Collection: Columbia Crest

Washington's only "WineSpectator" no. 1 wine of the year" | "14 wines at WineSpecators TOP-100 over the last 10 years" | "More than 60 "Best buys" in winemagazines for Two Wines-series"

An American star is born...
Columbia Crest was founded in 1983 and is located in the eastern part of Washington State in the Columbia Valley/Horse Heaven Hills AVA. In Denmark, Columbia Crest has been known for years for making fantastically good, American red wine , with lots of value for money.

This location is absolutely optimal for winemaking, as the Columbia Valley is sheltered from the Pacific Ocean's fury behind the Cascade Mountains. The strategy from day one has been to produce premium wine using traditional winemaking methods, but with the best winemaking equipment in the industry. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is left to chance at Columbia Crest.

For example, the house has pioneered the use of “optical sorting tables” in the industry; once the grapes have been destemmed, they run down a conveyor belt, where a computer photographs the grapes on the conveyor belt many times per second. The computer “sees” whether the grapes are the same size and/or whether they have been damaged during the harvest. Bad grapes are mechanically sorted out, and only perfect grape material is retained.

With its 1000 hectares of fields, Columbia Crest is a mammoth in size and quality. From the beginning, they have planted fields on the best land holdings along the Columbia River.

Juan Munoz-Oca is the chief winemaker at Columbia Crest and is responsible for the house's 4 wine series; Two Vines, Grand Estate-series, H3-series and the Columbia Crest Reserve-series. Juan is originally from Colombia, and had his first harvest at the age of 8 - so he must be said to be a very experienced and competent winemaker!

A wine paradise in the USA
The Columbia Valley in Washington State is in many ways a wine paradise on American soil. The latitude is almost identical to Bordeaux in France, which means the grapes are grown under optimal conditions. The estates are sheltered from the Pacific Ocean, which results in a slightly longer ripening season, which is perfect for the grapes.

The “poor” soil conditions mean that the vines’ roots reach even further down to find the essential minerals. The climate is particularly dry in the Columbia Valley due to the Cascade Mountains which “take all the rain” from the ocean before it reaches the fields.

In 2002, Columbia introduced the Crest Two Vines series. A series that over the years has become one of the biggest brands in the USA and without a doubt a “Best Buy” from Washington State. Since its inception, the series has received over 60 “Best Buy” awards for its unbeatable “value for money qualities”!

Columbia Crest H3

The H3 series is created to honor the amazing microclimate of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA – hence the name of the series. All wines are of great complexity, volume and impressive style. The wines come from the fields surrounding the Columbia Crest property itself.

The H3 wines all come from the south-facing slopes that are approximately 400 meters above sea level. The fields are sheltered by the Cascade Mountain and the altitude means that the fields are above the dew point so the grapes do not get frost at critical times in the growing season.

The difference between the Grand Estate and the H3 wines is that the H3 wines use more new barrels both during fermentation and aging. This gives the wines greater depth and volume.
If you want a good glass of wine , it's hard to avoid Columbia Crest .