Yakima Valley Vintners (YVV), Yakima Valley College’s teaching winery, received honors at the 2022 Seattle Wine Awards/Washington State Wine Awards. YVC’s 2017 Senioritis Red and 2018 Foreign Exchange – Touriga Naçional received double gold. The 2017 Red Backpack Red, 2017 Final Exam Cabernet Franc and 2021 Spring Break Xarello each garnered gold medals. Silver medals were awarded to the 2018 Summer Break Red and 2017 Last Hyrah Syrah. And finally, a bronze medal was given to the 2018 Inquisitive Minds Mourvèdre.
The 2018 Foreign Exchange Touriga Nacional received a 97-point score. The student winemakers chose to make this variety in a still wine style; typically, this variety is used in making Port wines. The 2017 Senioritis Red is a blend of Tempranillo and Primitivo, and was aged in barrel over 30 months, it received a 95-point score.
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. 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.