Vines were first planted by hand in 1985 and improving each year.
Watching the Grapes Grow
Tapteil Vineyard is among the very few Washington state wineries where the person who planted the grapes and farms the grapes, also makes the wine.
Founder, Farmer, Winemaker
Larry Pearson inoculates Merlot must to begin the wine fermentation process.
Red Wine & Chocolate, Yakima Valley
Feb 17, 2018 – Feb 19, 2018
Chocolate lovers, this weekend is for you! Each participating winery pairs sumptuous chocolates with their very own remarkable red wines. Sample some of the Yakima Valley’s finest red wines and enjoy chocolate confections. Click here for more info.
Spring Barrel Tasting
April 27, 2018 – April 29, 2018
Spring Barrel tasting is your chance to get a jump on tasting and purchasing some of the best wines in wine country. A visit to the Valley on this weekend will allow you to sample yet-unfinished wines from the barrel.
Get your tickets on the Wine Yakima site.
Catch the Crush
Join the Yakima Valley wineries to celebrate the harvest at the Annual Catch the Crush event. Each winery offers its own celebratory events, including grape stomps, harvest and crush activities, tours, free-run juice and hors d’oeuvres.
Thanksgiving In Wine Country
The event that has become a Northwest tradition. Yakima Valley wineries open their doors following Thanksgiving to celebrate the season. Come sample our finest wines and carefully selected culinary pairings.
For more details see the Wine Yakima Valley site.
Tapteil Featured in New Book
Tapeil is featured in a beautiful new coffee table book Spectacular Wineries of Washington. Here is the publisher’s description:
“Full of vibrant color photographs and detailed writings, this guide provides a comprehensive look at the burgeoning winemaking industry in Washington state and features more than 70 of its finest wineries and vineyards. Presenting the rich history, unique processes, and visionary people of wineries such as Soos Creek Wine Cellars and Chateau Saint Michelle, the coffee-table book also includes pairing suggestions for hundreds of fine Washington wines. Engaging readers to further explore the region, this visual guide includes QR codes that link to videos of winemakers discussing their creations and 360-degree perspectives of various scenic properties”.
Quilceda Creek Makes History Again with Perfect 100 Pts.
Awards Winery its Third 100 Point Rating
Quilceda Creek’s three 100-point ratings exceed the number of perfect scores the Wine Advocate has awarded such famous California “cult wines” as Abreu (2), Screaming Eagle (1), Colgin (1) and Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select (1). Similarly, Quilceda Creek’s track record puts the winery in company with such well-known Bordeaux Chateaux as Margaux, Haut Brion, and Latour. All three First Growths have received three 100-point scores from Parker, though over a longer period of time than Quilceda Creek’s unprecedented scores, which were awarded in just four years.
Always with an eye to the future, winemaker Paul Golitzin says the acclaim the winery’s newly planted estate vineyards received is equally exciting. Wine Advocate awarded the debut release of Quilceda Creek’s 2004 Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 97 points, and subsequently awarded the 2005 vintage of this wine 97 points as well. This puts the Galitzine Cabernet Sauvignon in the same rarified territory as the estate’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon – a remarkable achievement given the youth of these vines. Wine Advocate critic Dr. Jay Miller also noted the exceptional results the winery is achieving from its newest vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, Palengat, which was first harvested by the winery in 2006. (Palengat is Jeannette Golitzin’s maiden name.)
“[Palengat vineyard] is only seven years old but the potential is enormous as a taste from barrel attests,” wrote the Wine Advocate. The first wine from this vineyard will be released in fall 2009 and will be offered directly from the winery only. While the mailing list is currently closed, the winery is still accepting waiting list requests via its website, www.QuilcedaCreek.com.
Without fail, it is Quilceda Creek’s consistency that seems to impress critics the most. As the Wine Advocate succinctly notes, “Quilceda Creek is a model of consistency.” Paul Gregutt, Washington wine expert, critic and author of Washington Wines & Wineries – the Essential Guide, also comments on the winery’s track record for consistency. Gregutt writes, “The father-son team of Alex and Paul Golitzin are making, by anyone’s standard, as fine a Cabernet Sauvignon as anyone in the world. Their single-minded focus, their ability to make brilliant wine in virtually every vintage, and most impressively their unbroken track record of excellence are unparalleled. Nobody does it better.”
Quilceda Creek sold the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon for $115 a bottle from the winery (a fraction of the price of the California cult Cabernets and Bordeaux First Growths). The winery will offer its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon to mailing list customers in January 2009. Winemaker Paul Golitzin believes it is a wine that rivals the 2002, 2003 and 2005.
Quilceda Creek is Washington State’s 12th bonded winery. Founded in 1978, Alex and Jeannette Golitzin dedicated themselves to producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and have remained true to their vision. In 1992, the Golitzins’ son Paul assumed winemaking responsibilities. Paul focused the winery’s attention on its greatest asset – the ownership of vineyards in the Columbia Valley. The wines are highly prized by collectors for their consistent quality and age ability.
2005 Cadence Tapteil a Food and Wine Top Pick
Wine editor Ray Isle at Food and Wine Magazine selects the 2005 Cadence Tapteil as one of Washington’s best in Washington State Reds: 20 Top Bottles create word cloud