Bordello Blonde Earns Chairman's Award

Bordello Blonde Earns Chairman's Award

Bordello Blonde, an off-dry blend of Riesling and Gewurztraminer, earned the Chairman’s Award at the Dan Berger International Wine Competition. Held on May 9, in Santa Rosa, California, for the past 34 years this was known as the Riverside International Wine Competition.

To earn the chairman’s award, Bordello Blonde had to earn unanimous gold medals from all of the judges. The competition said that a gold medal is awarded “to a wine exhibiting perfect varietal character, balance, and structure; a wine with exceptional qualities.”

The grapes for this wine were grown at Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA. Vineyard owners, Mike and Karen Sauer, are known for their dedication to growing the finest fruit in the state. Mike has said, “In farming there is no substitute for the soil, water, and hard work. Inherently, the nature of farming brings a spiritual dimension to our efforts. There is a connection of past, present, and future generations. For us wine brings the soil, the site, the season, and the efforts of many people together into a single vintage. Later that vintage becomes a cherished memory of that year."

A portion of the proceeds from Bordello Blonde benefits the Aberdeen Museum of History. A sculpture commemorating this wine has been commissioned from North River artist Sherryl Jackson. The label features original art drawn by winery co-owner Kim Roberts. Her drawing features a woman of questionable repute which is why the winery’s tasting notes suggest that this wine “is sexy and soft, she goes with anyone and anything.” In the winery’s Farm to Fork restaurant they recommend paring the wine with Corks, Crab and Cheese their rotini pasta, tossed with Cougar Gold Cheese sauce and topped with sautéed Dungeness crab and brown butter croutons. They even go so far as to pair all their wines with music, in this case they say Bordello goes with Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

Westport Winery was named 2011 Washington Winery to Watch by Wine Press Northwest. They have been voted Best Winery by King 5 Evening Magazine for six of the past eight years. They were named the Best Washington Family Business Silver Medal winners in 2012, received the Grays Harbor Environmental Stewardship Award in 2015, and were name Best Winery, Best Wine Shop, and Best Boutique Winery for 2016 by South Sound Magazine.

Westport Winery Garden Resort is located on the corner of Highway 105 and South Arbor Road halfway between Aberdeen and Westport. The winery (including the restaurant, bakery, nursery and gardens) is open daily offering lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.