In the summer issue of Wine Press Northwest, Westport Winery earned an “Outstanding” rating on Message In A Bottle, the latest vintage of their rosé of Sangiovese. This was the largest evaluation of Northwest blush wines in history with 122 entries. Of those, 30 were honored with an “Outstanding” defined by the magazine as having “superior characteristics and should be highly sought after.”
Director of Winemaking, Dana Roberts, attributes much of this wine’s success to the grape grower, Mike Sauer of Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA outside of Wapato, Washington. Roberts said, “Working with Mike is a privilege. He’s a pioneer in the industry with such attention to detail that it makes my job a lot easier. The Grosso clone seems to be the perfect type of Sangiovese to create the ultimate Washington rosé.”
The judges said, “Aromas of strawberry freezer jam and raspberry play out on the palate. There’s a drizzle of residual sugar on the entry, yet mouth-watering acidity akin to cranberry and blood orange makes for a zippy and delightful finish.”
The sculpture commemorating this wine, a giant wine bottle created by Abe Singer, is located near the entrance to the resort. The message inside says, “From grape to glass, wine is good.” The label for this beautiful beverage was painted by watercolorist, Darrel Easter. A portion of the proceeds from this wine benefits the West Coast Search Dogs of Washington.
In 2016 Westport Winery was honored as one of the top twenty most-admired wineries in North America by Winery & Vineyard Management Magazine. It was named 2011 Washington Winery to Watch by Wine Press Northwest. They have been voted Best Winery by King 5 Evening Magazine six times. 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.
Family-friendly Westport Winery Garden Resort, is located on the corner of Highway 105 and South Arbor Road halfway between Aberdeen and Westport. The resort (including the restaurant, bakery, plant nursery and 15-acre display garden) is open daily or breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Westport Winery’s second store, TASTING @ Cannon Beach, is located at 255 N. Hemlock. The Oregon tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information or reservations call 360-648-2224.