Pacific Northwest
Wine Competition
2025 Judging and Competition Results
For the 10th consecutive year, the Pacific Northwest Wine Competition achieved record-breaking status, both in the number of wineries and entries.
168 wineries from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho participated in the event, entering 739 wines that were tasted and judged over the course of three days from June 23 to 25, 2025 at Walla Walla Community College.
Organized by the Whatcom Beer & Wine Foundation, the competition continued to flourish, despite a challenging year for many wineries.
“There’s been a downturn in the wine industry, and it’s been a little difficult for wineries,” said Foundation President, Dan Radil.
“We honestly did not expect that we would be able to grow our competition for the 10th consecutive year. But the wineries really rallied and put together entries, so it was another record year for us. We are just ecstatic.”
The judging panels awarded 188 Double Gold and 199 Gold medals during the competition, with Best in Show and Best Red Wine honors going to the Aviam Cellars 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Best White Wine honors were shared by the Mellisoni Vineyards 2024 Pinot Grigio and DeLille Cellars 2023 Chaleur Blanc; and the Succession Wines 2024 Rosé was named the Best Rosé of the Competition.
The inaugural Stan Kreft Memorial Award for Best Red Bordeaux Blend was earned by the Brian Carter Cellars 2021 Solesce. The award was named for long-time competition lead volunteer Stan Kreft, who passed away after the 2024 event.
Aviam Cellars’ 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is the recipient of the 2025 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition Best in Show award.
The micro-boutique winery and its roughly five-acre estate vineyard are owned and managed by husband and wife Aaron and Ashley Myers, who produced their first vintage in 2019.
Aviam carries a rich, family-based history that goes well beyond the winery’s six-year existence.
In 2000, Ashley’s grandmother, Patt, purchased acreage on Eastern Washington’s Red Mountain (which would later become today’s Aviam Vineyard) and planted Syrah grapes there in 2001.
But Ashley’s Red Mountain connections go back even further, beginning with her aunt and uncle, Jane and Larry Pearson, who planted Taptiel Vineyard there in 1985. They also operated a highly successful winery with the same name for well over 30 years.
After Ashley’s grandmother passed away, the Myers moved to the property in 2014. They established “Evelyn’s Block” (named for their first daughter) and expanded the vineyard to include Tempranillo, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
For their 97-point, Best in Show 2019 Cabernet, Aaron notes about 60-percent of the grapes were sourced from Taptiel West Vineyard, located west of Hightower Cellars, while the remaining 40-percent came from their estate.
“Larry planted this vineyard into the basalt outcroppings,” says Aaron. “It’s very rustic, and because of the soil profile, there are more tannins and structure to the grapes that add to the depth of flavor.”
“Red Mountain is such a special place to grow all kinds of grapes, but especially Cabernet,” he said. “There are really a lot of unique characteristics and distinct qualities from different sites that really shine through.”
Those two-vineyard qualities were the foundation for the Aviam Cellars 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon that he and Ashley crafted, resulting in a truly remarkable wine that features juicy, blackberry and raspberry fruit, nuances of baking spices, and velvety smooth tannins.
“That really makes it a family wine,” Aaron said. “It’s really meaningful for us. It’s what brought us here.”
FAMILY IS TRULY AT THE HEART OF RED MOUNTAIN’S AVIAM CELLARS
OTHER NOTEWORTHY AWARD WINNERS FROM THE 2025 COMPETITION
The 2025 Competition saw a number of first-time winery entrants, and many of them showed exceptionally well.
Woodinville, Washington’s Alluvium Cellars entered six wines and scored four Double Gold medals, while Arenness Cellars in Walla Walla earned a perfect five Double Golds out of five entries.
Also based in Walla Walla, newcomer Capital Call Vintners picked up two Double Golds and a Gold medal; and Central Washington’s UpWest Wine, with a tasting room in Mattawa, earned two Double Golds and two Golds from its six entries.
Among returning wineries, standout performances were achieved by Beaumont Cellars (four Double Golds), Brian Carter Cellars (four Golds and four Double Golds), and Alexandria Nicole Cellars (three Double Golds plus a Gold). Each of these wineries has a tasting room in the Woodinville, Washington area.
Other notable performances from past entrants included two Double Golds and five Golds by Lewiston, Idaho’s Clearwater Canyon Cellars; Lake Chelan-based Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards, which scored three Double Gold and two Gold medals; McKinley Springs Winery in Prosser, Washington picked up four Doubles and two Golds; Redmond, Washington’s Samā Cellars earned three Double Golds and three Golds; and VanArnam Vineyards, located in Zillah, Washington, received four Double Gold medals.
Among wineries with over 10 entries, top medal-winners included Tsillan Cellars, with six Double Golds and three Golds; Prosser’s Thurston Wolfe, earning an amazing six Doubles and four Golds; Van Vino Vineyards, in Blaine, Washington, with four Double Golds and three Golds; Garden City, Idaho’s Veer Wine Project, a five Double Gold and one Gold medal recipient; and Spokane’s Winescape, which picked up three Double Gold and four Gold medals.
Finally, Maryhill Winery, based in Goldendale, Washington, entered a record-breaking 44 wines, and achieved 14 Double Gold and eight Gold medals.
Congratulations and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from the Foundation to all of this year’s participating wineries for another job well done!