Pacific Northwest
Wine Competition

LONGSHIP CELLARS AWARDED 2026 COMPETITION BEST IN SHOW; THEIR SECOND BEST IN SHOW TITLE

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Richland, Washington’s Longship Cellars, co-owned by husband and wife Kyle and Cassie Welch, topped the list of 644 entrants in the 11th Annual Pacific Northwest Wine Competition by taking home the Best in Show trophy for their 2022 Pet Cheetah Grenache.
 

The Welches are no stranger to top honors in the competition, having previously won the Best in Show trophy in 2021. They join Dr. Wade Wolfe of Thurston Wolfe Winery in Prosser, Washington as the only two-time winners of the Competition’s highest award.
 

Their Pet Cheetah Grenache was sourced from the Yakima Valley AVA, and the judges loved the wine’s core of plum, strawberry, and red cherry fruit, accentuated by notes of rose oil, cinnamon, tobacco, white pepper, and vanilla bean. The judges also singled it out as having a “sexy and balanced palate, juicy acidity, and a long finish.” One summed it up in a single word: “Yum!”
 

In addition to the Double Gold medal/96-point Grenache – which also received the Best Red Wine award – Longship Cellars earned three more Double Gold medals for their 2022 Only One Cinsault, 2022 Wise Man Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2025 Mind and Memory Sauvignon Blanc.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY 2026 MEDALISTS

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Other notable wines at the 2026 Competition included Prosser, Washington’s Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2025 Viognier and Woodinville, Washington’s Brian Carter Cellars 2025 Oriana, which tied for the Best White Wine award.
 

The Two Mountain Winery 2025 Rosé from Zillah, Washington was a standout as the Competition’s Best Rosé; and Walla Walla, Washington’s Five Star Cellars 2019 Stellar and Lake Chelan’s Tipsy Canyon Winery 2022 Mélange Rouge were co-winners of the Stan Kreft Memorial Award for Best Red Bordeaux Blend.
 

For wineries receiving the top number of the Competition’s highest medals, Chelan, Washington's Tsillan Cellars earned nine Double Golds along with four Golds; Chris James Cellars of Carlton, Oregon achieved seven Double Golds plus a Gold; Famici Wine Company of Caldwell, Idaho scored six Double Golds and five Golds; and Mellisoni Vineyards, also from Chelan, claimed four Double Golds and six Gold medals.
 

In terms of winning percentages, Woodinville, Washington’s Callan Cellars and Milton-Freewater, Oregon’s Zerba Cellars each entered five wines and received an amazing four Double Gold medals, and Dama Wines of Walla Walla, Washington scored a perfect three-for-three Double Golds on its entries.