By my count, I sipped a record number of great vintages, mostly from the Mid-Columbia. I vowed to taste more wines in 1997 and achieved that goal partly by sampling close to 250 wines during two judgings, the Tri-City Wine Festival in November and the Central Washington State Fair in Yakima in June. From the festivals and a raft of other tastings, I've compiled my annual top 10 list, with a few honorable mentions. 1 - 1995 Chateau Ste. Michelle white riesling ice wine.
Ice wines are rare, and classic ones that are perfect are even rarer.
This wine simply is a delicious, memorable wine and was my choice for best of show at the Tri-City festival judging. It has intense floral aromas, rich flavors of tropical fruit and citrus and a sugar content of 22.5 percent that almost feels like liquid honey. 2 - Hogue's new Genesis label Crawford Vineyard 1996 chardonnay. This is my kind of chardonnay, rich with all the components of fruit, oak and flavors but not overpowering in any area. It has charming aromas and a lingering finish.