Preliminary voting for the 2011 Reader Survey Wine of the Year and 2012 Wine to Watch has begun! Use the surveys on the right-hand side of the blog to vote for any three nominees in each category. Readers may only vote one time. Those receiving these posts via email, go to www.wawinereport.com to vote. Preliminary voting continues until 9pm on Sunday the 11th.
A few words about the nominees. For 2011 Wine of the Year, I eliminated nominations that did not contain a vintage date as well as wines from back vintages; wines that I could not confirm were from current vintages/available in 2010 based on information on winery websites; and wines that did not conform to other rules (see here). This represented a very small number of nominations. The list below is an incredibly strong list of wines, and seeing this list is my favorite part of this survey each year.
For the 2012 Wine to Watch, it is considerably more difficult to verify that each of these wines will be released next year. While I was doubtful about some, I aired on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion.
See the complete list of nominees below (note that in the survey some names are truncated).
Below are the dates for the preliminary voting and the final voting. Enjoy!
Preliminaries
Wednesday 12/7 to Sunday 12/11 9pm
Vote for any three wines in both categories from those wines nominated.
Finals
Sunday 12/11 to Friday 12/16 9pm
Vote for any one of the finalists.
Read other rules here.
NB: All all of the wines listed below and in the preliminary round of the survey were nominated by readers of Washington Wine Report via email or comment. Any single nomination qualified a wine for the preliminary round, although many had multiple mentions (Note: This text was added to the original post).
2011 Nominees for Wine of the Year
Abeja ‘07 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Abeja ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Adams Bench ’08 Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon Yakim Valley
aMaurice ‘08 "Amparo" Malbec Walla Walla Valley
aMaurice ‘09 "Sparrow" Viognier Walla Walla Valley
Betz Family Winery ‘08 La Cote Patriarche Syrah Yakima Valley
Cadaretta ‘10 SBS White Wine Columbia Valley
Cadence ‘07 Bel Canto Red Wine Red Mountain
Cayuse Vineyards ‘08 Cailloux Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘09 Eroica Riesling Columbia Valley
Corliss Estates ‘06 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Corliss Estates ‘06 Red Wine Columbia Valley
Corliss Estates ‘06 Syrah Columbia Valley
Covington Cellars ‘07 Bruno Sangiovese Seven Hills Vineyard
DiStefano ‘07 Domenica Red Wine Columbia Valley
Doubleback ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
Dumas Station ‘07 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
Dumas Station ‘07 Reserve Cabernetn Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
Dumas Station ‘09 Cow Catcher Red Red Wine Walla Walla Valley
Efeste ‘08 Jolie Bouche Syrah Yakima Valley
Elsom ‘08 Malbec Columbia Valley
Fidelitas ‘08 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain
Fielding Hills ‘08 Cabernet Sauvignon Riverbend Vineyard Wahluke Slope
Fielding Hills ‘08 Cabernet Franc Riverbend Vineyard Wahluke Slope
FIGGINS ‘08 Estate Red Wine Walla Walla Valley
Force Majeure ‘06 Ptera Red Wine Red Mountain
Gramercy Cellars ‘08 John Lewis Reserve Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Gramercy Cellars ‘09 Third Man Red Wine Columbia Valley
Gramercy Cellars ‘09 Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Heaven's Cave ‘08 The Dweller Syrah Destiny Ridge Vineyards Horse Heaven Hills
Hestia Cellars ‘08 Merlot Columbia Valley
Hestia Cellars ‘09 Malbec Columbia Valley
Hestia Cellars ‘10 Chenin Blanc Columbia Valley
K Vintners ‘10 Viognier Columbia Valley
Kerloo Cellars ‘09 Tempranillo Columbia Valley
Kontos Cellars ‘08 Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Leonetti Cellar ‘08 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
Maison Bleue ‘09 Graviere Red Wine Upland Vineyard Snipes Mountain
Maison Bleue ‘09 Le Midi Grenache Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley
Maison Bleue ‘09 Liberté Syrah Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley
Maison Bleue ‘10 Petite Joie Marsanne Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley
Mansion Creek Cellars ‘08 Waldheim Cuvee Walla Walla Valley
Obelisco Estate ‘08 Red Wine Red Mountain
Owen Roe ‘09 Ex Umbris Syrah Columbia Valley
Pomum Cellars ‘08 Shya Red Wine Columbia Valley
Pomum Cellars ‘08 Syrah Columbia Valley
Rasa Vineyards ‘08 Creative Impulse Red Wine DuBrul Vineyard Yakima Valley
Rasa Vineyards ‘08 QED Walla Walla Valley
Reininger ‘08 Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘09 In the Rocks Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘09 Stonessence Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘09 The Unnamed Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Rotie Cellars ‘09 Northern Blend Washington State
Sleight of Hand ‘09 Funkadelic Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Spring Valley Vineyard ‘07 Uriah Red Wine Walla Walla Valley
Tero Estates ‘07 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Windrow Vineyard
Thurston Wolfe ‘08 The Teacher Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State
Two Vintners ‘10 Grenache Blanc Boushey Vineyards Yakima Valley
Walla Faces ‘07 Frank Syrah Walla Walla Valley
William Church ‘08 Malbec
Woodward Canyon ‘08 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Woodward Canyon ‘09 Chardonnay Walla Walla Valley
2012 Wine to Watch
Adams Bench ‘09 Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley
Avennia ’10 Rhone-Style Blend
Boudreaux Cellars ‘08 Malbec
Buty ’10 Rediviva of the Stones Red Wine
Cooper Estate ’09 Merlot Red Mountain
Corliss ‘07 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Dumas Station ‘08 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Dumas Station ‘09 Estate Cabernet Franc
Efeste ‘10 Klipsun Merlot
Efeste ‘11 Feral Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley
Hestia Cellars ‘09 Tempranillo
JB Neufeld ‘09 DuBrul Cabernet Sauvignon
Kontos Cellars ‘09 Walla Walla Valley Syrah
Maison Bleue ‘11 Rose of Mouvedre Yakima Valley
Ott & Murphy ‘09 Petite Sirah Spice Cabinet Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills
Ott & Murphy ‘09 Tempranillo
Ott & Murphy ‘10 Elephant Mountain Vineyard Viognier
Rasa Vineyards ‘09 "Occam's Razor" Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Rasa Vineyards ‘09 Perfect Union Red Wine
Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘10 Stonessence Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘10 The Contender Syrah Walla Walla Valley
Tenor Wines ‘09 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Tranche Cellars ’07 Slice of Pape Columbia Valle
Walla Walla Vintners ‘10 Cabernet Franc Walla Walla Valley
Yak Yak Wines ’11 Riesling Yakima Valley
Zanzibar Cellars ‘09 "Sandra" Red Willow Vineyard Yakima Valley
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Editor

Sean P. Sullivan is the editor of Washington Wine Report and a contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast magazine, covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Canada. He has been writing about and reviewing Northwest wine since 2005.
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2011
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December
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- A look back at 2011 in Washington wine
- FIGGINS - A Family With a Storied Past and a Brigh...
- Walla Walla Valley Report 2011 Part IV
- Seventeen Sparkling Wines to Help Ring in the New ...
- Best of Washington Wine Report 2011
- Fresh Sheet December 27th 2011
- Washington Wine Round-up December 15th to 21st 2011
- Happy Holidays!
- Five Wines Under $15 - December 2011
- Fresh Sheet December 22nd 2011
- Hey Decanter: Cover the Pacific Northwest Seriousl...
- Walla Walla Valley Report 2011 Part III
- Reader Survey 2012 Wine to Watch: Reynvaan Family ...
- 4th Annual Reader Survey: And the winners are…
- Washington Wine Round-up December 8th to 14th 2011
- An In-Depth Look at the New Naches Heights AVA
- Holiday Party Wines that Bring the Thunder
- How to Turn a Cork into a Christmas Ornament in Si...
- Washington Wine Commission Searches for New Execut...
- Final voting begins for the 2011 Reader Survey!
- What will Wine Advocate critic David Schildknecht ...
- Washington Wine Round-up December 1st to 7th 2011
- Preliminary Voting Begins! Reader Survey 2011 Wine...
- Domaine Ste. Michelle Sparkles
- Washington Wine Round-up November 22nd to 30th 2011
- 4th Annual Reader Survey for 2011 Wine of the Year...
- Walla Walla Valley 2011 Holiday Barrel Tasting Primer
- ENOUGH about Robert Parker!
- Old school! Recent print articles
- Summary of Posts for November 2011
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Pages
Labels Cloud
14 Hands
2010 Initiatives
2020 Washington Merlot Challenge
2021 Washington Syrah Challenge
Abacela
Abbey Page
Abeja
Adams Bench
Adelsheim
Airfield Estates
Alder Ridge
Alexana
Alexandria Nicole
Alternative Closures
aMaurice Cellars
Amavi
Ambassador
Anam Cara
Ancestry
Ancient Lakes
Andrew Januik
Andrew Will
Anelare
Angel Vine
Anne Amie
AntoLin
Apex Cellars
Archery Summit
Ardor
Argyle
Arlington Road Cellars
Array
Ash Hollow
Ashan
Auclair
Avennia
Baer Winery
Bainbridge Vineyards
Balboa
Barnard Griffin
Barons V
Barrage
Barrister
Beresan
Bergevin Lane
Bergström
Betz Family Winery
Board Track Racer
Bonair Winery
Bookwalter
Boomtown
Boudreaux Cellars
Brandborg
Brian Carter
Bridgman
Brooks
Bunchgrass Winery
Bunnell Family
Buried Cane
Buty
Cadaretta
Cadence
Cairdeas
Cana's Feast
Candy Mountain
Canoe Ridge
Canon del Sol
Cartel Wine Group
Cascade Valley Wineries
Castillo de Feliciana
Castle Rock Winery
Cave B
CAVU
Cayuse Vineyards
Cedergreen Cellars
Charles and Charles
Charles Smith Wines
Chateau Rollat
Chateau Ste. Michelle
Chehalem
Chelan Estate
Chelan Ridge
Chinook
City Limits
Cloudlift Cellars
Clubhouse Cellars
Co Dinn
Col Solare
College Cellars
Columbia Crest
Columbia Gorge
Columbia Winery
Concentric Wine Project
Cooper Mountain Vineyards
Cooper Wine Company
Corked Counter
Corked Wines
Corliss Estates
Corvidae
Corvus Cellars
Cote Bonneville
Cougar Crest
Covey Run
Covington Cellars
Crayelle Cellars
Cuneo Cellars
CZ Cellars
Darby
Daven Lore
DeLille
Delmas
Desert Wind
Distant Bay
DiStefano
Domaine Pouillon
Domaine Ste Michelle
Donedei
Double Canyon
Doubleback
Dowsett Family Winery
DuBrul Vineyard
Duck Pond Cellars
Duckhorn
Dumas Station
Dunham
Dusted Valley
Dynasty Cellars
Efeste
Eight Bells
El Corazon
Eliseo Silva
Elk Cove
Elsom Cellars
Ensemble Cellars
Envious Cellars
Erath
Eritage
Estrin Estates
Eyrie
Fall Line
Falling Rain
Fidelitas Winery
Fielding Hills WInery
Figgins
Five Star Cellars
Fjellene
Flying Dreams
Flying Trout
For a Song
Force Majeure
Forgeron
Full Pull Wines
Furion Cellars
Gard Vintners
Giant Wine Co
Gifford-Hirlinger
Gilbert
Glencorrie
Goedhart
Golden Ridge
Goose Ridge
Gordon Brothers
Gorman
Gramercy Cellars
Grand Rêve
Grosgrain
Guardian
Hard Row
Harvest 2010
Harvest 2011
Harvest 2012
Harvest 2013
Harvest 2014
Harvest 2015
Harvest 2016
Harvest 2017
Harvest 2018
Harvest 2019
Harvest 2020
Harvest 2021
Hawks View
Haystack Needle
Heaven's Cave
Hedges Family Estate
Helix
Hestia Cellars
History
Hogue Cellars
Hoodsport
Hors Catégorie
Horse Heaven Hills
Horsepower Vineyards
Hyatt Vineyards
Idilico
Intrinsic
Isenhower Cellars
itä
Jaine
Januik Winery
JB Neufeld
JM Cellars
Jones of Washington
Juliette's Dazzle
K Vintners
Kaella Winery
Kerloo
Kevin White
Kiona
Kontos Cellars
Kyra Wines
L'Ecole
La Crema
Lake Chelan AVA
Lange
Lantz Cellars
Latitude 46 North
Laurelhurst Cellars
Lauren Ashton
Lawrelin
Leonetti Cellar
Liberty Bay Cellars
Liminal
Lobo Hills
Locati Cellars
Lodmell Cellars
Lone Birch
Lone Canary
Long Shadows
Lost River Winery
Magnificent Wine Company
Maison Bleue
Manu Propia
Mark Ryan Winery
Maryhill
Matthews
McCrea Cellars
McKinley Springs
Mercer Estates
Merf
Michael Florentino
Milbrandt Vineyards
Modern Wine Project
Monesia's Song
Morrison Lane
Mosquito Fleet
Mountain Dome
Naches Heights
Naches Heights AVA
Napeequa Vintners
Native Sun
Nefarious
Nelms Road
Nicholas Cole Cellars
No Girls
Nodland
Northstar
Northwest Wine Round-up
Nota Bene
Novelty Hill
NW Totem Cellars
NW VIne Project
NxNW
Obelisco Estate
Olsen Estates
Oregon
Oregon wine round-up
OS Winery
Otis Kenyon
Ott and Murphy
Owen Roe
Pacific Rim
Palencia
Palouse
Pamplin
Pandora
Parejas
Passion
Patterson
Patton Valley Vineyard
Paul Gregutt
Pendulum
Penner-Ash
Pepper Bridge
Phylloxera
Pic of the Vine
Plumb Cellars
Pomum Cellars
Pondera
Ponzi
Portteus
Pour Me
Powers
Proletariat Wine Company
Proper
Prospice
Puget Sound
Purple Star
Quilceda Creek
Rainstorm
Ramseyer Vineyards
Randall Harris
Rasa Vineyards
Red Diamond
Red Mountain
Red Willow
Reininger
Renegade
Result of a Crush
Rex Hill
Reynvaan Family Vineyards
RiverAerie
Riverhaven Cellars
RMV Cellars
Robert Ramsay
Robison Ranch Cellars
Ross Andrew
Rotie
Royal Slope
Rulo Winery
Russell Creek WInery
Rusty Grape Vineyard
Ryan Messer
Ryan Patrick
Sageland Vineyards
Saint Laurent
Salida Wines
Salmon Harbor
San Juan Vineyards
Sandhill
Sapolil Cellars
Savage Grace
Saviah Cellars
Scarborough
Screwcaps
Seattle Area Wineries
Seufert
Seven Hills Winery
Shady Grove Winery
Sheridan
Silvara
Silver Bell
Silver Lake Winery
Sineann
Six Prong
Skylite Cellars
Sleight of Hand
Smasne Cellars
Snipes Gap Vineyards
Snipes Mountain
Snoqualmie
Sockeye
Sodovino
Sol Stone
somme de parties
sonoris
Soos Creek
Sparkman Cellars
Spindrift
Spokane Area
Spring Valley
Steele Wines
Stella Fino
Stevens Winery
Stoller Vineyards
Stomani Cellars
Stonecap
Stottle
SuLei Cellars
Sweet Valley Winery
Swiftwater
Syncline Cellars
Syrah
SYZYGY
Tagaris
Tamarack Cellars
Tefft
Tempus
Tenor Wines
Tero Estates
Terra Blanca Winery
The Burn of Columbia Valley
The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater
The Walls
Three Rivers Winery
Thurston Wolfe
Tildio
Time & Direction
Toil
Townshend Cellar
Tranche
Treveri
Trisaetum
Trust
Tulpen Cellars
Two Mountain
Two Vintners
Upland Estates
Va Piano Vineyards
Valdemar Estates
Viento Wines
Vin du Lac
Vinyl Wines
Virtual tasting
Virtue Cellars
W.T. Vintners
Wahluke Slope
Walla Walla Valley
Walla Walla Vintners
Walter Dacon
Washington Hills
Washington wine round-up
Waterbrook
Waters
Waving Tree
White Bluffs
Whitestone
Whitman Cellars
Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley Vineyards
William Church
Willow Crest
Wilridge Winery
Wind Rose Cellars
Wine Enthusiast
Wine Enthusiast Scores
WineGirl Wines
Wines of Substance
Woodhouse Wine Estates
Woodinville Wine Cellars
Woodinville WIneries
Woodward Canyon Winery
Yakima Valley
Yellow Hawk Cellar
Zerba Cellars
Zero One Vintners
Sean,
ReplyDeleteAs suggested last year, I hope that you will provide your own WOTY and Wine to Watch when the reader results are presented.
Hi Alan, I've got my top list from 2011 ready but won't be publishing it until early January as I have a number of reviews to post still. I'll give my thoughts on 2012 Wine to Watch once the voting is finished.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sean. I look forward to reading your selections. Thank you for another great year of covering the WA wine industry.
ReplyDeleteGramercy Cellars ‘09 Syrah Walla Walla Valley
ReplyDeleteAbeja ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Owen Roe ‘09 Ex Umbris Syrah Columbia Valley
Hi Nathan, please note that all voting must be done via the polls on the right hand side. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible way to judge wines. Wonder how many wineries submitted their own names...probably a lot given all one had to do is submit the info w/o any reasons why. What is the purpose of this survey...you gathered a few suggestions over a short period of time and will then give acclaim to the wineries that successfully was able to get their friends to submit the most votes. Geez...kind of reminds me of our own messed up political system. How does this help the wine industry mature with these gimmicks?
ReplyDeleteAnon, first, there is no "judging." This is a reader survey as stated.
ReplyDeleteI spend my year writing about and rating wines. The intent of the annual Reader Survey is to allow my readers to say what *they* think. It is to get people to think about what their favorite Washington wines were throughout the year, discuss these wines, and talk about Washington wines more generally.
Many people have written me each year about how much they enjoy this process and how much time they spend picking the wines that they submit and vote on. One person this year noted that he spent *three days* thinking about his submissions. You can decide if that has value.
I allow anyone to nominate their favorite wines via comment or email and subsequently vote on them for the same reason I allow anyone to send in an anonymous, jackass comment. In the interests of inclusion. Most people are responsible and use this privilege judiciously. An occasional few unfortunately do not.
I believe if you review this year's list of reader nominated wines you will find a very, very strong list. Is it complete? By no means. Are there numerous, excellent wines and wineries that were not nominated by readers? Yes. Is this any reflection on the wineries not listed? No.
"all one had to do is submit the info w/o any reasons why"
Next year I'll make people write an essay on the merits of the wine and decide which should be included based on this because that makes sense. I should note that some already did that this year and this happens each year because people are passionate about the wines they pick. That is a good thing.
"...and will then give acclaim to the wineries that successfully was able to get their friends to submit the most votes." I think I'll let that considered sentence speak for itself.
Just received an email from a winery soliciting me for a vote, link led me right here. Haven't had this particular wine of theirs in a number of years but they weren't interested in that (that would have involved an invitation to their tasting room), they were interested in my vote, hence the link. Does this platform encourage people to buy wine? No. It encourages voting. If your goal is a popularity contest then you've succeeded. The most 'friends' win. If you're interested in what people think based on their experience, then voting would be from, say, tasting rooms. Just call it what it is. And the pot-shot you took at 'Anonymous' for their grammar, calling their comment 'jackass', really? This is forum to post comments, not turn in English papers. By having an open forum you're encouraging people to speak not just agree with you. Be gracious, write an apology. Maybe have a nice glass of wine to go with it.
ReplyDelete