Seattle Times - Top 50 Wines of the Year Under $30

Two common complaints about my annual lists of Top 50 wines go like this:

1. These wines are too expensive.

2. My favorite wines are missing.

To No. 2, I say: It’s time to explore the world of Pacific Northwest wine beyond your comfort zone.

To No. 1: We offer a new feature: our top 50 wines under $30.

Why $30? First, it’s a reasonable amount to spend on a great bottle of wine. Second, it opens the options a bit for a list such as this. Already, we see a number of choices here from producers such as Precept Wine in Seattle and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Woodinville. If I were to lower the budget to, say, $20 a bottle, my list of producers would be considerably less diverse (see complaint No. 2). Face it; that wouldn’t be as much fun.

2016 Nine Hats Riesling: From the Poet’s Leap team at storied Long Shadows, this is one of the best rieslings in the Northwest. Read more.