Bonus, I now have a list of restaurants and venues which excel at showcasing Washington wine. I encourage you to support these venues (see the list of award winners below).
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| Waiting for the awards to be announced. |
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| McCaw Hall, a grand entrance. |
The award winners will be featured in a full-page ad in 10 key publications: Food and Wine, Wine Spectator, Town and Country, Elle Décor, RealSimple, Seattle Magazine, Seattle Met, Sunset, SIP Northwest, WinePress Northwest, and the 2013 Washington State Wine Tour Guide.
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| Introductions by Steve Warner, CEO, Washington State Wine Commission. |
Prizes
ranged from certificates and wine carriers to etched magnums. Three
winners received custom goblets designed by Seattle Glassblowing Studio. These three beautiful works of art look like they were designed for royalty. Deserving of any king or queen of the past 1,000 years. Master Sommelier Shayn Bjornholm emceed the event.
If you were wondering, yes, an abundance of excellent wine was available for tasting. Attendees
were able to taste wines from 60 Washington State vintners. Look for my next post, it will be about the lovely wines I sampled and enjoyed. Surprising to me, there were many wineries I met for the first time. |
| Wine service preparation. |
The 2013 Winners
Walter Clore
Honorarium: Doug Charles (Anacortes).
The Walter Clore Honorarium recognizes an individual who has demonstrated dedication to the advancement of the Washington wine industry. Charles is the owner of Compass Wines store, where he dedicates more than 75 percent of his inventory to Washington State wines. His label dedreckoning is made by some of the top producers in the state.
Best
Restaurant Group: Mackay Restaurant Group, operator of El Gaucho restaurants (Western Washington)
Tourism
Champion of the Year: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
Tourism
Concierge of the Year: Anne Peavey, of Seattle’s Convention
and Bureau Visitor
Retail Steward of
the Year: Doug King of Metropolitan Market
Distributor
Salesperson of the Year:Kris Patten of Young’s Market
Company (Seattle)
Grand Awards:
Awards of Distinction:
For more information on Washington State wine, visit www.washingtonwine.org. |
Cheers!