Vineyard & Winery Technology Program earns 9 medals at Washington Wine Awards

Yakima Valley Vintners (YVV), Yakima Valley College’s teaching winery, received honors at the 2023 Seattle Wine Awards/Washington State Wine Awards. YVC’s 2019 Carménère, 2019 Syrah, 2019 Cabernet Franc, 2022 Book Club Pinot Gris and 2019 Merlot received gold. The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, 2022 History Class Pinot Gris, 2022 Easy A Chardonnay and 2022 Study Skills Chardonnay each garnered silver medals. Three of the gold medal wines (Carménère, Syrah and Cabernet Franc) obtained a score of 94 on the 100-point Wine Awards Scale.

Some of the fruit used in making these wines came from vineyards in which program alumni were involved.  The Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Franc are from Noel Vineyard, where alumnus Teo Petropoulos is the vineyard manager, and the Merlot is from Wautoma Winds, a vineyard started by graduate Doug Robert.  Fruit from the other wines comes from industry partners that support student education in vineyard and winery technology. 

All award-winning wines submitted by Yakima Valley Vintners were produced by students completing course work in YVC’s Vineyard & Winery Technology program. The wines are marketed through the program at YVC’s Grandview Campus, which houses a winery facility and tasting room, as well as its tasting room on the Yakima Campus. All wines submitted were judged blindly by a panel of prominent wine professionals. YVC student wines were included with all of the other commercial wineries during the competition.

Seattle Wine Awards is Washington State’s most prestigious wine awards program. In April, Washington’s most prominent wine professionals gather to taste and evaluate white, red, sweet, sparkling and rosé wines produced from Washington grapes. This esteemed group includes respected wine directors, buyers, distributors, educators and Seattle’s top sommeliers. The top wines are recognized with double gold, gold, silver and bronze grand awards of excellence.

For more information about Yakima Valley Vintners and the Yakima Valley College Vineyard and Winery Technology Program: www.yvcc.edu/wine or call 509.882.7007.