Columbia Crest Winery

Can you name Washington’s largest producer of wine? It’s Columbia Crest, and it leaves its closest competitor in the dust. Owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Columbia Crest Winery bottles 1.7 million cases per year. How does Columbia Crest produce such volume without compromising quality? To find the answer, WineTrail trekkers need to visit Columbia Crest’s Horse Heaven Hills production facility and take the self-guided tour.

Before you jettison the word “artisan” from your vocabulary, realize that Columbia Crest is actually many wineries in one. The various Columbia Crest labels produced at its massive Paterson, WA facility sport labels such as Reserve, Grand Estate, H3 (Horse Heaven Hills) and Two Vines. Historically, Columbia Crest enjoyed a reputation as the state’s value-priced leader. However, all that blew up in 2009 Wine Spectator rated the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as the best wine in the world. The world mind you!

Now under the direction of 30-something chief winemaker Juan Muñoz-Oca, Columbia Crest’s tradition of making world-class continues. Argentinean-born, bred and trained, Juan’s resume of advanced wine education and stints at premium wineries in Argentina, France, Australia and Spain ensures that he brings a wealth of knowledge. But perhaps more important is the passion that Juan brings to the task and his love of Washington wine.

For wine purchases, the spacious tasting room offers a wide variety of Columbia Crest wines—both of the red and the white persuasions. Featuring two tasting bars, the tasting room can readily accommodate the occasional onslaught of visitors disgorged from tour buses. As you would expect from any Ste. Michelle–owned asset, the staff is exceptionally well trained and affable. No wine snobbery here despite their number one ranking.

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  Columbia Crest Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Horse Heaven WineTrail on page 394!