Quilceda Creek

Quilceda Creek Winery is one of Washington's most prestigious wine producers. The winery's focus is on Cabernet Sauvignon, which has been very well-received: the 2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon was the first American wine outside of California to be awarded 100 points by Robert Parker.

The winery was founded in 1978 by Alex Golitzin, who was inspired to make wine by his uncle André Tchelistcheff, one of the most significant winemakers in California at the time. Alex Golitzin's son, Paul, began working at the winery in 1992 and is now the winemaker.

Quilceda only produces a small number of wines, and the flagship is the Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit for this is sourced from some of the best Washington vineyards in Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills, including the Galitzine Vineyard, the Wallula Vineyard and the Palengat Vineyard. In addition to the flagship wine, Quilceda produces a single-vineyard Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, a Palengat Proprietary Red, and a Columbia Valley Red Wine which is made from declassified fruit. While Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the vineyards, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot are used to complete Quilceda's red blends, with the Palengat Proprietary Red using the smallest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon.

From very early in its history, Quilceda Creek Winery has cemented a reputation for producing some of the finest wines in Washington. The first vintage of the flagship Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon won the Enological Society of the Northwest's Grand Prize in 1983. After the perfect score for the 2002 vintage, Robert Parker went on to award the 2003, 2005 and 2007 vintages each a 100-point score in the Wine Advocate.